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Parasite Out of Mind

Robert Angel

ENGL 495ESM

Professor Wexler

12 December 2022

The Globalization in Parasite

The year 2020 provided many memorable moments, some better than others, but along the way it was also able to introduce a new type of cinema to the mainstream audience of the United States. Bong Joon-Ho's film Parasite received maximum exposure from American crowds and was even able to obtain some of the best accolades the country had to offer. The film is humorous, visually appealing and has the audience guessing what is going to happen next. It has the elements that make a great film; however, it also presents a social commentary on South Korean society that can also be compared to the world’s social state. Minjung Noh writes in their article PARASITE AS PARABLE: Bong Joon-Ho’s Cinematic Capitalism, “Parasite speaks to the broader public because its narrative is centered on the practice of today’s ubiquitous religion, global capitalism” (Noh 248). Throughout the film there are references to globalization through modern technology and consumerism. Joon-Ho introduces characters who heavily rely in modern technology along with characters who have had an influence in the way they shop, overall showing how globalization has made an impact on today’s world.

To begin, telephones have become a staple in our world and during the two-hour plus run time in Parasite, audiences see how much the Kim family relies on them. As the film begins, we see a family who are struggling to make ends meet as the Kim family lives in a basement somewhere where poverty is common. The first scene introduces the son of the family, Ki-woo, desperately searching for a wireless connection in his telephone. Upon learning the family has not paid their phone bill, they must rely on someone’s Wi-Fi to stay updated on current job opportunities. As writer Ju-Hyun Park states in their article Reading Colonialism in “Parasite,” “’WIFI’ refers to something the family doesn’t own yet relies on for their livelihood” (Park). The film highlights the importance of communication devices such as phones throughout the film as we see the Kim family working together by communicating throughout the film. Audiences also see how the Kim family communicates with the Parks which symbolizes how modern technology such as phones bring different social classes together.

Additionally, Parasite shows how globalization has changed the way shopping is done today and Joon-Ho demonstrates it two specific scenes in the film. We live in a modern society in which consumers can purchase products from around the world. Some products may be cheaper in price and quality but as the saying goes “you get what you pay for.” In their first encounter, Kevin and the mother of the Park family, Madame are talking when suddenly they are hit with an arrow toy which belongs to the young Da-song. In along of the lines of apologizing, she also makes a statement that is not only humorous but also a sign of globalization. As article Reading Colonialism in ‘Parasite’ states, “Yeon-gyo comments Da-song is going through an ‘Indian’ phase he picked up from a Cub Scouts instructor, and that she ordered his costumes, toy arrows and a mock-tipi tent from the US. Commercialized”. In a later scene, Madame assures her husband the tent will keep their son safe since it was purchased from the United States. Again, the scene is humorous but drops the hints of far shopping has gotten in part of globalization. It feels like the director takes a jab at American audiences since we are known to buy things that are made overseas.

Overall, Parasite displays signs of globalization throughout the film in examples of communication devices and consumerism. The film displays the importance of phones and how they have become so dependent. It is an example of how rapidly we can communicate in today’s world and how it brings social classes of all types together. Audiences also see the way globalization has made an impact on how we purchase our items worldwide. Joon Ho’s film tackles many social issues but addresses globalization in a specific manner, which makes it powerful.

Noh, Minjung. “PARASITE AS PARABLE: Bong Joon-Ho’s Cinematic Capitalism.” CrossCurrents, vol. 70, no. 3, 2020, pp. 248–62. JSTOR, https://www.jstor.org/stable/26975087. Accessed 13 Dec. 2022.

Park, Ju-Hyun. “Reading Colonialism in ‘Parasite.’” Tropics of Meta, 21 May 2021, https://tropicsofmeta.com/2020/02/17/reading-colonialism-in-parasite/.

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Neoliberal Education

Learning about neoliberal education can be upsetting to some of us due to the ideas it presents. Luckily, I have been able to understand more about this topic and it might be an uphill battle but my colleagues and I are prepared for what it presents. It is unfortunate to hear how schools operate as businesses but those are the harsh realities of life we learn as we get older. Most college students struggle economically due to how much we need to invest in our future but the school system does not consider that when they are asking for an absurd amount of money. We are suddenly placed with a general group in which it is assumed we are making the same amount of money when we struggle to make ends meet. As a first generation college student it upsets me how I have had to sit out some semesters due to financial reasons. However, I am also grateful for the opportunities presented to me due my parent’s arduous work. Overall, I do not agree with neoliberal education as it promotes inequality. 

