Essay Example on Man has always had an intimate relationship with Nature

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Man has always had an intimate relationship with nature John F Kennedy said All of us have in our veins the exact same percentage of salt in our blood that exists in the ocean and therefore we have salt in our blood in our sweat in our tears Kennedy 1962 Similarly as Kennedy relates the essence of being human to aspects of nature in his quote Kang portrays nature as having a significant influence over Yeong hye s life vision throughout The Vegetarian A vision can be a combination of one s thoughts feelings and beliefs A vision can also provide a means to accomplish a goal Sometimes a vision can be the blueprint by which one intends to live out their life Yeong hye s life vision is greatly influenced by nature throughout the novel Yeong hye is completely unremarkable in every way p 1 She cooks and cleans for her husband Her favorite hobby is reading However after a dream set in dark woods p 19 her entire life turns weary as she struggles to understand the purpose or meaning of her life Nature s powerful influence causes the audience to question the morality and sanity of Yeong hye 



What was it about nature that makes her dreams so compelling they cause her to make very dramatic lifestyle changes Like in all human lives nature always presents itself as a conflict between the primal instincts within oneself and the conflicts that present themselves within family relationships and society Nature is capable of producing very powerful and persuading imagery In Yeong hye s first dream she describes meat hanging blood still dripping down p 20 During this scene the red color of blood burns in the reader s mind Nature derives its power from utilizing the color red Because red is associated with violence murder and death Yeong hye fears her dream immensely Yeong hye Tries to push past but the meat there s no end to the meat and no exit p 20 Yeong hye is desperate to escape her dream Yeong hye s desperate attempt to escape her dream is a symbolic reference to her attempt to escape from her life She wants to break free from the shackles of her domestic life because she has reached a tipping point with her unaffectionate husband and dull hobbies Her motivation to relive serene childhood moments spent on the beautiful mountain tops drives her to make drastic lifestyle changes She eventually isolates herself emotionally and simplifies her life to a point of no purpose for existence To accomplish her goal of ending the powerful recurring nightmares Yeong hye makes a series of radical decisions Yeong hye endangers her life by taking her new vegan lifestyle to the extreme

She throws out at least 200 000 won of saltwater eel p 18 Her husband describes her putting the parcels of meat into the rubbish bags p 17 She states she would rather kill herself than eat meat This is a significant reveal because Yeong hye demonstrates her determination to follow through with her newly adopted vegan diet Eventually Yeong hye avoids eating all food I don t need to eat not now I can live without it all I need is sunlight p 159 Yeong hye s sanity comes into question The uncertainty of Yeong hye s mental status creates a confusing mood that adds to the ambiguity of Yeong hye s vision for her life The rapid deterioration of her emotional state is accelerated by her continual exposure to nature s powerful imagery Yeong hye s brother in law exposes her to another source of powerful imagery that has a profound effect on her decisions Yeong hye s brother in law uses Yeong hye as a canvas for his art He paints Half open buds that were red and orange bloomed splendidly on her shoulders and back and slender stems twined down her side p 91 Through the use of natural images her brother in law is able to persuade Yeong hye to perform sexual acts Yeong hye said the beautiful flowers succeeded in neutralizing the persistence of her nightmares p 97 This is a significant turning point because Yeong hye has found happiness for the first time since she became vegan Yeong hye s new found happiness offers hope that her deteriorating health will improve Yeong hye is so captivated by the beauty of her body art that she complies with every sexual request of her selfish brother in law Yeong hye wants to live in the moment like a transcendentalist indefinitely

The Vegetarian by Han Kang features nature as a powerful driving force behind Yeong hye s vision The vivid red color of blood in Yeong hye s dreams holds her hostage and persuades Yeong hye to change her lifestyle Hoping that going vegan will end her nightmares Yeong hye s health rapidly deteriorates as she starves herself Her sanity becomes questionable when she attempts suicide Yeong hye s desire to escape the grips of her nightmares is symbolic of her trying to escape her life 

However the only relief Yeong hye finds is through her brother in laws controversial floral art The happiness she finds through his art is significant because it provides hope that her vision will come to light Ultimately the beautiful floral images lead to the tragic downfall of their family The end of this novel leaves the audience pondering the seemingly limitless power of nature Nature can produce beautiful imagery but depending on one s interpretation the result may be catastrophic or prolific



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