### Symbolism in *Parasite* (2019) > Entertainment_Travel

### Symbolism in *Parasite* (2019)

Bong Joon-ho's *Parasite* is a critically acclaimed film that masterfully uses visual and narrative symbolism to explore themes of class disparity, inequality, and human ambition. Below is a detailed analysis of the film's key symbols and their meanings.

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#### 1. **The Semi-Basement Apartment**
- **What it Represents:** The Kim family's semi-basement home symbolizes the lower class's precarious position in society. They are neither fully submerged in poverty nor elevated into stability. The semi-basement allows them to see glimpses of the world above but confines them to a space that is damp, cramped, and vulnerable (e.g., to floods).
- **Key Scene:** During the rainstorm, their apartment floods, emphasizing how the lower class is disproportionately affected by natural disasters and societal neglect.

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#### 2. **The Park Family’s House**
- **What it Represents:** The house epitomizes wealth, privilege, and detachment from the struggles of lower-class life. Designed by a famous architect, its spaciousness and modernity contrast starkly with the Kim family's semi-basement.
- **Key Details:** The bright, open spaces and glass walls of the house symbolize transparency and visibility, but also the Parks’ obliviousness to the realities outside their sheltered world.

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#### 3. **The Scholar’s Rock**
- **What it Represents:** The scholar's rock, gifted to the Kim family by a friend, symbolizes ambition and the desire for upward mobility. It represents the hope of achieving wealth and stability.
- **Key Scene:** As the film progresses, the rock’s symbolism turns darker. Instead of bringing prosperity, it becomes a literal weapon in the climax, highlighting the futility of blind ambition.

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#### 4. **The Rainstorm**
- **What it Represents:** The rainstorm is a dual symbol of privilege and devastation. For the Park family, the rain is a refreshing event that cleanses the air. For the Kim family, it is a catastrophic flood that destroys their home and possessions.
- **Key Scene:** The juxtaposition of the Parks enjoying their luxurious home while the Kims wade through sewage water underscores the divide between the two classes.

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#### 5. **The Smell**
- **What it Represents:** Smell acts as a metaphor for class barriers and prejudice. The Park family repeatedly comments on the "smell" of the Kim family, which symbolizes their inability to escape the stigma of poverty.
- **Key Scene:** Mr. Park’s reaction to Mr. Kim’s smell during the climactic sequence represents the breaking point of Mr. Kim’s resentment toward the dehumanizing treatment of the poor.

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#### 6. **The Staircases**
- **What it Represents:** Staircases are a recurring motif that symbolize social mobility and the divide between classes. Characters are frequently shown ascending or descending stairs, illustrating their movements through societal hierarchies.
- **Key Scenes:**
  - The Kims climbing the steep stairs to the Park’s house represents their temporary ascent into a better life.
  - The descent into their flooded semi-basement signifies their return to poverty.
  - The hidden staircase leading to the bunker highlights the hidden layers of society beneath the surface.

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#### 7. **The Bunker**
- **What it Represents:** The secret bunker in the Park’s house symbolizes the unseen, forgotten lower class living literally beneath the elite. It also reflects the extent to which some people are willing to hide and endure to survive.
- **Key Scene:** The presence of the housekeeper’s husband in the bunker mirrors the Kims' parasitic relationship with the Parks, blurring the line between victim and exploiter.

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#### 8. **The Birthday Party**
- **What it Represents:** The party epitomizes the obliviousness of the wealthy to the struggles of the lower class. While the Park family treats it as a lighthearted event, the chaos caused by the lower-class characters (the Kims and the housekeeper’s husband) interrupts their sheltered illusion of peace.
- **Key Scene:** The contrast between the joyous party above and the violence erupting below underscores the tension between classes and the consequences of exploitation.

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#### 9. **The Window Views**
- **What it Represents:** Windows serve as a metaphor for perspective and awareness of the world. The Kims’ semi-basement window looks out onto a grimy street, symbolizing their limited worldview and constant exposure to hardship. Meanwhile, the Park family's expansive glass windows offer a view of their lush garden, symbolizing their privileged and sheltered perspective.

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#### 10. **The Peach**
- **What it Represents:** The peach symbolizes vulnerability and manipulation. The Kims use the housekeeper’s peach allergy to exploit her and secure their positions in the Park household.
- **Key Scene:** The use of the peach as a weapon to sabotage the housekeeper underscores the theme of exploitation among the lower class to climb the social ladder.

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#### 11. **The Morse Code**
- **What it Represents:** Communication through Morse code reflects isolation and the desperation of those living "below." The housekeeper’s husband uses the light switch to send messages, symbolizing his futile attempts to be acknowledged by those above him.
- **Key Scene:** Ki-woo interprets the blinking lights, revealing the hidden struggles of those living beneath the surface.

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#### 12. **The Ending Dream Sequence**
- **What it Represents:** Ki-woo’s fantasy of buying the Park house represents the persistent hope of escaping poverty, despite the overwhelming obstacles. However, the bleak reality suggests that such aspirations are unattainable for most in a deeply unequal society.
- **Key Scene:** The dream sequence juxtaposed with the reality of Ki-woo’s current situation reflects the cyclical nature of poverty and the illusory nature of upward mobility.

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### Themes Tied to the Symbols
1. **Class Inequality:** The stark contrast between the Kims and the Parks highlights systemic barriers between the wealthy and the poor.
2. **The Fragility of Social Mobility:** Many symbols, like the staircases and the scholar’s rock, emphasize how difficult it is to transcend one’s social class.
3. **Exploitation and Parasitism:** The Kims, the housekeeper, and her husband all depend on the Parks, mirroring a parasitic relationship. Yet, the Parks also exploit the labor of those beneath them.
4. **Dehumanization:** Through symbols like the smell and the basement, the film explores how the wealthy often dehumanize and marginalize the poor.

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### Conclusion
Bong Joon-ho’s *Parasite* weaves its narrative with rich symbolism to craft a layered critique of modern society. Each symbol deepens the audience’s understanding of class struggles, human ambition, and the stark realities of inequality, making the film a masterpiece of visual storytelling.