Friel uses bolded texts to represent the characters and when they're speaking. He uses italicized words to represent the actions that occur in the play. He uses different text types such as bolded and italicized words to help the reader understand the interactions that are happening within the play since we, the audience, can only read the play and not see it.

Sarah:

A very quiet and reserved person, she doesn't speak. I think its because she just doesnt know how to speak but she isnt dumb or clueless in anyway. She may symbolize Ireland when she is perceived as stupid.

Manus:

A shadow behind Owen. When their father praises Owen, Manus is trying to live up to his drunk father.

Jimmy:

classical languages, mother tongue. A bit off-putting. Obsessed with these languages. The comedic relief.

Maire:

Strong character with strong personality and indepent.

"strong mind, strong body"

Women are seen as matriarch of the family in Ireland.

Maybe she's a mother figure

In the final act of Translations, Hugh’s reflections on language and the past carry profound thematic weight, especially as the play confronts the erasure of Irish identity through British colonization. When Hugh remarks about the facts of history and how it is not the "literal past" that shakes us but the "images of the past embodied in language," he reveals how language is more than just communication—it is the vessel of cultural memory, identity, and emotion. This line portrays that history is not just a collection of objective events, but a lived and interpreted experience, shaped by the words and stories passed down through generations.

Hugh’s words highlight the tragedy of anglicization, the process of the process of modifying foreign words, names, or phrases to make them more easily understood and pronounced in English. This symbolizes a deeper cultural loss. Changing the Irish street names aren't just a simple "translation" but an erasure of the culture itself. It is not just geography that is being changed, but the collective memory and meaning tied to those places. His philosophical tone contrasts with the violence and chaos occurring around him, showing how language becomes a final line of resistance against cultural domination.

Moreover, Hugh's statement reflects the play’s central conflict: the clash between colonial power and native identity. Even as he teaches Latin and Greek—languages once dominant but now "dead"—he understands the fragility of language and its role in shaping who we are. His acknowledgment that language shapes our view of the past emphasizes the urgency of preserving Irish, not just as a means of speech, but as a way of preserving a people’s soul. In this way, Hugh’s words serve as both a lament and a quiet act of defiance.

• 
  

• Monkman’s art aims to reclaim/reinterpret Indigenous history

• challenging colonial perspectives and stereotypes

  • highlights Indigenous experiences and resilience

• He reimagines iconic historical scenes with Indigenous subjects and creates new narratives.

  • use of characters like "Miss Chief Eagle Testickle" critiques and satirizes colonial views

  • powerful, visual storytelling that invites viewers to rethink and take a different perspective on history.

    
    

  • Many people find Monkman’s recreations of famous colonial paintings impactful because they juxtapose Indigenous suffering with colonialism.

  • the theme is particularly striking as it directly confronts the viewer with uncomfortable and hidden/covered up truths about history.

    
    

gender and power dynamics: reversing the power dynamics with male and female gender roles in fairy tales and societal roles.

feminism: in between an aggressor and victim, neither obedient nor naughty. Carter uses very violent descriptions.

sexuality and desire: using the male gaze to dire

transformation and rebirth: the process of wiping the slate clean and starting fresh again.

subverting traditional fairytales (kinda like monkman with classical american paintings): carters work juxtaposes and mixes both masculine and feminine energies to represent them both.

resistance topics:

oppression

being in opposition of societal expectations

breaking through barriers

experiences of womanhood

protest art

willpower

fighting against/male gaze

the male power structure (the patriarchy)

acts of defiance

Blood.

Droplets of red, shiny liquid.

Crimson red rained against the stunning background of the white, powdered snow.

Blood drawn, forcefully pricked and wasted in this harsh castle.

castle

cold, harsh

rose, pricked

blood droplets fall in snow

In The Snow Child from The Bloody Carter written by Angela Carter, the Count portrays patriarchal power through his absolute control over desire. The Snow Child is conjured to fulfill his idealized vision, existing solely as an object and product of the male gaze. His interactions reflect his dominance: he dismisses the Countess’s jealousy while indulging his fantasies without consequence. The Snow Child’s death, following his command, underscores the destructiveness of reducing and objectifying women to passive and obedient figures. Carter critiques patriarchy by highlighting the Count’s power to create and destroy at will, exposing the exploitative nature of male dominance.

