Metamorphosis in Han Kang’s The Vegetarian: A Literary Exploration of Transformation and Resistance

Abstract

This research examines the theme of metamorphosis in Han Kang’s The Vegetarian, analyzing the protagonist’s transformation as both a literal and symbolic process of change. Yeong-hye, the central character, undergoes a radical shift from a submissive wife to an individual who seeks to transcend human existence, ultimately aligning herself with plant life. This transformation functions on multiple levels: bodily, psychological, and existential, and serves as an act of resistance against the rigid structures of patriarchy, familial expectations, and social conformity. Drawing from a multi-theoretical approach, this study applies concepts of metamorphosis in literature, alongside psychoanalytic theory and ecofeminist perspectives, to analyze Yeong-hye’s journey. From a psychoanalytic lens, her rejection of food and her progressive detachment from reality can be interpreted as a response to trauma and repression, revealing the deep psychological scars inflicted by her past. Simultaneously, an ecofeminist reading highlights her transformation as a rebellion against the objectification and consumption of both women and nature, positioning her metamorphosis as a critique of the violent exploitation inherent in patriarchal societies. This research also places The Vegetarian within a broader literary and philosophical discourse on identity, autonomy, and the fragmentation of selfhood. The novel presents metamorphosis as a fluid and unstable process, where the boundaries between human and non-human, self and other, sanity and insanity are continuously blurred. Through an in-depth textual analysis, this study reveals how Han Kang employs symbolic and surreal imagery to challenge conventional understandings of gendered oppression, bodily autonomy, and resistance. Ultimately, this paper suggests that Yeong-hye’s transformation is not simply an act of self-destruction, but rather a radical rejection of societal norms; one that forces the reader to reconsider the relationship between the body, power, and freedom. By using metamorphosis as a means of subversion, The Vegetarian offers a compelling critique of cultural and patriarchal constraints, redefining the nature of agency and resistance in contemporary literature.