Dissolving silence and resisting despair: a study on the botanization of women in Han Kangs The Fruit of My Woman and The Vegetarian

Han Kangs The Fruit of My Woman and The Vegetarian are companion pieces of feminist writing, both centering on the botanization of women as a primary narrative device. However, despite their shared focus on the existential plight of East Asian women, the two works diverge significantly in thematic direction. This paper conducts a comparative study from five dimensions: thematic focus, strategies of resistance, social critique, philosophical implications, and the symbolic meanings of the endings, in order to identify the differences in how the two novels represent feminist botanization. The study finds that the former emphasizes loneliness and self-effacement within marital relationships, expressing an existential solitude through an inward turn of the body toward plant-like transformation. In contrast, the latter expands into a systemic indictment of patriarchy and societal discipline, using outwardly directed bodily self-destruction to challenge structures of social violence, and is marked by a strong ecofeminist tone. The progression in artistic expression and depth of thought between the two works reflects Han Kangs sustained concern for the social existence of East Asian women. Together, they form a philosophical inquiry into the dehumanization of women amid the modernization process, a recurring motif throughout Han Kangs literary corpus.