Hiding scars, especially self harm scars. You don't see them in society very often. People cover them with clothing and makeup. Trying to erase it from their skin and cover up when we should learn to not hide it. They exist because of stigma and shame/embarrassment. The stigma that people who wear these scars are mentally unstable all the time and are only showing them for attention. When they are actually not showing quote for fun or for attention end quote. Society should normalize seeing all types of different scars including the ones that are self inflicted. Embracing these scars are a part of their healing journey and others should accept them too without any judgement. When you said the word self harm, people grimace and feel disgusted sometimes. Scars from accidents are usually a reminder of something bad that happened in their life therefore they try to cover that up by any means possible.

The Tiger's Bride and the Guerilla Girls "We Sell White Bread" both use inversion to critique societal hierarchies

art markets prioritization the conformity & exposing biases in institutional practices

challenge power relations between human vs beast, through transformation and satire, revealing the artificiality of societal norms

Carter uses transformation to subvert the human-beast binary [say quote end of pg 81] | act of beast licking off her skin

“And each stroke of his tongue ripped off skin after successive skin, all the skins of a life in the world, and left behind a nascent patina of shining

hairs”

shedding societal constraints (expectations on gender role and beauty standards) | each skin is layer of imposed identity and societal norms

the Guerilla Girls uses satire to challenge patriarchal dominance in the art world | "We Sell White Bread" mocks the exclusion of diverse creators by criticizing

through physical and metaphorical, using transformation & satire, these works reveal how rigid hierarchies marginalize differences & reinforce inequality, urging a reevaluation of societal norms.

My initial reaction to this very short story is shock yet intrigued. The first half of the story seems more under the radar and the second half is more "out-there" with more descriptive (visual and kinesthetic) imagery. Carter uses lots of religious references (especially from the Bible) in her stories. In "The Werewolf", she mainly refers to The Devil and Witches but sprinkles in some hidden references such as "The child had a scabby coat of sheepskin to keep out the cold." The sheepskin is referring to when a wolf is in sheep's clothing which is also in the Bible. "Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves." The Werewolf's plot and message resonate with this quote, this phrase means that a predator (and humankind) is hiding their true nature and using aggressive mimicry to trick the prey into thinking that they are one of them, pretending to be harmless. Their true natures only revealed by their action. Perhaps this symbolizes the true animalistic nature we humans are supposed to hide in society instead of letting them run wild.

Witches are a huge factor in this story. Carter introduces them into the first paragraph to set a ominous tone. Witches were once humans as well and The Devil was originally an (fallen) angel. This could symbolize that everything has a duality to them. Walpurgisnacht translates to "Night of The Witches." People in Northern & Eastern Europe will light bonfires and sing to ward off evil spirits & witches. After that sentence, Carter says that "the Devil holds picnics" maybe the Devil is trying to taunt/mock the humans for trying to ward and get rid of the Devil when he simply cannot be rid of. When the child (whom I assume is little red riding hood), recognized the wart on the chopped off hand, she knew immediately that it was her grandmother's hand and that she was a witch. The neighbors reactions are caused because the witches are said to be one of the Devils henchmen and the wart is seen as the Devil's mark as it is a justification to accuse women of witchcraft during the Salem Witch Trials. The Devil would confirm a pact by giving the witches a mark of identification, in the form of a wart.

Carter also uses the knife of a symbolize the transition of power from the father to his child. The knife is always describes of her "father's." In the original "Little Red Riding Hood" fairytale, the child is a weak, gullible and submissive girl but in "The Werewolf", the knife makes her powerful and someone the wolf shouldn't mess with. Having the knife be her father's instead of hers symbolizes that the power is borrowed/given and not her own and is therefore temporary. The knife is a symbol of protection & self-defense, and her father's knife does just that, representing the reliance on male protection. But "you know how to use it." (138) challenges traditional gender roles by making the child knowledge with a weapon typically associated with men, subverting the traditional character archetype of the virgin maiden.

