Anatomia traumei în Vegetariana de Han Kang
The Anatomy of Trauma in Han Kang’s The Vegetarian

Summary/Abstract: This paper explores the multiple representations of trauma in Han Kang’s novel The Vegetarian (2007, translated in English in 2015), analyzing how individual, transgenerational, and historical traumatic experiences shape the identity of the protagonist, Yeong-hye (as well as her relationship with others). Using the framework of trauma theory and drawing on concepts such as wiederholungszwang introduced by Sigmund Freud, or trauma as a belated and fragmented experience (Cathy Caruth), the article examines the impact of patriarchal oppression, social norms, and collective memory on the female body and psyche. The protagonist’s transformation—from the refusal to eat meat to a deep psychological dissociation—becomes an act of resistance against ongoing and progressive violence. Furthermore, the paper connects the dots between the novel and some of South Korea’s collective historical traumas, such as the experiences of comfort women, the 1980 Gwangju Massacre, and the postwar consequences of the Vietnam War, all of which are important chapters of the country’s history. The analysis highlights the way in which Han Kang constructs a complex literary discourse on trauma, using bodily symbols and recurring dreams to articulate the unseen pain of her characters.

• Details
• Contents