Kim Jiyoung, Born 1982 by Cho Nam-Joo & translated by Jamie Chang.
I’ve seen a lot of books centring around feminism and gender inequality issues lately and that’s great, but I also think it is important to look at these issues outside of the Western world. That’s among just one of the reasons why I love translated fiction; it helps us to understand people and cultures we otherwise wouldn’t learn about. Did you know that gender inequality is among the highest in South Korea? I didn’t until I read this book.
The story begins with Kim Jiyoung and her mental breakdown as a thirty-something wife and mother before tracing back through her life story; from childhood to marriage and pregnancy we watch as Jiyoung quietly slips into mental deterioration. An important fact to mention here is that Kim Jiyoung’s name is the Korean equivalent of Jane Doe; she is the “millennial everywoman”. I think Cho Nam-Joo wants to point out that these issues affect a large number of Korean women, many of whom are still classed as second-class citizens, they face sexism every day and in every aspect of their lives. From childhood until adulthood, their behaved is constantly monitored and dictated by the patriarchal society; from being forced to eat after the boys at school to being pushed into giving up their careers to raise a family. The women in the story are constantly trying to both understand and fight against the systemic misogyny.
This story of an ordinary Korean woman’s life is set against a backdrop of a socioeconomically progressing South Korea; the country has passed new legislation that protects citizens against gender discrimination and ‘family planning’ policies have been abandoned. Yet, women still face misogyny, sexual harassment, discrimination and much more. This is a call out from the author, claiming that while the rules, regulations, policies and laws have changed, everyday life hasn’t – and never will – unless societal ideologies do too.
The entire book is backed up with facts, and you’ll find footnotes in every chapter. This is something I haven’t seen in fiction texts and I think that this is the author’s way of saying “yes, this is a work of fiction but also, it really isn’t”. A combination of facts, footnotes and the protagonist being a ‘Jane Doe’ makes the style of writing feel somewhat detached, but I don’t see this a flaw. Instead, it seems purposeful, perhaps reflecting Jiyoung’s detachment to her own life – probably because she no longer has full autonomy over it.
This book infuriated me in the best way. It lit a spark of anger and injustice; one that I wanted to scrunch up into a ball and throw at the patriarchy.
If you’re looking for your next feminist read, I highly recommend Kim Jiyoung, Born 1982.
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