I believe Carter's purpose in "The Werewolf" is to connect with the other stories and subvert traditional fairytales by making the main female protagonist able to protect herself and not the classic virgin maiden character archetype. The author also wishes to explore the darker side of human nature. The werewolf represents the primal and uncontrollable aspect of human nature. Carter uses this factor to dig deeper into the animalistic instinct and civilized behavior experienced by humans and the consequences of trying to suppress or indulge these impulses.

• compare one artwork at a time

• finish analyzing use of L.D for one then more onto 2nd

I often felt pressured to conform to societal expectations of how a girl should behave. There was an inferred assumption that I should wear dresses, be polite and quiet, and prioritize being "ladylike" over expressing my true self. These expectations felt restrictive, as they didn’t align with my personality or interests. For example, I prefered wearing dress pants and suits over sticking to traditional feminine norms. The pressure and negative comments I received from society and family made me question why certain behaviors and appearances were deemed "appropriate" for girls while others were not. At first, I tried to fit into these expectations but over time, I realized that I shouldn't be molding myself to other people's expectation. Instead, I should wear clothing and act how I always do. Being true to myself was more important than conforming to outdated stereotypes. This process taught me the value of self-expression and the importance of questioning societal norms rather than blindly accepting them.

Through this subversion of roles, Carter conveys a powerful message about the dangers of societal expectations and the importance of individuality in "The Company of Wolves." She challenges the idea that women must conform to narrow, predefined roles and instead celebrates the complexity and strength of female characters. The story encourages readers to question and resist societal norms that limit personal freedom and self-expression. In "The Company of Wolves", the girl’s defiance of traditional roles symbolizes the empowerment that comes from rejecting stereotypes and embracing one’s true nature.

During COVID-19, there was a surge of hate and xenophobia against chinese people in particular for "creating" and "spreading" the virus around from China to the rest of the world. Within days, there were multiple news reports speculating why had the virus come from China and how. People, reading the news and believing them, started to think that the virus was a bioweapon created in a laboratory and COVID-19 was a meticulously planned out attack from China. This experience of unsettling and made me aware of how quickly fear and misinformation can change/influence people's thoughts. It made me more empathetic towards others who face discrimination and more aware of the pervasive nature of stereotypes. I learned that society often scapegoats marginalized groups during times of crisis to push the blame onto someone else in order to feel a sense of security, and this behavior is rooted in ignorance and fear.

In "The Lady of the House of Love," the Countess is stereotyped as a monstrous, bloodthirsty vampire due to her cursed lineage. These stereotypes are inherited and sustained by her family's history, much like how societal prejudices are passed down through generations. The Countess is trapped by these stereotypes which dictate her actions and isolate her from society. The Countess's character is transformed by the weight of these stereotypes. She is both a victim and a perpetuator of the curse, symbolizing the fear and prejudice of those around her. Her eventual "demise" can be seen as a release from the oppressive stereotypes that defined her existence. Her demise was in fact a liberation as she was no longer constrained within the boundaries of the stereotypes imposed on her. This transformation highlights the destructive power of societal labels and the tragic consequences of being confined by them.

I'm both Canadian and Chinese and I've felt torn between these two cultural identities. On one hand, my Canadian side values individuality, independence, and creative thinking, while my Chinese side emphasizes unity, respect for tradition, and familial duty. These opposing aspects of myself have sometimes created tension, especially when navigating situations where cultural expectations clash. For example, I’ve struggled with balancing my desire for personal freedom with the pressure to conform to family expectations and cultural norms.

In "The Lady of the House of Love", the Countess is portrayed as both powerful and vulnerable, manifesting a tension between her predatory instincts and her longing for human connection. This duality shapes how we perceive her, she is not simply a monster or a victim but a complex character who struggles with her identity. Her physical strength lies in her supernatural abilities and her role as a predator, while her vulnerability are derived from her isolation and her desire to break free from her family lineage. This balance makes her relatable and human, even as she inhabits a supernatural world. The Countess’s struggle mirrors this tension between dual identities, two sides of the same coin. Her predatory nature represents one aspect of her identity being her cursed lineage and supernatural power. While her vulnerability and desire for connection reflect her longing to escape that identity and experience humanity. This internal conflict influences her choices such as her fascination with the young man and her hope for redemption. Ultimately, her inability to fully reconcile these opposing forces leads to her tragic demise, conveying the difficulty of navigating such profound internal divides.

