IDENTITY CONSTRUCTION AND SELF-COMPLETENESS IN HAN KANG’S THE VEGETARIAN: LACANIAN PSYCHOANALYSIS

The aim of this study is to discover the process of identity construction
and self-completeness of the main character within The Vegetarian novel by Han
Kang. Identity construction and self-completeness of the main character are
unconsciously forced and stimulated by her unconsciousness. Unconsciousness is
able to be interpreted through the utterances’ and the language of the main
character, her behavior, other character utterances and the author narrations. The
data of this study is the entire element which is mentioned before.
Qualitative research is conducted in this study. The methods of data
collections were reading, labeling, and marking. Data are filtered and matched by
the writer himself. The method of data analysis in this study applies Robert K.
Yin’s technique. The data are compiled, disassembled, reassembled, interpreted
and concluded.
The results of the study shows that the main character’s identity
construction and self-completeness are highly forced and stimulated by her
unconsciousness through her bloody nightmare and involved several conflicts
toward her surroundings. There are two major point of analysis, (1) the process of
main character’s self-completeness through various kind of peculiar behavior, (2)
the construction of main character’s identity. The identity construction happens
through the conflict against (1) her husband, (2) parents, (3) sister and (4) her
brother-in-law. Those conflicts enable main character’s identity to be constructed.