The Partnership of Patriarchy and Capitalism in Cho Nam-joo’s Kim Jiyoung, Born 1982

Abstract

Socialist feminism, which emerged in the 1970s, aims to solve female oppression and make a comprehensive and innovative understanding of gender, class, capitalism, and male domination. As the mainstay of the socialist feminist school, the ideas of Hartmann and Young make significant contributions to the development of the theory. Hartmann first proposed dual systems theory, and Young published her single system response shortly after. To a certain extent, Young’s new thinking and questioning of dual systems theory also supplement and go into some of the arguments by Hartmann that are not clear enough. Kim Jiyoung, Born 1982 is an English-translated novel written by contemporary South Korean writer and screenwriter Cho Nam-joo. The novel was translated into English by award-winning translator Jamie Chang in 2020. The plight of women highlighted in this novel caused widespread controversy in the international community, especially in East Asian countries. This article examines the oppression of women in Kim Jiyoung, Born 1982, by the long-term interaction between patriarchy and capitalism. This study adopts a research method combining theoretical interpretation and close reading of the text. It addresses the research gap by focusing on a new perspective on the causes of Cho’s female characters’ oppression through the dual systems theory by Hartmann.