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I'm Not Even Supposed to be Here Today!

As we observe films during this time of the course and analyze them we see many elements that can either make the film realistics or not. Realism is defined as “the attempt to represent subject matter truthfully, without artificiality and avoiding speculative and supernatural elements.” One of my favorite films of all time, if not my favorite is Kevin Smith’s 1994 debut Clerks which takes place in a convenience store and is a film that can be considered “a day in the life”. The film is shot in black and white, not for aesthetic reasons, but mainly because the film was made with a tight budget. However, the fact the movie is black and white makes it even better as we follow the main character, Dante, dealing with the horrors of customer service. Meanwhile he has his Star Wars obsessed best friend operating the movie rental place next door talking about theories that are both laughable and thought provoking. The film has a lot of a dialogue but it is dialogue that can be heard in real life which makes it a film with realism elements. I have worked customer service for a big part of my life which made this film so relatable and authentic and thought it should be considered to watch. Below is one of my favorite scenes where Star Wars and contractors are compared. Does it seem like a conversation you and a friend would have?

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Media Literacy Presentation

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Video Game Literacy

Video games are usually seen as a distraction for one but they can also come off as educational. The beauty of video games is just like music, there are several types of genres and there are options for most. One game that I find educational and can instruct students a couple of things will come off as controversial and would not be reccomended to any early age group. The Grand Theft Auto series has been around for quite some time and usually stirs up controversy when they are released. However, the game allows players to control their destiny and provides historical context that students can learn about. For example, Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas provides a story about a character who gets drawn back into a gang life that resorts to crime and the exposure of police corruption in the city. The game location is loosely based on Los Angeles and provides students how life can be seen in South Central or a town that is occupied by street gangs. It also provides themes of violence, desperation and betrayal, something that can be found on a classic story. The game might not be for all age groups, but a mature classroom might be able to have a couple of takeaways after playing it. 

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Collaborative Myth Presentation

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New Media/Multimodal Literacy

It should be important to introduce new media to our classrooms today because it opens new avenues of learning. New media includes visual or audio learning and nowadays it can easily be found on the internet. The internet has paved the way to explore new learning techniques as websites like YouTube can be found educational. One tool that should be utilized in classrooms is podcasts. Podcasts are educational and can accommodate several types of learning styles. Usually, podcasts can be accessed through a mobile device making it a portable learning device and are easily accessible. It also helps students catch up on their work if they fall behind and it does not make it as dreadful as reading 50 pages the night before. Students are already consuming media and technology at huge rates, so it is important to teach them the skills they need to navigate it. Podcasts can either be listened to individually or as a group, which gives a student an opportunity to choose the way they would like to hear it. It is also a new way of obtaining education which provides a spark to the classroom. Overall, we should break barriers and start to adapt new media in the classrooms. 

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From Chaos to King Zeus

Greek mythology has two individuals who are considered the most important in Homer and Hesiod. Both poets composed some of the most significant works in Greek mythology around 700 BCE which includes Homer's The Iliad, The Odyssey and Hesiod's didactic. Hesiod's Theogony provides origins of gods in which one is the rise of Zeus, "the father of both gods and men" as described in the text. The myth focuses on family dynamics which includes violence, betrayal, and dishonesty throughout which makes it an emotional myth. As described in Chapter 2: Creation Myths, "The more we read this story the more we begin to see ourselves, our relationships with our parents and family, the functions of society".

The myth follows a pattern of father and sons, the first being Ouranos and his disgraced son, Kronos. Ouranos hates his children and hides them, until Kronos and his mother plot to overtake the evil father. Kronos succeeds and is able to take his father down by removing his father’s penis but follows similar patterns as his parent with his own children. Kronos marries Rhea but swallows his children out of fear, due to a prophecy informing him his children would overrule him. Rhea, like Gaia plots against her husband and is able to succeed which causes the emergence of Zeus. The myth provides a theme of chaos vs order and shows the lengths one would go to avoid to lose their spot in the family. This results in violence, betrayal and dishonesty within a family and I believe that is why a reoccurring theme is provided by Hesiod to demonstrate what one could do when feeling threatened. It is one of the most important myths ever created and the way it provides a dramatic story, makes it an essential Greek myth.

