The Confrontation of Human-Nature Existence in Han Kang’s The Vegetarian

DOI

10.2991/978-2-38476-152-4_16How to use a DOI?

Keywords

Existence; Self; Nature; Vegetarianism; The Vegetarian

Abstract

This research examines the confrontation between the existence of the self and nature in Han Kang’s novel The Vegetarian. In the novel, the principle of vegetarianism emerges as a response to environmental issues and the mistreatment of animals in society. Specifically, this study focuses on the protagonist’s adoption of vegetarian ideology stemming from her childhood trauma. Employing textual analysis methods with an ecocriticism approach, the research investigates the main character’s quest for the existence of the self and nature. By applying Irigaray and Marder’s theory of the vegetal being, the study uncovers how the protagonist merges her existence with the desire to transform into a tree, striving to exist as a distinct entity. However, the eventual collapse of the protagonist indicates her inability to find meaning in her own existence and the existence of nature. This analysis provides a deeper understanding of the protagonist’s journey and the complexities surrounding her relationship with herself and nature.

Copyright

© 2023 The Author(s)

Open Access

Open Access This chapter is licensed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/), which permits any noncommercial use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license and indicate if changes were made.

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TY  - CONF
AU  - Sulistya Ningtyas
AU  - Natasya Amanda Azzahra
PY  - 2023
DA  - 2023/12/19
TI  - The Confrontation of Human-Nature Existence in Han Kang’s The Vegetarian
BT  - Proceedings of the International Joint Conference on Arts and Humanities 2023 (IJCAH 2023)
PB  - Atlantis Press
SP  - 167
EP  - 174
SN  - 2352-5398
UR  - https://doi.org/10.2991/978-2-38476-152-4_16
DO  - 10.2991/978-2-38476-152-4_16
ID  - Ningtyas2023
ER  -