Angela Carter uses the gothic setting of Mr. Lyon’s mansion with its lushness that mirrors his inner turmoil. This challenges the fairy-tale trope of the enchanted castle as a place of wonder and instead presenting it as a space of loneliness and introspection. The gothic fascination with transformation is crucial to the story. Mr. Lyon’s physical and emotional changes as well as Beauty’s growth, illustrate the fluidity of identity. This undermines the fairy-tale expectation of fixed roles such as beast vs. human and savior vs. saved but creates relationships that are more dynamic and mutually transformative.

Carter challenges traditional fairy-tale archetypes by creating Mr. Lyon (the Beast) and Beauty very differently as to traditional stories. In traditional fairy-tales, the Beast is often a monstrous figure who must be tamed or redeemed through love. Carter confronts this archetype by portraying Mr. Lyon as both fearsome and vulnerable. His transformation is not only physical but emotional. This reflects his internal struggle between his animalistic nature and his desire for human connection. Carter challenges the idea that the Beast is merely a symbol of primal and instinct savagery to be overcome. Giving the Beast a name, Mr. Lyon, while others are just called "the Beast" showcases that he is not just a beast but instead a sophisticated individual who's capable of human thinking and emotions. Unlike the passive, helpless heroines of traditional fairy tales, Carter shapes Beauty by giving her more depth in turn creating a complex character. While she initially conforms to the role of the nurturing, compassionate, mother figure, her time away from Mr. Lyon reveals her own flaws and vanity. Her return to him is not just an act of love but also a recognition of her own need for connection and transformation.

In "The Courtship of Mr. Lyon", Carter critiques societal expectations by challenging the dynamics of beauty and relationships. Beauty’s value is initially tied to her physical appearance and self-sacrifice, reflecting societal pressures on women to prioritize others over themselves to please men. However, her choice to return to Mr. Lyon is an act of agency, not obligation. Subverting the trope of women as mere redeemers. Meanwhile, Mr. Lyon’s vulnerability and dependence on Beauty defy traditional notions of dominant, unemotional masculinity. The story also questions power dynamics in relationships, presenting love as a partnership of mutual growth rather than submission or coercion.

I gained more insight on the different aspects of Koul's life. Being bound to both cultural traditions and beauty standards in "Aus-piss-ee-ous" and "Fair & Lovely" while she expanded more on the culture of online interactions and womanhood in "Mute" and "A Good Egg." Koul was able to share her experiences into these collective essays in order to spread awareness as well as shedding light on her past.

Compare: Identify a specific similarity between the themes or techniques of another group’s essay and your group’s essay. What makes these themes/techniques effective in Koul’s overall purpose with this essay collection? 

A technique that I saw many groups including "Aus-piss-ee-ous" and "A Good Egg" using colors to guide the reader's focus from the different points (54321). This helps the reader not feel overwhelmed as the posters are a wall of words and can give the audience a sense of worry. A similar theme between a few of the groups include the standards put on Koul. Her family traditions and beauty expectations from society both put an immense amount of pressure on her.

mute = online presence/interaction between white men and poc.

good egg = womanhood

fair & lovely = beauty standards

aus-piss-ee-ous = family and cultural traditions

This unit was challenging yet interesting. There were lots of new topics such as the desire of male figures as well as transformation and rebirth of women. What it means to be a women and how that affects their social placement in their respective stories in The Bloody Chamber.

This unit's AOLs were both written and orally. The oral part was definitely more nerve-wracking in the moment but it was alright after. The oral tested my note taking skills and keeping them concise to fit into the requirements when presenting. It challenged my communication skills as I had to deliver information to the class and teacher clearly in the time given. I was able to keep my notes short and brief but also had enough points to speak for 6 minutes.

