Squid Game cleverly explores the ways in which capitalism has the potential to leave us with a group of people who have so little resources that they are left vulnerable to all kinds of horrible things. To the point, where there’s so little left, their most valuable possessions goes up for exchange – their bodies. It also shows us how their can be a group which end up with a lot of resources and power. A brief, but powerful moment that depicts this is ‘the slap’ a moment which is found in the first episode. Don’t worry this moment, doesn’t spoil anything more about the show, but it’s an interesting moment to point out!
Squid game introduces the watcher to a man who actually seems to love life. We watch his behaviour when he gets his hands on some money – he is generous, seeking to support his family, plays with random animals even.
What happens if you find yourself having taken on more than you could afford to pay back.
In the first episodeWhat happens when you try your hand to take part in the capitalist market, but you struggle to make ends meet?
**The slap**
So whilst respecting those who haven’t watched the show, the main character (Seong Gi-Hun) is introduced to what we later know as the ‘Squid Game’ at a train station. A well dressed man, dressed as though working in some kind of corporate entity approaches the main character, inviting him to play a game for a large sum of money. The main character is already at desperate situation, he doesn’t have much money and surrounded by harsh realities which leaves him a very difficult spot. He sees the large sum of money that is on offer in this simple game and agrees. Without giving too much away, the game is akin to a simple two player game, like tic-tac-toe for instance, however for each round played, the winner gets a sum of money, but the loser is literally slapped in the face. The main character probably considered this as a weird penalty for losing, but the prize was great.
So they play the game. The stranger wins round after round, resulting in the main character receiving firms slaps to the face repeatedly. He is frustrated, but motivated by the money, so he keeps playing. The stranger continues to win again and again, resulting in more slaps to the face. The main character agrees to continue playing. The finally the main character wins the game. He celebrates – hard. Then he starts to take his stance and prepare his arms in readiness to slap the stranger. He swings and then the stranger grabs his arm to stop him. The stranger gives him the money instead, as promised and invites him to play a ‘bigger’ game with more on offer – the ‘Squid game’
In a startled response, the main character then says:
He said ‘oh yeah the money…’ – as though… he’d forgotten.
It is noticeable that the game agent didnt allow himself to be slapped also. How interesting.
As the watcher, an equally remarkable moment was when the main character made this remark: ‘oh yeah, the money’. It was as though he was seeking something more. As though he wasn’t fully reimbursed in his victory. Money didn’t feel like enough of a payment for what he’d experience.
‘Oh yeah, the money’
The real
Capitalism: Everything is up for sale
When there’s nothing left, there’s always your body. Literally. 🙂
A man slapping another man, by most is regarding as an act of undermining another, demonstrating an order. Its humiliation. I think it hasn a more demeaning quality than a closed fist. In my world, a closed fist punch is either to violently defend oneself, attack someone, release frustration upon another’s physical body. It can also be an invitation to draw another individual to ‘mano e mano’ battle. [another person intondenotes a sense of equals fighting]. Slapping another person, particularly amongst men, is far more degrading. By doing so the slapper seeks to put the slappee in a lower postion. Consider Rick James slapping charlie murphy – no amount of money would have deterred Charlie from slapping his face off the counter the way he did).
In the ‘market’ there were things he was not willing to exchange. Namely his dignity.