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Checked Out for the Weekend

Regardless of the timeframe, pieces of literature still find a way to connect with each other which makes it something quite special. When reading Melville’s “Bartleby, The Scrivener” and Hemingway’s “A Clean, Well-Lighted Place” we are introduced to two short stories that despite being fifty years apart have a couple resemblances. Melville and Hemingway present characters who are dealing with isolation and as we explore the theme both stories share, readers can also point out that both authors share some similarities as well. In Bartleby, we can get a glimpse of Melville himself while Hemingway relates to the old waiter in his story. Readers are also to see the connection the stories have with their respective authors and the historical context behind it. Although these works are several decades apart, readers see how both stories share a common theme and are influenced by the time they were written in.

            To begin, when comparing Melville’s and Hemingway’s stories, readers can notice how their works share a common theme. A notable theme for both stories is the theme of isolation and loneliness. At first glance Bartleby seems like a steady individual as he seems to be a reliable worker, however, as the story progresses, we see the lonely and isolated version of Bartleby. There are different interpretations on why Bartleby reacts the way he does but it can be assured that he has difficulty with human interaction and seems to be checked out in the world he lives in. As the narrator states in the story “Meanwhile Bartleby sat in his hermitage, oblivious to everything but his own particular business there” (Melville) indicating that Bartleby lives in his own world. The same can be applied to Hemingway’s character in when readers are introduced to an old waiter who appears to be battling his own demons. Both characters find temporary peace in their workplace, but it is not enough for them to be content with their lives. At the end of the stories, both characters find themselves alone, while one of them ends up alone and dead. When the old waiter states “Each night I am reluctant to close up because there may be some one who needs the café” (Hemmingway) readers realize that the old waiter needs the café as much as the patrons do. Overall, both characters find themselves in isolation and the stories provide that theme/

            Additionally, both stories can be further understood when familiarizing with their authors and the historical context behind them. In “Canonical Texts and Context: The Example of Herman Melville’s ‘Bartleby, the Scrivener: A Story of Wall Street.’” Sheila Post-Lauria explains “Partially sentimental, this story portrays the devastating effects of Wall Street upon those ‘pallidly neat, pitiably respectable, incurably forlorn’ individuals like Bartleby” (Lauria 199). However, the story not only tackles the uprising of Wall Street, but Melville also addresses himself in his work. It can be said that Bartleby is a representation of Melville since he seemed to be checked out after his work was criticized and “would prefer not to” continue to write after publishing Moby Dick. Melville did eventually find success but at the time he wrote “Bartleby” he appears to be in some sort of crossroads in which he is not willing to conform as seen in the titular character. The same can apply to Hemingway as his story, published in 1933, comes from a post-World War One perspective demonstrating the effects of the war. The “Clean Well-Lighted Place” author served during World War One and although the war is never mentioned in the story, there is a high possibility that the older waiter has served in the war and that is why he has a difficult time finding tranquility. The “insomnia” the older waiter mentions at the end of the story can be the post traumatic stress disorder he suffers from, and the one Hemingway might have as well. As we get familiar with the writers and the historical context behind them, readers can get a better understanding of these works.

            Overall, Herman Melville’s “Bartleby, The Scrivener” and Ernest Hemingway’s “A Clean Well-Lighted Place” share some similarities that make both works comparable. In both stories, readers are presented to characters who find themselves disconnected from the world and share similar themes of isolation. Along with sharing similar themes, both stories’ authors present characters that resemble themselves which makes the characters more fully developed and understandable. Melville and Hemingway also address historical events such as the rise of Walls Street and the effects that World War One had on individuals. Although both stories share similarities it is also important to acknowledge them individually as both stories provide an important message.

Works Cited

Melville, Herman, 1819-1891. Bartleby, the Scrivener : a Story of Wall-Street, 1853. [Minneapolis] :Indulgence Press, 1995.

Hemingway, Ernest. "A Clean, Well-Lighted Place." Writing (As) Work. 2nd ed. Boston: Bedford/St.

Post-Lauria, Sheila. “Canonical Texts and Context: The Example of Herman Melville’s ‘Bartleby, the Scrivener: A Story of Wall Street.’” College Literature, vol. 20, no. 2, 1993, pp. 196–205. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/25112038. Accessed 15 Oct. 2022.

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Myths in our Moment

Mythology has been around for centuries and yet remains relevant in the world we live in today. One of the reasons why mythology is important is because it gives us a perspective of where we come from and provides glimpses of the culture we are part of. It also teaches us values and shapes up the way we act as human beings. For this blog post I would like to introduce a story that I continue to hear to this day from my Salvadorean family. El Cadejo Blanco y El Cadejo Negro is a story that includes two dogs/wolves, one white and one black. The cadejo blanco represents the good in humanity and leads one to safety if lost and will appear for people who are good, usually children. Meanwhile the cadejo negro appears in front of drunks, or people who have no good intentions and leads to a doomed ending. It is the basic good/evil story but hearing this story for decades now I cannot help to believe some part of it. Salvadorean culture believes in these types of stories heavily and it is because it shows us the rewards of life of being a good person or facing the consequences if you are not. I just hope I run into a cadejo blanco if the situation arises. 

