ABSTRACT
This chapter suggests that holding the kut was an act of ‘cultural rebellion’, but it was not an act of protest against her social subordination by men. The father-son relationship is much stricter than the mother-son relationship in the patrilineal system of Korean culture. In fact, in the Korean culture the eldest son has the most authority among the children, as he is the one who will inherit the headship of his family. In traditional Korea, and especially in its aristocratic class, all the family members had to pay respect to the eldest son, and even elder sisters were not allowed to use low forms of speech to him. This is no longer true in contemporary Korean society, but the cultural norm applies in some contexts, such as that in which Chisun’s Grandmother was involved.
