How on earth could she be so self-centered?
Frankly speaking, Mr. Cheong wasn’t really interested in the reasons that made his wife to give up meat. The only one thing he wanted to clarify was whether she was expecting him “not to eat meat.” That was all that he needed to know, for he married her for a comfortable life not a drama. Looking at her “lowered eyes, her expression of cool self-possession”, the man had only one question. “How on earth could she be so self-centered?” – was his main thought. In other words, he wondered how she dared to disturb his troubles existence.
How can you call yourself my daughter?
How often do parents all over the world use this intimidating question to manipulate their children? Unfortunately, more often than one cares to admit. Yes, it is true, that to be a parent is a difficult, not always rewarding kind of a job, but what many parents tend to forget is that their children are individuals and a have a right to make their own mistakes. “How can you call yourself my daughter?” - the woman questions her daughter as if she herself is flawless.
Meat-eating is a fundamental human instinct, which means vegetarianism goes against human nature, right?
The dinner with Mr. Cheong’s colleagues proves to be a disaster. Being the only vegetarian, Yeong-hye puts a spotlight on herself. When the table is covered with numerous plates with the most sophisticated meat courses and everyone is clearly enjoying them immensely, it is difficult not to notice that somebody refuses even to look at them. The colleagues of Mr. Cheong use Yeong-hye’s vegetarianism as a bonding between them. The conclusion they come to is “meat-eating is a fundamental human instinct, which means vegetarianism goes against human nature.” It is possible to argue non-stop what goes against human nature and what not. The important thing for us is to learn to listen to each other and respect other people’s views.
