Abstract
The authors introduce a short story about the lifestyle of a cleft lip woman in Korea, published in 1936, about 2 decades before Dr Millard operated on his first patient in Korea. A short story entitled "Ugly Thing," written by Yao-hsieh Chu, analyzed by Eonnyeon, a girl born in a rural area with a cleft lip and palate who excelled at household tasks such as sewing. Her forehead was bulging, and her eyes were protruding. She had a low-profile nose with wide nostrils. She had a left unilateral complete primary cleft, including an alveolar cleft. There was midface retraction, accompanied by a relatively prominent chin. Her voice exhibited hypernasality. People often laugh when they see Eonnyeon eating her food, exclaiming, "She's eating like a rabbit!" However, she married a young man who deserted her on their wedding night because of her appearance. Subsequently, she moved to an urban area and found work as a housemaid. One day, she was raped by a middle-aged water delivery man, who then fled. Ten months later, she gave birth to a girl who also had a cleft lip. In a moment of despair, Eonnyeon attempted to smother her baby with a pillow but stopped herself. She resolved to raise her daughter despite the challenges ahead. The mockery directed at her could be viewed as an expression of the latent sadism inherent in human nature. It is remarkable to consider the progress made since Millard performed his first cleft lip surgery in Korea in 1954.
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.