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Jealousy and Envy made by Relative Evaluation and the Opportunity to Build “the Good Life” - the Korean Drama "Cheese in the Trap"
Journal of Popular Narrative
2017, 23(2),
pp.352-380
DOI :10.18856/jpn.2017.23.2.011
Publisher : The Association of Popular Narrative
Research Area : Interdisciplinary Research
DOI :10.18856/jpn.2017.23.2.011
Publisher : The Association of Popular Narrative
Research Area : Interdisciplinary Research
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In a discussion of characters’ behaviors in the Korean soap opera Cheese in the Trap, this study explores how jealousy and envy, aggravated by a relative evaluation that controls an individual’s ability to create one’s life and sense of self-worth, serves to affect an individual’s thoughts and behaviors in postmodern Korean society. In this drama, poor students struggle in poor economic conditions that make them feel jealousy and envy toward relatively rich students. While jealousy and envy could motivate these students to work harder for a better personal future, these feelings only make them discouraged and depressed. They know that, ultimately, “the winner takes all” in their society. Moreover, they realize that simply living a “good” life is the most difficult goal. Individuals can truly understand the minds of others and define what is a good life for themselves, this paper argues, only through the open admission that negative emotions such as jealousy and envy force people to rigorously compete with one another.
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