The Film “Parasite” by Bong Joon-ho Essay

Topic: Meaning of symbolism in Parasite movie

I am interested in writing about this topic because the symbolism used in the chosen movie helps to deliver the main idea behind the work. The art of conveying the idea through implicit concepts is worth discussion and makes the movie more appealing for further analysis. For instance, such things as the location of the houses, people’s scents, and food play an essential role in showing the main theme, which is social inequality (Turner 9). All the rich and elite districts of Seoul are located on mountains and hills, while all the poor districts are located in the lowlands. There are a lot of stairs in the movie, which are important symbols (Fitria 239). The Pak House is not just located in a good area of the city, and it is located on a hill, which one first needs to climb and only after that get into the house by several stages of stairs. The house of the poor Kims is in the basement, but even to get to their area, one should go down many city stairs. So the filmmakers emphasize that the social position of the characters is not just different, but it is literally the top and bottom of the social ladder (Choi and Lee 248). Ladders also refer to the steps of the social hierarchy that the poor are trying to climb.

Things about this topic that require further investigation:

1. What are the main symbolic objects used to convey the main idea;
2. Does the parasite symbolize poor or rich people in the movie?

Sources from preliminary research:

1. Fitria, Tira Nur. “Representation of Symbols in “Parasite” Movie.”ISLLAC: Journal of Intensive Studies on Language, Literature, Art, and Culture vol. 5, no. 2, 2021, pp. 239-250. Web.
2. Turner, Emily. “The Parasite of Society: Food and Class Studies in Bong Joon-ho’s Film Parasite.”Digital Literature Review vol. 8, no.1, 2021, pp. 7-13. Web.
3. Choi, Yeong-Hyeon, and Lee, Kyu-Hye. “Social Class in Modern Film Costumes-Focused on Bong Joon-Ho’s< Parasite>-.” Journal of the Korean Society of Clothing and Textiles vol.44, no. 5, 2020, pp. 856-877. Web.

Topic: Representation of social inequality in Parasite movie

I am interested in writing about this topic because it refers to the important problems in the society of the twenty-first century. Parasite is the tragicomedy by South Korean director Pon Joon-ho, which won two of the most prestigious awards in the world of cinema at once. The meaning of the Parasites is that every person in society, regardless of class, strives to survive at the expense of others (Dewi et al. 326). I want to write how the issue of social inequality is reflected in the chosen movie.

While many advocates for the benefits of the capitalistic system, there are significant drawbacks, one of which is a gap between social classes and poverty among the population. The plot of Parasites is focused on the impoverished Korean family Kim. They live in the basement, forced to fight for survivance. The lack of stable earnings is caused not by laziness but by unemployment (Liu 80). Despite the seriousness of the topic, the director manages to present the picture in a comical manner. The hidden meaning of the movie Parasites is a sad fact that even in the financially prosperous country of South Korea, the social gap is so huge (Sihombing and Sinaga 69). The work delivers its core ideas through symbolism, which makes it even more interesting to analyze.

Things about this topic that require further investigation:

1. It is almost impossible for the lowest social class people to overcome poverty and combat social inequality;
2. Distinct objects in the movie symbolize the huge gap between rich and poor, class hierarchy in society, and inequity.

Sources from preliminary research:

1. Liu, Chang. “Analysis of Social Class Inequality Based on the Movie Parasite.”2nd International Conference on Literature, Art and Human Development (ICLAHD 2020). Atlantis Press, 2020.
2. Dewi, Nurmala, et al. “The Social Inequality Portrayed on Bong Joon Ho’s Parasite Movie.”INTERACTION: Jurnal Pendidikan Bahasa vol. 8, no. 2, 2021, pp. 325-334. Web.
3. Sihombing, L. H., & Sinaga, A. A. “Representation of Social Class in Parasite Movie. “Lire Journal (Journal of Linguistics and Literature), vol. 5, no. 1, 2021, pp. 69-80. Web.