Based on the Existential Feminism-Interpretation of Kim Ji Young, Born in '82

Abstract

Kim Ji-Young, Born in '82 is a classic work that portrays the experiences of the main character Kim Ji-Young. The work has been turned into a film and has raised concerns about the situation of women. This paper provides an in-depth interpretation of Kim Ji-Young, Born in '82, from the perspective of existential feminism and uncovers the existentialist connotations embedded in the work. Through the analysis, this paper finds that the female body and the othering strategy of patriarchal society are the situations that women face when they engage in self-transcendence, and these two situations pose a greater threat and limitation to women's becoming a self-made beings. On the other hand, the strength of women's sense of subjectivity is also an important factor affecting women's self-realization, as evidenced by the different fates of the four women in the novel. The central theme of the novel is to answer the question of how women can achieve self-actualization, to which the novel gives two answers: the affirmation of women's existence by society; and the awakening of women themselves. Through the experiences of the heroine, Kim Ji-young, at different stages of her life, the novel shows the unfair treatment of women in different fields and roles in Korean society.