According to the Canadian statistics, females have reported frequent and severe spousal violence including, sexual assault, being choked or threatened with a gun by their partner compared to males. Domestic violence is a crime, observed worldwide and is mostly treated as a hidden crime because the victim does not speak against the perpetrator. Unfortunately, domestic violence is more frequent in other parts of the world compared to Canada. “In My Year of Meats”, Ruth Ozeki addresses this issue by depicting the relationship of a Japanese couple, Akiko, and John. In this essay, I will talk about how Ozeki demonstrates domestic violence in their relationship and argue that Akiko’s and John’s relationship manifests society’s expectations of how
…show more content…
Their relationship reflects how gender roles ought to be in Japanese culture. John is the sole breadwinner of the household, whereas Akiko is a traditional housewife, who thinks her only duty is to comply with John. These distinct gender roles and cultural norms make John Ueno a dominating husband and Akiko submissive. The power imbalance in their relation makes it abusive. Due to the power dynamics, John has complete control over Akiko and her body. Thus, Akiko is a victim of domestic violence. John is physically abusive to Akiko. There are several instances throughout the novel where John’s aggressive behavior is manifested. For example, when John discovered Akiko’s faxes to Jane, he was infuriated. John physically abused Akiko by covering her mouth, pinching her nostrils, and kicking her in the stomach. He was also verbally abusive towards her and called her, “a barren old witch” (p.238) and “a sterile useless woman.” (p.239) Another instance of John’s abuse is when Akiko served him Australian lamb and John, “boxed her ear with his fist and knocked her into the television.” (p.143) In these instances, Ozeki has objectified Akiko’s body. She is treated as a piece of meat by John, who thinks he can do anything to her. Akiko is incapable of standing for herself. However, John’s non-consensual rape of Akiko was the final straw to Akiko’s endurance. It is in this moment; the readers observe a change in Akiko’s character. Apart from being physically and verbally abusive, John takes control of Akiko’s fertility. This is another form of
Their relationship reflects how gender roles ought to be in Japanese culture. John is the sole breadwinner of the household, whereas Akiko is a traditional housewife, who thinks her only duty is to comply with John. These distinct gender roles and cultural norms make John Ueno a dominating husband and Akiko submissive. The power imbalance in their relation makes it abusive. Due to the power dynamics, John has complete control over Akiko and her body. Thus, Akiko is a victim of domestic violence. John is physically abusive to Akiko. There are several instances throughout the novel where John’s aggressive behavior is manifested. For example, when John discovered Akiko’s faxes to Jane, he was infuriated. John physically abused Akiko by covering her mouth, pinching her nostrils, and kicking her in the stomach. He was also verbally abusive towards her and called her, “a barren old witch” (p.238) and “a sterile useless woman.” (p.239) Another instance of John’s abuse is when Akiko served him Australian lamb and John, “boxed her ear with his fist and knocked her into the television.” (p.143) In these instances, Ozeki has objectified Akiko’s body. She is treated as a piece of meat by John, who thinks he can do anything to her. Akiko is incapable of standing for herself. However, John’s non-consensual rape of Akiko was the final straw to Akiko’s endurance. It is in this moment; the readers observe a change in Akiko’s character. Apart from being physically and verbally abusive, John takes control of Akiko’s fertility. This is another form of