Page 64 - myeong_shin_ebook_2019

In this movie, there are many symbols that add meaning to situations. One of those symbols is a suiseki 3)
rock given by Minhyuk, a friend of Ki-woo, to Ki-taek's family. Suiseki rocks are originally just stones found
in nature, but humans have given them various meanings and names. The suiseki, taken out of nature and
treated as precious by humans, is eventually used as a terrible tool in this movie. Parasite shows Ki-Taek's
family live as something they are not, experience sweet happiness for a short time, and eventually face
terrible catastrophe. The suiseki symbolizes the out of place preciousness the family experiences.

Second, it is impossible not to mention “smell” as a symbolic expression in the film. Ki-jeong and Chung-
sook smell the same due to their poor living conditions. Dr. Park says, "But the smell goes over the line.
The smell comes to the back of the car. Anyway, it's hard to explain in words. The smell you can smell
when you ride the subway! There's a peculiar smell of kids riding the subway." The smell that keeps being
mentioned can be said to be an important symbol that clearly shows the difference in the social classes of
the two families.

Lastly, there is the bunker, symbolizing the social class even lower than Ki-taek's family. The state
of having to live in a dark underground space to avoid debtors and to not be able to see sunlight is an
absolute reflection of the life of a lower class family without hope or a plan for life.

The scenes of social satire in the movie are touching. It is good to look at the symbolic expressions
hidden in the film to better understand the story. This film also makes people more interested in the lives
of the socially weak and throws heavy criticism on higher social classes.

64 MYEONG-SHIN GIRLS' HIGH SCHOOL