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Human Acts by Han Kang (translated by Deborah Smith)
Aditi Bharadwaj
March 24, 2025
A Haunting Exploration of Human Cruelty: Han Kang's "Human Acts"
In her powerful novel "Human Acts," author Han Kang poses devastating questions that linger long after reading:
"Is it true that human beings are fundamentally cruel? Is the experience of cruelty the only thing we share as a species? Is the dignity that we cling to nothing but self-delusion, masking from ourselves this single truth: that each one of us is capable of being reduced to an insect, a ravening beast, a lump of meat? To be degraded, damaged, slaughtered—is this the essential fate of humankind, one which history has confirmed as inevitable?"
I read "Human Acts" in February 2024, and certain passages have stayed with me long after, much like the book itself. This isn't surprising given the novel's unflinching examination of one of South Korea's darkest chapters.
The story centers on the Gwangju Uprising in 1980s South Korea. It tells a heart-wrenching tale of the brutality and violence inflicted upon Gwangju residents by military dictator Chun Doo-Hwan's forces after the imposition of martial law. Through multiple perspectives, we witness how ordinary lives are irrevocably shattered by state-sanctioned violence.
Han's writing is soul-stirring and emotionally shattering. Her precise, poetic prose captures both the physical horror of torture and the psychological devastation of survivors with devastating clarity. I often had to pause between chapters due to the raw, visceral depiction of suffering, which was at times almost unbearable to read.
Despite its difficulty—or perhaps because of it—the book offers an essential window into the human cost of authoritarianism. By refusing to look away from atrocities committed in the name of political control, Han forces readers to confront uncomfortable truths about how easily humanity can be stripped away when power goes unchecked.
"Human Acts" stands as a brilliantly written exploration of humanity, cruelty, and injustice. Its characters and their struggles for dignity amid unimaginable horror will remain with me for years to come—a testament to both the darkest corners of human capability and the persistent light of resistance against oppression.
Aditi is an avid reader and a coffee connoisseur. You can follow Aditi on her Instagram