The second part of this unit's AOL was the comparative essay, comparing two of Carter's stories in The Bloody Chamber. This was... extremely difficult as I never explored how to write comparative essays between texts before. Having to prepare and practice for this AOL had me writing practice essays. The key to this AOL doing well was to have strong points (arguments and evidence (quotes)) and keep a level head.

Time management was key for both AOLs as you had to plan and balance your time out. Structure was another crucial part because it had to flow. I enjoyed this unit very much because of it's content, creative aspects and how much I improved.

The first time I created a difficult cosplay, Phone Guy from Five Nights at Freddy’s, marked a turning point for me. I spent the entire month of October building it from scratch, obsessing over the details, and learning as I went. I still remember the excitement when it all came together. That project showed me that I could create something amazing if I gave it my all. It was the moment I realized how much I love making things—not just casually, but seriously—and it sparked a deep pride in my ability to bring ideas to life.

Another huge part of my identity is Pokémon. I’ve loved it since grade one, and it continues to be a source of joy and inspiration. From collecting cards to watching the anime and sketching Pokémon in my notebooks, it’s been a gateway into my creativity. Pokémon didn’t just entertain me—it got me into drawing and helped build my love for imaginative worlds.

Friendship is something that didn’t always come easy, but recently it’s become something I truly treasure. This year, especially, I’ve built meaningful connections—not just one close friend, but a group of amazing people. Being social and forming bonds with classmates across different grades has helped me come out of my shell and feel more grounded and confident in who I am.

Skiing is pure freedom. There’s nothing like flying down a slope with music blasting, letting emotions go with the wind. It’s my outlet, a place where I feel powerful and present. No rules, no limits—just movement, adrenaline, and clarity.

And finally, Dungeons & Dragons has been a constant in my life since grade 7. Through lockdowns and beyond, D&D taught me how to lead, communicate, and collaborate. Being club head for the past two years (and continuing into the third) has helped me develop real leadership skills and confidence. It’s not just a game—it’s a way I connect with others and shape stories together.

Each of these memories reveals something essential about me: I’m creative, passionate, driven, and always learning. Together, they form the foundation of how I see myself—and how I want to keep growing.

Lastly, explore the idea of losing one of these memories—how would it change who you are?

If I were to lose the memory of Dungeons & Dragons, I think a huge part of who I am today would vanish with it. D&D isn't just a game to me—it's something that helped me grow into a confident leader, a creative storyteller, and a better communicator. Without that memory, I don’t think I’d have the same sense of direction or self-assurance I carry now.

I joined the D&D club in grade 7, during online school—a time when connection was already hard to find. That experience grounded me. It gave me a place to explore creativity with others, to speak up, to imagine, and to listen. Being part of the club—and eventually leading it—taught me how to manage people, solve problems collaboratively, and build a space where others felt welcome. If I forgot all of that, I don’t know if I’d have discovered how much I enjoy guiding and supporting others.

Losing that memory would be like losing the blueprint of how I grew into this version of myself—less confident, less sure of my ideas, and maybe a little less brave.

quote = “It’s been a long while since we stopped eating such a salad, I can no longer recall how green beans looked or tasted.” (middle of page 45)

GI = how time can alter a character's perception of an object.

• What specific authorial choices are utilized in the quotation to help communicate the Global Issue?

• How is this GI evolved/developed up to this point in the reading thus far (1 paraphrased reference to another moment in the text)

• What broader idea or commentary is the author communicating through this Global Issue?

The author, Yoko Ogawa, writes it so that the female protagonist shares an anecdote of her memory of eating salad and in turn, her mother. The author allows the protagonist to recall her childhood memories where her mother and image of salads were still in the picture. At the present, she can "no longer recall how green beans looked or tasted."

My global issue statement is: how time can alter a character's perception of an object comes from these moments in the book where the author has a character reminisce times in the past where they still had their memories. The GI has evolved by changing the factor of time to the political power of the memory police and how they change people's identities or how the character's perceive objects and/or themselves.

I think that the broader idea the author is trying to communicate with the reader (who I assume, know what these lost items such as emerald and green beans look like.) is that it's very easy to lose or have one's memories (and in turn, perceptions) altered. The reader can instantly understand what the protagonist is trying to describe while the characters in this book have no recollection of these items. Perhaps the author is trying to show a parallel between our current world and our world in... 100 years time where everything we know and understand now is gone and forgotten. With only the feeling of something like the crisp snap of green beans the protagonist describes on page 45.

