Books used as reference:
The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
Passing by Nella Larsen
Universal Declaration of Human Rights
→ link: http://www.un.org/en/universal-declaration-human-rights
Writer Info
Sungwoo Park
11th grade in Choate Rosemary Hall
Borderless Extravagance and Discrimination
The Preamble of the United States Constitution as well as the Universal Declaration of Human Right advocates the importance of equality. However, despite this global acceptance and continued efforts, inequality still continues to ‘live strong’ in today’s world. On an international level, one find nations where their citizens suffer from malnutrition and die from insufficient food while advanced countries concern by overgrowing population suffering from obesity from excessive consumption. Furthermore, on a domestic level, as with the racial discrimination in the United States despite the passing of the 13th Amendment and the Civil Rights Movements, it is NOT DIFFICULT AT ALL to find evidence of inequality based on religion, preference, socioeconomic status and other differences.
Frankly, there is one specific inequality that seems the most troublesome - economic and financial inequalities. While one now lives in a market-driven society valuing free competition, one cannot but be troubled by the fact how an infinitesimal fraction of the wealthy controls vast majority of wealth in a country. Although Korea has become one of the developed country within decades after the Korean War, it represents serious questions for these considerations: the concentration of power and wealth to particular conservative, and the wealth few has created an unhealthy domestic culture. In addition, Koreans have put too much emphasis on western education and values that ultimately have eroded unique local culture, trumped by ‘americanization,’ which Korea has held for more than five thousand years. Similar problems are shown in both The Great Gatsby and Passing. In The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald uses Tom Buchanan to depict a deeply conservative, extravagant individual in America. Similarly, Nella Larsen uses Irene Redfield and Clare Kendry in Passing to criticize the American society that forced black Americans to pass as Whites to survive. Therefore, social problems in Korea are comparable to the problematic norms that are blatantly displayed in two stories. 
Tom Buchanan is an example of a rich, prestigious American like Korean “CHAEBOLS” who maintained high political and financial authority in Korea for decades. Fitzgerald portrays Tom Buchanan as the symbol of a traditional rich, white American. Unlike Jay Gatsby who later becomes rich, Tom comes from an enormously wealthy family that “even in college his freedom with money was a matter for reproach” (Fitzgerald 14). Nick Carraway, narrating The Great Gatsby, depicts Tom’s eyes as “arrogant” and labels Tom as a man with “supercilious manner” (Fitzgerald 15). Throughout the story, Tom uses money and his “hulking” body size to prove his superiority over others. With “paternal contempt” in his voice, Tom believed that he was “stronger and more of a man than” (Fitzgerald 16) Nick and Gatsby in The Great Gatsby. Furthermore, Fitzgerald instills harsh racism and eugenics in Tom’s soul. For instance, Tom believes in white supremacism to boost his social status in America as he says, “It’s up to us, who are the dominant race, to watch out or these other races will have control of things” (Fitzgerald 25). In addition, Fitzgerald, through making Tom say, “if we don’t look out the white race will be—will be utterly submerged” (Fitzgerald 25), shapes Tom as an advocate of the eugenics movement that sought to purge the inferior race for the survival of white Americans during the early twentieth century. 
Tom Buchanan’s behavior in the story as a conservative, white American who is arrogant and blinded by his fortune resembles the “CHAEBOL” families in Korea. At the term of the 20th century, Korea was colonized by Japan, and then experienced the Korean War. In fact, it was only since the late 1950s that Korean society experience peace; it would be no surprise that during the 1960s and the 70s, Korea was one of the poorest countries in the world. But, during the mid- and late- 1970s, the government employed the Saemaul Movement, establishing a strong relationship between the government and business operations to enhance the productivity and market competitiveness of Korea. It was during this time, through close ties with the government, that gave birth to family-owned conglomerates like Samsung (the Lee family) and Hyundai (the Chung family), monopolizing all industries under government protection. But, while one must credit these unprecedented economic developments, one must also point out how the “CHAEBOLS” have abused their protection from the government to seize power in politics and the market. Some “CHAEBOLS” condescendingly show contempt towards impoverished Koreans by publicly denouncing them in public, and firms often mistreat their workers and oppress small firms that ultimately helped conglomerates to control industries (Marlow). For example, Hyun-Ah Cho, the senior executive of Korean Air and the chairman’s daughter, abused her of Hanjin Corporation (another “Chaebol” in Korea) privilege and power by commanding the pilot to fly back to the airport just because the flight attendant served her macadamia nuts in a bag, not in fancy dishes (Marlow). It is unfortunate and devastating that Koreans cannot act against those scornful “CHAEBOLS” because Samsung, for instance, produces 20 percent of Korea’s annual revenue. As a result, Tom Buchanan and Korean “CHAEBOLS” are comparable in that both abuse privileges and symbolize traditional, selective individuals in their society.
