Women as Objects in From Wonso Pond It is a common occurrence in proletarian literature to present the body as an object. Most of the time the body of the laborer is taken advantage of by the work they do. Men sell their liberties when they enter the working world. When it comes to women, the body is often turned into a commodity in the form of prostitution or is seen as a sex object for male domination. However, in From Wonso Pond Kang Kyŏngae presents women as bodies, but takes it a step further and shows that women have the agency to escape the sexual abuse of men and make their own way in the world. In looking closely at Perry Samuel’s take on the novel he points out, “Rather than represent factory girls as victims who could be saved
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This is until Tokho rapes her halfway through the novel. Tokho tells Sonbi, “Oh Sonbi! Just do what I tell you, and I’ll give you anything your heart desires...You understand right” (128). Tohko has control over Sonbi with his offer to protect her and send her to school, but he uses this as something to hang over her. When Sonbi considers running away and escaping she thinks to herself, “What if I run into someone out there even scarier than Tokho” (159)? Sonbi is under the impression that wherever she would escape to would be just as bad as the situation she is in now. She has no other reason to believe otherwise. This same thought is echoed further on in the novel where Kannan remarks, “How many Tokhos were out there in that bustling city” (207). Through both Sonbi and Kannan, Kang is able to show the dangers of the patriarchal society for women. This is similar to the situation with the Company in Agnes Smedley’s Daughter of Earth. The men at who work for the company are told to pay or get out and are under the impression that if they get out, they will not find a better situation. When Tokho is telling Sonbi that he will offer her protection and education if he does what he asks, he is essentially telling her to pay or get out. Since Sonbi believes the world around her to hold men like Tokho, she has to seriously weigh her options. While it takes a little longer, Sonbi finally decides to escape and finds solidarity with Kannan. Both Sonbi and Kannan are able to work and provide for themselves without the protection of
This is until Tokho rapes her halfway through the novel. Tokho tells Sonbi, “Oh Sonbi! Just do what I tell you, and I’ll give you anything your heart desires...You understand right” (128). Tohko has control over Sonbi with his offer to protect her and send her to school, but he uses this as something to hang over her. When Sonbi considers running away and escaping she thinks to herself, “What if I run into someone out there even scarier than Tokho” (159)? Sonbi is under the impression that wherever she would escape to would be just as bad as the situation she is in now. She has no other reason to believe otherwise. This same thought is echoed further on in the novel where Kannan remarks, “How many Tokhos were out there in that bustling city” (207). Through both Sonbi and Kannan, Kang is able to show the dangers of the patriarchal society for women. This is similar to the situation with the Company in Agnes Smedley’s Daughter of Earth. The men at who work for the company are told to pay or get out and are under the impression that if they get out, they will not find a better situation. When Tokho is telling Sonbi that he will offer her protection and education if he does what he asks, he is essentially telling her to pay or get out. Since Sonbi believes the world around her to hold men like Tokho, she has to seriously weigh her options. While it takes a little longer, Sonbi finally decides to escape and finds solidarity with Kannan. Both Sonbi and Kannan are able to work and provide for themselves without the protection of