A particularly significant and memorable experience from Unit 3 was the Socratic seminar we held on Yōko Ogawa's The Memory Police. The novel’s haunting representation of collective forgetting left a strong impression on me. My curiosity was especially piqued by the open-ended and interpretive nature of the discussion. The seminar prompted me to consider the disappearances in the story not just literally, but as representations of memory, identity, and resistance. The question regarding the typist character in the narrator’s novel, and the gradual disappearance of her voice, especially captured my interest. It prompted me to consider how writing can serve to safeguard and obliterate truths, and how in literature silence can convey as much meaning as language.

As we discussed and shared our thoughts, I found myself intrigued by the repeated theme of birds and the meaning of their absence represented the loss of freedom and escape. These are all vanishing in a world that is becoming ever more controlled and regulated. This made me reflect on the story's environmental implications and consider whether the novel could be interpreted as dystopian genre. In the seminar, we weren't provided with clear answers and had to navigate the uncertainty as a class. I found the abstract nature of the ending particularly memorable, especially the image of the narrator starting to vanish. It prompted me to wonder about the delicacy of memory and the subtle ways in which individuals resist when their reality is stifled.

This discussion transformed my approach to literature; they're not only stories but dialogue with immense depth with underlying information regarding the human condition. It made me realize how much power lies in interpretation, and how stories like The Memory Police invite us to make sense of loss in ways that are deeply personal.

If I had the opportunity to dive deeper into one of the themes from this unit, I would explore the perspectives of the colonizers in both Translations by Brian Friel and the works of Kent Monkman. While our discussions focused heavily on the consequences of colonization and its impact on language, culture, and identity, I am curious about the mindset and motivations of those in power—specifically, the British in Translations and the Canadians in Monkman’s artwork. I want to understand why they believed colonization was necessary or justified. Did they try to enforce control through non-violent means first, or was the use of force always central to their approach? What social, political, or economic pressures influenced their decisions?

By analyzing their perspectives, I could better understand how colonizers rationalized cultural erasure and how these justifications were portrayed or challenged in literature and visual art. It’s also important to consider how countries like Britain and Canada are now trying to acknowledge and repair the damage done through colonization. For instance in Monkman's work, there's often a tension between past violence and present-day efforts at reconciliation. I wonder how genuine these efforts are and whether they truly address the harm caused, or if they function more as symbolic gestures. Diving deeper into this theme would help me critically assess the legacy of colonization—not just from the victim’s side, but through a more comprehensive lens that includes those responsible for the violence. Ultimately, understanding both sides could lead to a more nuanced and informed view of historical injustice and ongoing reconciliation.

This unit, we explored how The Bloody Chamber by Angela Carter and the protest art of the Guerrilla Girls challenge traditional gender roles and critique systemic inequality. Both texts reveal the persistence of patriarchal structures that confine women to roles defined by male power—whether through the gothic fairy tales Carter subverts or the Guerrilla Girls’ satirical posters that expose sexism in the art world. These themes remain strikingly relevant today, as reflected in the February 2025 Labour Force Survey.

The report shows that although employment among core-aged women (25–54) increased in February, they remain significantly more likely than men to work part-time or multiple jobs. Many cited caregiving responsibilities—such as looking after children—as the primary reason. This mirrors how Carter’s female characters are often bound by domestic roles or male-imposed expectations, even in modernized narratives. Similarly, the Guerrilla Girls expose how women are still underrepresented in positions of power and face barriers in professional spaces—a reality echoed in the gender wage gap. In February 2025, women in the core working age earned 88 cents for every dollar earned by men. Despite progress, these disparities persist, showing that gender-based inequality is not a relic of the past but a lived reality.

