Vegetarian Metaphors: Exploring Humanity, Pain, and Defiance in Han Kang’s Novel
The Vegetarian
Author : Han Kang
Book Reviewed By - Sameeksha Manerkar
Some books stay with you not because they offer comfort—but because they stir up chaos within you. The Vegetarian by Han Kang is one such novel. It has been a month since I closed the final page, and I’m still reeling from its absurdity, raw terror, and quiet, piercing madness.
This isn’t a book you simply read. You experience it. And when you do, it leaves you questioning everything—your society, your body, your choices, and even your sanity.
🌿 Plot Summary: When Saying “No” Becomes a Revolution
The story begins with Yeong-hye, an unassuming housewife living in Seoul, who one day makes a startling declaration—she is turning vegetarian. What seems like a simple dietary preference soon spirals into a personal and social rebellion.
Her refusal to consume meat isn’t just about food. It becomes a symbol of resistance—against patriarchal control, marital expectations, and societal pressure. Her husband, Mr. Cheong, is enraged by her defiance, seeing it as a personal insult and an act of rebellion rather than a personal choice.
From here, the story descends into darkness. Her father attempts to force-feed her meat in a brutal act of violence. Her brother-in-law becomes sexually obsessed with her, projecting his fantasies onto her vulnerable body. The narrative is told in three parts, through the eyes of Mr. Cheong, the brother-in-law, and her sister In-hye—none of whom truly understand her.
And Yeong-hye? She slowly, silently, disappears from herself—eventually imagining herself to be a tree.
🧠 Character Exploration: Windows into a Woman’s Silent Storm
Yeong-hye – The Silent Center of the Storm
Yeong-hye doesn’t shout, doesn’t explain, and barely speaks throughout the novel. Yet she is the most powerful presence. Her choice to give up meat is the starting point of her rebellion—but it goes far deeper. It is a rejection of the body that has been used, controlled, and dominated by men all her life. Her transformation is tragic and metaphoric—turning into a tree becomes her ultimate escape from the brutality of being human in a society that doesn’t allow her to live on her terms.
Mr. Cheong – The Narcissist in Disguise
The novel opens from Mr. Cheong’s perspective. He views his wife as a background figure—useful, dutiful, and forgettable. Her protest disrupts the order of his world. Instead of trying to understand her, he punishes her by abandoning her. He is the epitome of toxic patriarchy that cannot handle a woman asserting control over her own body.
The Brother-in-law – Art and Obsession Collide
A failed video artist married to Yeong-hye’s sister, his narration forms the second part of the novel. His growing obsession with Yeong-hye’s Mongolian mark—the one on her body—becomes a twisted form of artistic fascination and sexual fantasy. He projects his desires onto her without consent, convincing himself that she understands him. His descent into madness parallels hers—but his actions stem from desire and control, not protest.
In-hye – The Rational Voice in an Irrational World
Yeong-hye’s sister, In-hye, is the only character who tries to understand and help. Her own life is filled with emotional suppression and duty, yet she tries to hold her sister together even as she watches her disappear. In-hye represents the women who keep holding everything together, even while falling apart themselves.
🧩 Themes That Cut Deep
1. Conformity and Control
The novel unravels the violence of forced conformity—through marriage, family, culture, and gender expectations. Yeong-hye’s simple “no” becomes an act of rebellion that no one around her is willing to tolerate.
2. Mental Illness and Psychological Deterioration
Yeong-hye’s journey is deeply psychological. Her trauma, untreated pain, and repressed memories explode in the form of hallucinations, mutism, and self-starvation. Her mind becomes a battlefield between silence and survival.
3. Patriarchy and Female Autonomy
Every male character in the book attempts to dominate or exploit Yeong-hye. Her father’s violence, her husband’s neglect, and her brother-in-law’s obsession all serve as metaphors for the systemic oppression faced by women who dare to say no.
4. The Absurdity of Existence
Han Kang’s use of surrealism and metaphor brings out the absurdity and fragility of identity. The novel is laced with Kafkaesque elements—people turning into things, losing language, losing sense of self.
🎨 Narrative Brilliance: The Power of Absence
One of the most striking aspects of the book is this: we never hear Yeong-hye’s full voice. The story is told through the lens of those around her, who continuously misunderstand her. This narrative technique leaves the reader as the only one trying to hear her.
This absence of voice is where the book’s power lies—it mirrors the real-world silencing of women whose lives are narrated, judged, and defined by others. As readers, we’re left with an uncomfortably raw insight into her suffering—and yet, we cannot truly “know” her.
