Han Mu-suk's "Halo Around the Moon" scrutinized the duality of Confucian society's view of women's sexuality. Unlike men, women in Confucian society were expected to protect their sexual purity on a pedestal as their supreme virtue, it was considered as important as their life and was expected to be defended at all cost. To women, sexual purity was something they must protect; but at the same time, bearing children was one of their most important duties. The author breaks this ironic duplicity of Confucian society's view of women's sexuality through the main character Lady Hong. Lady Hong is a widowed woman who has a negative perception of sexuality. Her perceptions and thoughts about sexuality show that in Confucian society, women's sexual desires are connected with sense of guilt.…show more content… Women were expected to follow "yŏja pulgyŏng ibu" (women do not serve two husbands), regardless of their situation. Whether the husband's death was at their fault of not, women were easily stigmatized when they were widowed. This was especially cruel for young widows, like Lady Han, who was widowed childless at the age 22. Because she was widowed at such a young age without any sexual experiences, Lady Hong finds it very uncomfortable to witness the scene of the young bride and her husband together in the room. To her, women's sexuality was something she secretly desired without even realizing for herself. But at the same time, it was something bestial and promiscuous, therefore, it must be suppressed. In the beginning of the story, Lady Hong embodies the reality of patriarchal society, where women are expected to bear children, but they should refrain from desiring or seeking sexual