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This was definitely NOT the song the old waiter or deaf man wanted to hear at the end of the night :/

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Meaning/Aesthetic in "A Clean, Well-Lighted Place"

Hemingway's "A Clean, Well-Lighted Place" is a short story that seems to be quite simple from the surface, however, Ernest Hemingway's short story can be seen as an abstract piece of work with different interpretations. Some readers might not feel emotion towards the characters, but some might resonate with them. As we are introduced to the waiters and the patron at the café, we can see how more aligned the older waiter is with the customer and how the café is a refuge for both individuals. Both older gentlemen find temporary tranquility in a well-kept, clean shop. However, once Semisonic’s “Closing Time” plays, both men know that they must go back to their life of nothingness. Meanwhile the younger waiter is full of life and has a whole life ahead of him, so the well-kept place doesn’t really do much for him as he just wants to go home to his wife. Historical context is a key component in Hemingway’s story as it was written post World War One where many older individuals dealt with struggles after the war. For some it might have resorted to drinking their pain away like the old deaf man while others wouldn’t be able to sleep and tried finding escape by staying awake all night as seen with the older waiter. When the older waiter says “Each night I am reluctant to close up because there may be some one who needs the café” he is including himself of that group of people who see the light as a temporary refuge. The end of the story indicates that it must be insomnia is the culprit of the older man’s struggles but in reality he is still battling depression even after the war is over.

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Poetry Analysis

For a casual reader, a poem from the 1800’s might not be in their best interest due to the time passed since the work has been published. However, a good piece of poetry beats the test of time and remains relevant to readers from then, now and the future. That can be argued for one William Wordsworth’s most well-known poems, “The World Is Too Much with Us” as it explores concepts that can still be applied to today’s world. One of the most pivotal works during the Romantic era, Wordsworth invites the reader to his world in which he is disappointed with how humans have lost their relationship with nature. Wordsworth is not here to present himself as a saint as he also acknowledges he is part of the problem. When he states, “We have given our hearts away, a solid boon!” (Wordsworth 4) Wordsworth inserts himself with a society who has stopped smelling the flowers. What makes this piece of poetry so important is that the poet uses tone to get their message across. In William Wordsworth’s “The World Is Too Much with Us” tone plays a significant role which further helps the reader understand the meaning behind the poem.

To begin, tone can be defined as “the feature of a poem which shows the poet’s attitude toward its theme, toward a speaker or a person addressed in the poem, and toward the reader” in Deutsch’s Poetry Handbook. Wordsworth establishes the poem will not be one to recite to a lover or one that will bring joy to the reader. It is quite the opposite when he expresses his disappointment with the world. The poem’s tone indicates sadness or dissatisfaction when the speaker expresses that he would rather be “A Pagan suckled in a creed outworn” (Wordsworth 10). Lines like these make the poem more powerful because the speaker wants the reader to know how society has disconnected from the nature around us and presents it in such a negative way that it makes an impact on the reader. In Karl Kroeber’s “A New Reading of ‘The World Is Too Much with Us” the writer explains “Wordsworth would like to be what he knows he cannot be. Any sentimentality in his yearning for the more poetic attitude of earlier days is checked by his consciousness that a revival of paganism is impossible. Nostalgia will not transform the modern age of iron into a mythological golden age” (Kroeber 185). The speaker’s nostalgia supports the tone of the poem in which Wordsworth says he would rather not exist in this disconnected world he finds himself in.

Additionally, the tone of the poem can be further analyzed when the reader gets familiar with the era the poem was written in. As mentioned, “The World” is one of the most important works of the Romantic period. This was a time when poets like Wordsworth and his peers started to question the impact of science and industrialization while focusing on individualism and the idealization of nature. This era is the cause of the speaker’s frustration and is why he does not need more than fourteen lines to get their message across. It is evident that Wordsworth is speaking from the heart in his poem and his melancholy transpires in his work. Susan J Wolfson mentions in their article “Romanticism & Gender & Melancholy” that the Romantic period “hallmarked by unities and fragments, identity formation and identity crisis, hopeful revolution, despondency and dispossession” (Wolfson 436). They add “In the Romantic era, melancholy haunts idealism as its shade of disillusion” (Wolfson 436). As this movement progressed, we see poets like Wordsworth who are filled with melancholy and apply their mood to their work in which the tone of the poem is set.

