Dae Jang Geum (Jewel In The Palace)

Watching Dae Jang Geum was a wonderful experience for me (especially as a female). Before this class, I have actually seen the whole drama almost two times despite the length. It is enjoyable to watch the development of Jang Geum throughout the drama and to watch how she grows and is able to overcome all the obstacles thrown at her. Ever since her childhood she had been thrown into peril and has been able to survive overwhelming odds. I believe that the drama inspires women (although Jang Geum is technically under the jurisdiction of the king) for many reasons. She is not only an amazing cook and a genuis doctor, she is a loyal person to her friends and to the king. She proved that women could become more than mere cooks even during the times when men were given more power.

*Spoiler warning for those who have not watched the drama till the end but would like to*

Even though she is banished for supposedly poisoning the king, she comes back to work in the kingdom as a brilliant doctor. She is so good at healing people that she even becomes the personal doctor for the first lady when the king's wife becomes pregnant. By the end of the drama she becomes the ultimate woman by mastering the techniques of anesthesia and performing a cesarean on a pregnant woman in a cave.

*Spoiler End*

Throughout the drama we see her character develop into a courageous woman who overcomes every challenge, but remains as pure in heart as she was since the beginning of the drama.

(For the people who are curious about why the word "Dae" is put infront of her name. Dae is a prefix that is used rarely for people who have accomplished many things throughout their lifetime. The word literally translates to "Great" and is given to Jang Geum because of the many feats that humans thought were impossible to achieve during the timeline of the story.)