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Olivia Jensen

Mr. Crumrine

WR-121-09

19 July 2020

An Analysis of Classism in “Parasite”

Little kids daydream about growing up and getting rich, but as most people age, they realize

wealth is usually just that -- a fantasy. However, it’s something people yearn for, because ultimately

wealth can provide them a life full of comfort. In the 2019 film “Parasite”, this lack of social mobility is

made clear. The poor will remain at the bottom, the wealthy stay at the top, and the wealthy children will

follow their family’s footsteps as the top of the hierarchy. However, this doesn’t stop the Kim family

from wishing for a better life. “Parasite” narrates how wealth disparity between the classes leads to the

differences and the struggles in the families portrayed in the film.

At the onset of the movie, “Parasite” quickly demonstrates the differences in the family’s lifestyles. The

Kims take on odd jobs, live in a cramped semi-basement, and stand in corners to access unprotected Wi-

Fi networks. When Ki-woo takes on the tutoring position at the wealthier Park estate, the contrast

between the way the two families live is powerful. The Kim family is forced to deceive their way into

their jobs, while the Park family doesn’t have to worry about financial problems.

However, the audience is not led to immediately dislike the wealthy family. Mrs. Park is

welcoming, but her naivety is evident in how she is easily manipulated by the Kim family into trusting

them. Furthermore, the Park family can afford to be nice because they do not need to compete for

anything. This is not necessarily a flaw in their personality, but it further demonstrates the difference

between the Parks and the Kims.

Social status is also shown metaphorically through where the characters live. The Parks’ house

sits above ground, while the Kim family lives in a semi-basement, tucked halfway in the earth. Their low
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positioning emphasizes the Parks’ higher social status. This metaphor continues as the film progresses,

when it is revealed that the former housekeeper Moon-gwang’s husband is living in a hidden bunker, in

the Park basement. Geun-sae lives fully underground, hidden from loan sharks, but the Kims with their

new jobs and semi-basement home see themselves as superior despite both families being lower class.

The way the Kims easily accept the couple as inferior shows the way they are constantly grappling to

move up the social ladder.

The main conflict of the film is then shown in the struggle for power between the lower classes.

While classism in the film mainly centers around the relationship between the wealthy Parks and the

poorer Kims, it is also shown in how the Kim family treats the housekeeper and her husband. As the

housekeeper begs the Kim family to allow Geun-sae to keep living in his bunker, Kim family matron

Chung-sook scoffs in disgust. In this situation, she is in control of Moon-gwang, but not for long; her

eavesdropping family tumbles from the staircase behind her, revealing their presence and familial bond.

Moon-gwang takes a video, intending on using it as blackmail and thus, she is now in power. At any

moment, Moon-gwang could send the video to the Parks, outing the Kim family’s deception. This

dynamic continues as the couple leads the family upstairs but is shifted after a fight breaks loose and the

Kims shoves the couple into the bunker, trapping them below ground once again and reaffirming the

social hierarchy. At this point, their carefully plotted scheme is beginning to unravel, and this battle

represents the struggle for power and survival amongst the lower class.

The role of classism is stressed throughout the film, but unlike how one would expect; it is not

just framed as the rich versus the poor. The Kims, despite their misfortune, are guilty of perpetuating the

status quo too. They rise up to any chance they can get to feel superior to someone, even if this means

putting down the housekeeper Moon-gwang and her husband Geun-sae. In the way it is framed, it also

highlights what capitalism does to the lower class. When the Kims experience luxury and stability in

working for the Parks, they are immediately forced to defend it from Moon-gwang and Geun-sae. Rather

than extending some kindness to the struggling couple, both families fight to keep what little they have to

survive. The Kim family fights with Moon-gwang and Geun-sae to assert their power over one another.
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At the end of the film the Parks remain at the top, and the other families are forced to deal with the fallout

of their selfish actions.

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Works Cited

Joon-ho, Bong, director. Parasite, CJ Entertainment , 2019, www.hulu.com/parasite-movie.