🔥 Why This Book Hurts—And Why It’s Brilliant
I found myself questioning my sanity while reading this book. It’s deeply uncomfortable, often grotesque, and relentlessly haunting. Yet, I couldn’t stop.
Why? Because The Vegetarian is not just a book—it is an artistic scream. A literary protest.
Han Kang uses lyrical prose to deliver gut-wrenching realities about gender, identity, and mental health. She holds up a mirror to a world that demands compliance and punishes difference.
Yeong-hye doesn’t ask for sympathy or understanding. She just is—and in that being, she forces everyone around her (and the reader) to confront uncomfortable truths.
✍️ Final Thoughts: The Tree That Refused to Wither
In the end, Yeong-hye imagines herself becoming a tree—rooted, still, beyond human touch. In a world that has taken everything from her—words, food, body, sanity—she claims one final act of freedom.
The Vegetarian is a rare book. It shatters your comfort, drowns you in pain, and yet, makes you grateful for having read it.
🌿 If You Liked This, You May Also Enjoy:
🪞 Flawsome Lives in India by Pratyaya Jagannath
If you were stirred by the societal critique in The Vegetarian, don’t miss this satirical mirror reflecting the absurdities and expectations of modern Indian society.
👉 Read the review here
💔 Living Without Him by Minerva Khajuria
If Yeong‑hye’s emotional unraveling resonated with you, explore the power of resilience in this deeply moving narrative about love, grief, and healing.
👉 Read the full review
🧱 Brick by Brick by Dr. Kettaki Kasbekar
If you appreciated the psychological depth in The Vegetarian, this book offers another layered look into emotional rebuilding and inner transformation.
👉 Explore the review here
💬 Have you ever read a book that made you uncomfortable in the best way? Tell me which one and why!
TAGS – Han Kang book review, The Vegetarian review, Korean literature analysis, feminist fiction, surreal novels, Asian women in literature, psychological trauma in fiction, mental health in books, Man Booker Prize novels, literary fiction reviews, Korean novel symbolism, book blog India, women writers Asia, symbolic resistance in literature, metaphors in fiction, book review blog, literary criticism blog
This post is part of the Bookish League blog hop hosted by Bohemian Bibliophile.
Sheer coincidence, my copy of this book is arriving tomorrow. I had read another review recently and so ordered for the book. Your review has whetted my appetite further.
I’ve read a lot of reviews of Vegetarian. I keep thinking whether I should read it or not. Maybe I will one of these days, though it sounds loaded, too heavy.
I read this book a few months ago and just like you, it took me a while to put pen down my thoughts of it. While I think I have made peace with what this book is showcasing, I sometime do feel if it needed to be quite so complex. Loved your detailed review of it. Especially the break down of themes.
There was so much noise about this book – there were those who loved it (obviously) and then there were those who hated it with a passion. I read many many reviews before deciding it was not for me. However, your review puts things in perspective, clarifying all of its weirdness. And I just might, might attempt it at some point.
Just the premise has stirred a storm inside me…a simple choice could lead to the working of this book stuns me. Bookmarking this one! Thoroughly enjoyed reading your post!
I’ve heard so many people say that this is such a powerful read. And now with your insights on humanity, pain, and defiance I’m tempted to finally give this one a try
I have heard a lot about this book, and to tell you the truth, I am not sure this is the book for me. I have read ohter Korean books, like Pachinko and Kim Ji Young, but for The Vegetarian, I am not sure if I will be able to handle the story. But I have to say your review is quite insgihtful, and while it doesn’t give away any spoilers, it does make one aware of the beauty of the book.
I was about to pen my review of this book myself after reading it last month.I could empathise with both In-Hye and Yeong-Hye and their childhood and emotionally broken marriages. For some reason , of late I have been reading books that deal with mental health and it is not entirely by choice . I thought it dealt with vegetarianism and its impact on a woman and her family or maybe was about some science horror but had no idea that this book was about Schizophrenia too. Being a doctor , I am aware of the intricacies of this disorder hence It did not weigh upon me much not was it abhorrent but I was definitely impressed with the impactful translation and the bountiful rich creativity and imagination of the author.
What really struck me was your point about never hearing Yeong-hye’s full voice—that the story is told through everyone else’s perspective while she remains deliberately absent from her own narrative. That’s such a brilliant literary technique, and probably what makes the book so unsettling. It mirrors how women are often spoken about rather than heard directly.
Wow such a powerful read this must have been. Women are not allowed to say no. A no from women shakes so many foundations
This book has been on my TBR for a while and your in-depth review has strengthened my desire to read it.