Subverting patriarchal narratives scripting social change through the representations of Yeong-hye and Jiyoung

This study focuses on the representation of the protagonists in The Vegetarian by Han Kang and Kim Jiyoung, Born 1982 by Cho Nam-Joo to understand the experience of women under patriarchy. The study is important because it seeks to understand the effect of non-dominant representation through feminist fictions, by weaving together the theories of representation, patriarchy, and feminist standpoint. The questions addressed through this research seeks to understand how dominant narrative influence the representation of women in media, and how can media, especially feminist fictions in this case, contributes to shifting these narratives through non-dominant representations. The main findings of the study show the narrative framing of the protagonists uncovers the gendered and patriarchal contexts they are situated within, and as a result their roles as wife and mother leaves them tormented and subjected to oppression. The study also shows that women face the effects of patriarchy differently based on their social context and the dominant narrative about social norms that time, and yet, both the characters experience a sense of loss of identity by virtue of being forced on with multiple identities to meet the family, society, and state expectations as a woman. Hence the demonstrates that learning from the life experience of the protagonists in the said feminist fictions through standpoint theory can help portray a version of reality not perceived by the dominant narrative, thus shifting narratives that oppress women.