Free Family Interference In Oasis Essay Sample

Family ties have been a pillar of Asian society for thousands of years, forming the cultural foundations of society. However, in Lee Chang-dong’s 2002 Korean new wave film Oasis, family is portrayed as a negative, exploitative, and judgmental force that makes it impossible for the main characters to find happiness or independence.
The protagonist Hong is a good-natured misfit who does not understand societal norms. His family does not want anything to do with him. When he meets Gong-ju, who has Cerebral Palsy, they become strange soulmates who help each other function and find some happiness in a world that rejects and exploits them. Both families do not approve of their relationship.
The story is hard condemnation of modern Korean life, which is portrayed as judgmental, hypocritical and materialistic. One clear example is the mothers day celebration scene, which instead of celebrating family ties, shows how the family is not loving or wholesome. It is revealed that Gong-ju’s brother was the hit and run driver, and the audience discovers that the families are corrupt and determined to keep the two alone and miserable. Furthermore, Gong-ju’s family abandon her, and her brother wants to keep her isolated so they can collect her disability checks. The two lovers are ignored and belittled by their families, but when they finally find some happiness, the families want to destroy it. Their relationship is seen as abnormal by society, but it is the only kind of real relationship they can have. The families conspire to keep them apart, although Hong and Gong-ju only want what is natural and acceptable for others – a meaningful connection and relationship. Without family interference, the film suggests the two lovers could create a happy life together.