![]() ![]() Cheong’s co-workers when they go out to dinner. This is viewed as a communal bonding opportunity, and is one of the reasons that Yeong-hye’s decision not to eat any dish with meat is viewed with such distaste by Mr. ![]() One of the ways in which this makes social life difficult, as is seen in The Vegetarian, is the ability to have social meals, as ordering food to be shared among all diners is the norm at restaurants in Korea. Outside of the pages of the story, vegetarianism in Korea is on the rise, but it is still largely viewed as a niche diet and is difficult to maintain, as most dishes in Korea include some kind of fish or meat and there is some confusion about what vegetarians do or do not eat in Korea. ![]() Cheong and the rest of Yeong-hye’s family see her choice to be a vegetarian as disobedient and a poor reflection on the entire family. The remnants of these dynamics are felt in The Vegetarian, wherein Mr. Korean families are also seen as a unit, and the impact of an individual can have ramifications on the perception of the family as a whole. Traditionally, Korean family hierarchies emphasize patriarchal authority, wherein a husband or father exhibits dominance and kindness in exchange for obedience and love. The Vegetarian takes place in modern-day Seoul, and its society is rooted in conservative Korean values. ![]()
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