Criminalisation of the Poor in the Oscar Wining ‘Parasite’

Oscar winner, South Korean black comedy thriller film ‘Parasite’ directed by Bong Joon-ho presents the poor as parasites and the rich as the host body. This metaphorical representation of the parasite and host body reinforces the gap between the poor and rich. Additionally, the film dehumanises the poor by depriving poor with positive human qualities, and also it enriches the rich with all good human sentiments.

The film presents dark parasite like characteristics in the poor. For example, Like the microscopic, and invisible parasites, the dark intentions and acts of the poor belonging to the Kim family and the house maid, Moon-gwang are invisible. As the parasites live by the nutrients from the host body and are dependent in the host body for their life, the poor in the movie represented by the Kim family and Moon-gwang and her husband Geun-sae, are living with the resources of the Park family. Correspondingly, like the parasites multiply, one by one, the Kim deceptively multiply in the Parks’ abode which gives thrills to the audiences.

The interesting fact in the movie is that there is a clear-cut division among the poor and the rich. Just like the human body abhor parasites, the rich abhor the poor and don’t include them in their group. The movie dehumanises poor and ornaments the rich. The Park family does not just have material prosperity and good accommodation but also have positive human qualities like compassion, reliability, kindness, welcoming, innocence and generous. Whereas, the poor are dehumanised and shown with greed, deceptive, voracious, cruelty, cunning, invasive, violent, and ambitious. The film gives a very cruel and dark impression of the people belonging to poverty line on the audiences. Human quality deteriorates as the level of poverty descends. The Kim family are the poorest among all the other workers like the previous driver, or the Moon-gwang and are the cruellest and disingenuous than all. The social representation of the poor and the rich in the movie and the association of material prosperity with ethical prosperity subtly draws a never healing discrepancy between the rich and the poor.

The poor in the film have undaunted confident level unlike the real poor who are depressed, petrified, weak, ignorant and humiliated due to lack of resources. The poor in the film represented by the Kim family and Moon- gwang, very easily trick the Park family. For instance; Moon -gwang become successful in hiding a family member underground, the Kim forge the certificate, kick out the previous workers at the Park family one by one, and bring in all the family members. In comparison to the one who represent the poor rich Park family seems very gullible which does not seem realistic in most of the cases as the rich are the educated ones and they are very careful, secure, protective and conscious about choosing people before involving them in the family matters. Not only that, the security levels of the rich are so strict that poor do not even have chances to hover near rich communities. However, the Kim family’s easy access in the rich family in the film does not reflect that fact. 

In conclusion, Parasite’s depiction of poor as parasites makes poverty a cause rather than effect. It gives dark agency to the poor and deprives them even from the general human qualities like fear of being caught, kindness, love, respect etc. The poor in the film are pure invaders without any positive human emotions and deceptiveness. Their every act of trickery gives chill in the audiences’ psyche reinforcing a broad gap among the haves and have nots. The story very loudly shouts out the perils and darks of the poor in the communities, crafting rich all fair without any dark spots. This demonstration of the rich and the poor in my opinion, underpins the intentional criminalisation of the poor for political and economic propose and glorification of the people with material prosperity.

Pragya