By: Elle Buth, For The Clock

ebuth@plymouth.edu

Squid Gamehasrecentlybecome a phrase that we constantly hearwhether that be fromfriends recommending the show or the plenty the Internet has to say about it.We all have heard ofSquid Game,a South Koreandramathat has quickly become one of Netflix’s most watched shows.But to the ones who have not seen it,thefrequentreferencesto itcan beespeciallybaffling. To help, I will be going into depth on what drivesSquid Gamewithout any spoilers.

Something important to note aboutthe showis that it has postmodern influences.Brian Duignan inEncyclopedia Britannica Onlinesays thatpostmodernism is “…characterized by broadskepticism, subjectivism, or relativism; a general suspicion ofreason; and anacutesensitivity to the role ofideologyin asserting and maintaining political and economic power.”Recurring themeswithin the seriesinvolve economic power anditsrelationship to political power, including a hopeless view on change for the better. The characters are taught to be skeptical of everything around them in order to simply survive theviolentchallenges theyendure throughout the plot.

To further this, the showis set in a dystopiansociety andexplores how farpeoplemustgo to escape poverty.This being said, the showcontainsharshcommentary on the huge divide between the upper and lower classesand howinescapable poverty can be, furtherbringingin the theory ofeconomic determinism. As stated yet again inEncyclopedia Britannica Online, one of the primary thoughts inthe theory of economic determinism is how“…social differentiation and class conflict resulted from economic factors.”Squid Gameemphasizes economic determinism in its commentary on the huge gap between the rich and poor in the show’s dystopian society,and how conflictcan occur between and inside both the rich and poor classes over monetary power.

The two elements of postmodernism and economic determinism are prominent inSquid Game,and if you choose to watch itbe sure to keep them in mind. Additionally, know that the show is riddled with violence, gore, and aspects of horror. If you are notcomfortablewith violence and bloodshed in movies and shows, be careful when watching.

Works Cited:

Duignan, Brian. “Postmodernism.” Britannica.EncyclopaediaBritannica Online, www.britannica.com/ topic/postmodernism-philosophy. Accessed 14 Oct. 2021.

Faris, Robert E.L. “Sociology: Economic Determinism.” Britannica.EncyclopaediaBritannicaOnline, www.britannica.com/topic/economic-determinism. Accessed 14 Oct. 2021.