If you want to read more about the “nut rage” incident
Irene Redfield in Passing resembles Koreans and their culture in that they change their identities to break free from their original selves to become more americanized. Throughout Passing, Irene envies and criticizes how Clare, despite being a light-skinned black American, passes as White. As Larsen writes, “Race! The thing that bound and suffocated her” (Larsen 219), Irene feels oppressed and self-conscious living as a black individual. Although her jealousy towards Clare allows Irene to reflect upon her pride as a black American, Irene subconsciously admit her loss against strong prejudice and people like Clare who hope to reshape their lives as Whites. Seeing Clare everyday living a satisfying life with beauty and prosperity, Irene “[slides] her eyes down, feeling her colour heightened under the continued inspection” (Larsen 91). Irene’s emotions ultimately leads her to commit an extreme crime of pushing Clare out the window; Larsen might have included this scene in Passing to symbolize independence and victory of black Americans at the end, but this killing also informs the readers how black Americans have felt defeated and devastated for being dark-skinned in the United States that was founded for white Americans. 
Similarly, Koreans and their culture have gradually lost their identities. Globalization surely brought positive impact on the Korean peninsula. After Koreans accepted American culture through various media, many broadened their perspectives in viewing the world and allowed their country to develop into one of the strongest countries in the world. However, globalization recently created a “Cultural Imperialism” in Korea (Migliore). Pop culture in Korea successfully spread to not only Asian countries, but also in America and Europe, but “idol groups” started to prefer Anglo-Saxon appearances and American pop genres instead of maintaining their original appearances (Migliore). In reality, the fact that plastic surgery technology and industry in Korea are the best in the world proves the problem of Koreans, trying to reshape their identities as western individuals with blonde hair, big nose, and whiter skin through surgeries and make-up. Statistically, one out of ten adults in Korea have gotten plastic surgeries, especially in doubling and fattening their eyelids. Although one has freedom to do whatever one wants with appearance, this vicious trend has taken away the unique Korean identity; Americans did not oppress the Koreans to obtain sharper noses and double eyelids by putting in silicon sticks or cutting up their eyelids, but Koreans are losing confidence toward themselves and are subserviently acclimating into American culture just because white Americans are better-looking and more powerful in the world than Asians. Unfortunately, this trend of people getting plastic surgery has spread to more countries. Despite the growth in tourism in Korea, it is a devastating truth that Koreans are trying to deviate from their original looks and culture to pass as White like Irene and Clare in Passing.
Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby and Larsen’s Passing display similar social problems to the problems deeply entrenched in Korean society because a small group of the wealthy condescendingly abuses its power and fortune to exploit and disdain the mass majority, and minorities seek changes from their original selves to pass as members of a predominant group. Oppressions inevitably exist everywhere in the world. However, minorities that are often targets of prejudice should maintain themselves instead of switching their identities to promote their socioeconomic status. No race has ever been inferior. Passing and abandoning one’s original group will ruin one’s community or race.
Works Cited
Marlow, Iain. "South Korea’s Chaebol Problem." The Globe and Mail. Thomson Reuters, 23 Apr. 2016. Web. 24 Apr. 2015. <http://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/international-business/asian-pacific-business/south-koreas-chaebol-problem/article24116084/>.
Migliore, Lisa-Anna. "Cultural Imperialism: An Americanization of Beauty in Korea." Musings & Inklings. N.p., 6 Jan. 2012. Web. 24 Apr. 2016. <http://musingsandinklings.typepad.com/blog/2012/01/cultural-imperialism-an-americanization-of-beauty-in-korea-.html>.
"The Bill of Rights & All Amendments." The Constitution of the United States. Ed. George W. Baltzell. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Apr. 2016. <http://constitutionus.com/>.
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