Views of the poor as a part of Korean Culture. What is your opinion of them?
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Re: Views of the poor as a part of Korean Culture. What is your opinion of them?
- Sushan Ekanayake
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We can actually say that it was a part of its culture, because initially the reason for most of its people to be poor was the country's political system which was based on a king's rule. So only a small group got the privileges while the rest remained underprivileged. Later the poverty was mainly due to the invasion of other countries like Japan
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I agree. I believe that there have been a system of some sort of casts in the ancient Korea. So the poor only had very few options as jobs and they kept them as poor forever. It has actually been a part of their culture.theprakriti wrote: ↑17 Jan 2021, 23:33 Being poor, according to the Korean culture, can be at times conclusive. In relation to the big social gap between people given in the book, many remain poor due to their virtue. They believe miracles happen to those who become suddenly rich like the folk explained about Embon's father. Some people like Hob do not want to be rich if it means being married to someone he does not love and following someone he did not believe. In Korea, poor can only dwell at nothing or do small jobs to feed their tummy. They can be servants to the rich and face slavery till the end of their lives.
On the other hand, though many were poor, they were content with their lives. They did not have bigger dreams regarding money, but as the book says, they had basic needs like love. So, I think many of them had no big intention to overcome from their poverty as well. It has been a part of their lives as well as their culture
- Sushan Ekanayake
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I think some people had no value in money but had value in the real assets like freedom and love. But for most I believe that they had no idea about a rich life and had no intentions to grow, since poverty has gone deep into their bones, and they accepted what they had. I believe that it has been a part of Korean culture, that few privileged ones had everything but the majority had nothing under the king's rule. This was understood by the younger generations and they were expecting a change. They got that chance to change with the Japanese invasionSwirliegirlie wrote: ↑19 Jan 2021, 14:07 As unfortunate as poverty is, I think it was the better decision for some of the characters. Like Embon's father, he chose to not let his arranged marriage dictate him. It isn't what he wanted and no sum of money would make him change his mind. I am not fond of the high priority we put on money here in America so i thought it was a nice part of the Korean culture. Especially the aspect that most people that chose to stay in poverty did so to stay together as a family or staying true to their hearts.
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I agree that these Asian cultural concepts are bit outdated these days. India still practices its cast systems though they are despised by many other countries. It is hard to change the traditional ones. How they think remain intact whatever the things that others do or whatever the things that happen around them. This aspect is similar in this story as well. Many have to remain in their level without achieving higher levels to get what they actually want. But some break from this concept and go to higher levels but they actually loose their values of life. This poverty and the cast system apparently had been well carved into the Korean culture at the time when Japanese invasion occurredShieldmaiden88 wrote: ↑28 Jan 2021, 10:42 I think it says a lot about the culture that poverty actually results in more personal freedom than wealth. The idea a person would have to choose to stay poor to marry the person they love is truly tragic. As a western person this is pretty foreign. The vast majority of people in the west are free to marry anyone they choose.
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I don't know whether they consider what they get for being poor as privileges. But apparently they tend to loose hearty things that they love to have if they change their poverty status. Some, like Embon's father has gone up from his state of poverty with his marriage, but he doesn't love what he got, and it is same for his wife as well. On the other hand we see that some remain poor to get what they really value in their lives more than money. It has something to do with Korean culture. But mainly I think that is human nature that plays a major roleExcel 2021 wrote: ↑28 Jan 2021, 20:40 There is more to this than meets the eye. Poverty in many parts of the world is something people try to escape from often at all cost. But not in korea. Here being poor comes with certain privileges which others, elsewhere enjoy irrespective of their financial status.
It goes to tell us the kind of culture the Koreans oractise and how it contrasts that man of many other nations.
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I don't think being poor is only a mindset issue, at all. There are definitely examples of those people who chose to remain poor for their morals or for love, but look at Embon's mother's maid. She had no choice but to stay poor and work for a living, unlike so many who were more fortunate than her.Ahbed Nadir wrote: ↑30 Jan 2021, 17:02 Personally, I think it's the mindset of the people that was the real issue. Most people who are born into poverty choose to remain in poverty because they feel that as a result of their birth they have no hope of success and as such there is no point in struggling against their lot.
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I think you're right. Another angle to look at i suppose, thanks for the insight!Mvictoria wrote: ↑18 Feb 2021, 15:40I don't think being poor is only a mindset issue, at all. There are definitely examples of those people who chose to remain poor for their morals or for love, but look at Embon's mother's maid. She had no choice but to stay poor and work for a living, unlike so many who were more fortunate than her.Ahbed Nadir wrote: ↑30 Jan 2021, 17:02 Personally, I think it's the mindset of the people that was the real issue. Most people who are born into poverty choose to remain in poverty because they feel that as a result of their birth they have no hope of success and as such there is no point in struggling against their lot.
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