In conclusion, William Wordsworth’s “The World Is Too Much with Us” is poem that tackles relevant issues and makes an impact on the reader by establishing its tone early on. Several lines of the poem demonstrate how frustrated the speaker is with the current state of the world and Wordsworth does not hold back. It is also important to know the time the poem was written to understand the tone of the speaker. Many connections of the poem are adapted from the Romantic period while the speaker and Wordsworth share the same thoughts of a time when things started to change while many people did not want to adapt to this change.

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"I Would Prefer Not To"

Bartleby the Scrivener introduces readers to an unusual character in Bartleby when he keeps telling his boss "I Would Prefer Not To" throughout the short story. What does the phrase indicate though? There can be several types of interpretation for the phrase as Herman Melville's story tackles the issues of capitalist ideas through Bartleby’s character. The shorty story can be considered a passive resistance one as Bartleby kindly refuses what is asked of him. But why? To further understand the story, we should consider the time it was written and the way it can connect to the writer himself. Bartleby, the Scrivener was written during the 19th century when the economic state of the United States started to grow, and change started to become constant in the country. The Industrial Revolution also played a huge role in this phase and Americans started to become more and more lifeless, such as Bartleby’s character. Melville was also troubled during this time as his first novel was not as successful as he hoped so when he writes the words “I would prefer not to” he might be addressing his writing career as well. Overall, the phrase indicates the change we are against at the time. Bartleby refuses to adapt to the Wall Street environment that is booming, respectfully of course.

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Bartleby was like

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Two Poets, Two Poems

As we cover romanticism, there are two poets who should be acknowledged for contributing to this movement. One serves as what would be referred an "OG" in William Shakespeare. The other poet, William Wordsworth, was a major player during the romantic period. Although Shakespeare was not active during this era, he was able to set the the tone for poets such as Blake, Shelley and Wordsworth himself. In Sonnet 116, the speaker gives a sense of emotion when they are able to describe love as unconditional and constant. Shakespeare declares that love withstands the test of time in this poem that continues to be studied to this day. The speaker provides assurance to the reader that they truly know what love is which makes it a strong declaration. Meanwhile, in 1807, Wordsworth introduced one of the most powerful poems in the romantic period when wrote The World is Too Much With Us. In his sonnet, Wordsworth talks about how ashamed the speaker is with his current state where money, possessions and power overcome him while he should be embracing the nature that is provided around him. Wordsworth loved nature like most of his peers in this period did and this poem is able to explore those ideas. Shakespeare explored the concept of love while Wordsworth was able to apply it to nature. Both poets and poems are able to heavily contribute to the Romantic period in different ways.

-Robb

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Week 1: Refreshers

Refreshers are always nice.

They can keep you cool and can remind you of material that may have been lost along this journey we call "life".

With this week's post I want to refresh my classmates of some terms that will follow us for life.

Upon looking over important terms in our handbook there were five that I thought should be mentioned, or "refreshed".

I chose two of my favorite poems to analyze and apply the terms to. The first is what I consider the most petty poem of all time "My Last Duchess" and the second one is one of the most high off life poems "Ode to a Nightingale".

In Robert Browning's "My Last Duchess", there are three terms that can be explored based on the handbook provided. Symbolism, Irony, and Similes can be found on this poem which is based on a man who treats women like DJ Khaled treats his songs, "Another One". Symbolism can be found in the painting that the speaker refers to in the beginning of the poem. The painting that his blushing Duchess is in symbolizes how the Duke sees women, as possessions. Irony can come from the title itself as the Duke knows his deceased wife will not be his last one and decides to be contradicting from the beginning of the poem. To conclude on analyzing Browning's work, the poet provides the only simile when they mention "That's my last Duchess painted on the wall/ Looking like as if she were alive". This dude is hella toxic, no?

In the second poem I decided to analyze, I chose Keats' "Ode to a Nightingale" which I think is the OG "drunk walk in DTLA". In this poem tone and personification are established. The poem can be open to interpretation but I believe the speaker's tone in the poem can be established as a care free spirit who embraces the nature around them. The line "Singest of summer in full-throated ease" convinces me that the speaker is in a euphoric state. Personification is also available in this poem in lines 29 and 36. Line 29 states "where beauty cannot keep her lustrous eyes" giving beauty a set of eyes that it can clearly not possess.

I hope you found my analysis helpful or funny or both. Until then, have a good one!!

-Robb