Parasite Society: Harassing the Truth in a Society of Fatigue

Abstract

Criticisms on the failures of the modernity project by those who think about what is happening in the social world, from social scientists and writers to thinkers and artists increase daily. In this regard, Byung-Chul Han, a German thinker of South Korean origin is one of the most popular names in recent times and has also managed to attract attention with his criticisms of the changing dimensions of neoliberalism and capitalism prevalent in the post-industrial age. Similarly, the film Parasite, which was released in 2019 and attracted attention by winning Oscar awards in many branches, appears as a cinematic criticism of the capitalist mentality and the problems it has created. This masterpiece by the famous South Korean director Bong Joon-ho reveals the drama of a lower-class family caught in the grip of greed, resentment, and imitation, showing how capitalism deepens the division between classes with each passing day. The film reveals the situation of late modern people who are crushed under commands such as positivity performance, passion for being smooth and perfect, compulsion to perform and compete, success and self-marketing, while dreaming of having a job and a more comfortable life. Rather than analyze a film in a sociological context, the article aims to make a modest contribution to the analysis of modern society, starting from the perspe-ctive of a South Korean writer and director and his proposal for a new society in the form of the parasitic society.