한강 소설에 나타나는 ‘채식’의 의미 : 『채식주의자』를 중심으로

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to define the meaning of being vegetarian in the novels of Han Gang, which focused on Vegetarianism, (Chesikjuija). The motif being vegetarian in the combination of plant and food deserves critical keywords to understand her, (Han Gang) literature. From the perspective of ecological ethics, a being vegetarian is regarded as a kind of resistance-is-revolutionary behavior because it recovers the nature of the ecological human- relation and renews the human-being. From a feminist point of view, a vegetable diet is related to the movement of politics since this disturbs the male-dominated world represented by a meat diet. The structuring of politics is linked to human views toward the animals, especially food animals. In the Han Gang's literature, female vegetarianism shows the resistant move to break the male-centered society expressed by the meat diet culture. Husbands and fathers in the family refuse to eat vegetables because they regard this in the same light as defying the patriarchal system. A vegetable diet is prohibited and a meat diet is forced on the family. Finally, in the story, as men couldn't achieve their purposes, they banished women to a psychiatric ward from away society. Meanwhile, sticking to a vegetable diet as a female expression is incompatible with pre-existing male language. That is, of course, difficult to communicate without using a dream or monologue. Paradoxically, Han Gang shows successfully to heal the society marked by violence and longing for a new social order.