What Carter and the Guerrilla Girls highlight is that empowerment often comes at a cost. Carter’s heroines must outsmart, survive, or violently reject the roles they’ve been given. The Guerrilla Girls use anonymity and satire to fight back against erasure. In both cases, resistance becomes an act of survival. When we see that many Canadian women today still take on multiple jobs, earn less, and carry more domestic responsibility, it becomes clear that the systemic forces Carter fictionalizes and the Guerrilla Girls protest are deeply rooted in the real world. This connection has made me realize how literature and art can be tools not just for reflection, but for activism and awareness in confronting ongoing gender inequality.

In this quotation, Ogawa uses metaphor and personification to communicate the impact of authoritarianism on personal and creative expression. The “voice” referenced is metaphorically trapped in a tape recorder, an object that—like so many others on the island—has lost its societal function. The phrase “sealed off” evokes a sense of deliberate repression, not just technological disuse. This is a direct reflection of the novel’s broader commentary on how regimes erase objects, language, and meaning when they no longer serve the system’s goals.

The authorial choice to treat the voice as something physically contained emphasizes the separation between identity and expression. The machine isn’t described as broken; rather, it’s rendered obsolete by the disappearance of the very concept of recorded sound. This reflects a haunting truth: in the world of The Memory Police, even human expression becomes disposable. The passive tone reinforces the characters’ quiet resignation to these losses.

Earlier in the novel, a similar moment occurs when the narrator begins to forget how to use her typewriter—a device once central to her identity as a writer. Despite remembering that she used to create stories, the loss of the object’s meaning makes the act of writing feel hollow. This parallel underscores the novel’s exploration of how creativity is tethered to the existence of tools, language, and memory.

Ogawa’s broader commentary is a chilling reflection on the role of art under systems of censorship or cultural erasure. The tape recorder, like the typewriter or perfume, symbolizes forms of expression that once gave people joy, individuality, and voice. As each is stripped away, what’s left is a hollow shell—art without audience, speech without meaning.

This global issue connects deeply to real-world contexts. In many authoritarian societies, artists, musicians, and writers are silenced when their work no longer aligns with state ideology. Ogawa’s message resonates as a warning: creativity cannot survive in a vacuum, and when expression is censored or disconnected from collective memory, society loses part of its humanity.

In Parasite, the scene where the Kim family hides under the Parks’ coffee table is a powerful visual encapsulation of social invisibility. The composition of the scene emphasizes hierarchy: the wealthy Parks sit comfortably on the couch above, unaware of the Kims crouching in fear below. The lighting contrasts the warm, inviting glow of the Parks’ living room with the dark, cramped space under the table. The visual divide echoes the socio-economic gap, showing how the working class is physically and metaphorically beneath the upper class being both unseen and unheard.

This moment connects thematically to The Memory Police by Yōko Ogawa, particularly in how individuals are made invisible through systems of erasure. In the novel, the protagonist’s friend R is forced into hiding because he can remember things the regime has erased. He becomes like the Kims—present, but unseen, living silently in a confined space under threat. Ogawa’s use of interior monologue and sparse prose mirrors the claustrophobia and helplessness depicted in Bong Joon-ho’s scene.

Both texts explore the emotional toll of invisibility. However, the mediums approach this differently. Parasite uses spatial composition, acting, and sound to evoke tension and shame. Viewers are placed in the confined space with the Kims, feeling their fear as the Parks casually demean them. In contrast, Ogawa’s novel uses quiet introspection and slow narrative pacing to create an atmosphere of numbness. R’s invisibility isn’t dramatic—it’s chilling in its mundanity.

The key difference lies in how each text positions resistance. In Parasite, the Kims ultimately snap—culminating in an act of violence that breaks the social order. In The Memory Police, resistance is quieter. The narrator continues to care for R, hiding him at great risk, but she never fully escapes the island’s oppressive forces. Her resistance is emotional rather than revolutionary.

I find Parasite more immediately impactful in conveying the dehumanization of marginalized groups, largely because the visual medium allows for visceral reactions. The silence, facial expressions, and camera angles all converge to evoke discomfort and empathy. However, The Memory Police leaves a deeper, more lingering sense of despair. Its slow unraveling of memory and meaning forces readers to sit with the psychological cost of enforced erasure.

Ultimately, both works powerfully examine how those in power render others invisible—whether through class, control of memory, or both.