Why does success seem like it is reserved for the same few? Capitalism, which is famous for its generous grant for private ownership and system of freedom and opportunity, hides systems of inequality that are often the ones to determine who is truly to succeed. Marxist theory plays a role in the unwrapping of this mystery. The theory exposes the way the working class gets deceived into thinking there is equality within an exploitative system through an established false consciousness, which makes them think that their personal failures are caused by them, rather than blaming the system that keeps making them collapse due to the injustice in the structure (Glaberman 234). Marxist theory also illuminates how alienation and the economic disparity all together weaken class awareness and collaborative unity. This perspective can be applied to different modern contemporary works; in this case I will use the Netflix series Squid Game, a 2021 drama that is about the survival of hundreds of people contesting in childlike games to win a grand prize of a lot of money and find their way out of their financial distress. By putting into practice the Marxist theory in contemporary culture, the hidden constraints of capitalism become evident in the sustaining of inequality through false consciousness and the fostering of the isolation of individuals thanks to neoliberalism, and Squid Game demonstrates alienation realities, which are often associated with the corrosion of human value in modern societies.
Using the lens of Marxist theory, Squid Game visualizes the ruthless competition among the participants and the informed survival instincts inspired by the harsh system. These situations are compared to mentalities that are forged by the capitalistic societies. Karl Marx’s theory of false consciousness masks the way the working class is trapped in a loop of not realizing that they are under a structure that oppresses them, as their oppression is framed as freedom (Glaberman 235). This issue is represented in Squid Game by the contestants in the series, who were initially bound by tremendous debt and willingly return to a fierce competition, believing that it is their only way out of poverty. This inability to realize the structural flaws by individuals makes them internalize their failure even if it would have been a result of an untransparent system. In the case of Squid Game, the Marxist idea is updated in the twenty-first century in a way that the whole process of capitalism that relied on exploiting workers and paying them low wages has changed into a new advanced way of persuading the working class that their success or failure is a personal responsibility and their own control (Glaberman 236). For instance, in the Dalgona challenge in Squid Game, the players are expected to use a needle to perfectly carve a stamped shape out of a honeycomb candy that is fragile, within a limited time. Throughout this challenge it becomes clear that the contestants’ success at this task is mostly luck and not skill, depending on how easy the shape one got is; yet the game is represented more as a test of skill and endurance of the contestants. On a deeper note, when the contestants return to the game willingly after prior voting to leave, they represent that in an unjust system, hard work eventually pays off. These above scenarios in Squid game demonstrate a notion of Marx’s false consciousness, as the contestants mistake their exploitation for their own responsibilities, all being oppressed by an unfair system.
Furthermore, the new systems of capitalism boost alienation. By making the normal relationships within the society an instrument of competition, people divert from actions that contribute to collective efforts as a result of neoliberalism. Samuel A. Chambers, in “Undoing Neoliberalism,” explains that neoliberal systems erode solidarity by turning individuals into self-interested competitors who equate worth with productivity (710). This modern lifestyle of self-sufficiency is depicted in Squid Game, where players constantly struggle towards their own success, in this case survival. Even if collaboration would increase the chances of the players’ survival, they are overwhelmed with the idea that it is best for one to strive on their own. This show extends beyond the representation of art but brings a close view to the real-life circumstances people encounter. The working class is often placed in a system whose economic structure is supportive and fosters innovation and creativity. But behind these successes lies profound individualism in terms of markets and financial resources, where individuals prefer small-scale success instead of communal-based upbringing. Then with all this enforcement of individualism, the idea of collective efforts is suppressed (Chambers 720). This new system of economy as presented in Squid game supports Marxist ideas about alienation for the contemporary audiences.
Moreover, In the modern days of the world, capitalism has developed from factory floors to include the digital and entertainment areas too. This transformation of capitalism is witnessed in Squid Game, where human struggle is turned into a spectacle. In “What you see from these Survival Games is what machines get and know.” Jihoon Kim brings his arguments into the presentation of Squid Game as a reflection of the logic behind “platformized censorship,” by which real-life human experiences are turned into digital data and entertainment (Kim 133). In Squid Game, the depiction of masked VIPs watching the players struggle for their lives mirrors the actions of digital consumers. There are numerous platforms now, like Youtube, Twitch, and others, that sometimes make someone’s suffering, pain, or vulnerability content and entertainment. In Marx’s Economic and Philosophic Manuscripts of 1844 and capital, Marx highlighted the alteration of labor into commodities, and this has been modernized by turning human effort, emotion, and creativity into things that can be bought (Marx 74). So, by combining Marxist critiques and the modern digital structures and media, Squid Game exemplifies and extends Marx’s analysis into the digital age, as seen in the way that suffering is now tamed as currency in both fictional stories and reality.
Even though one might presume Squid Game as a critique on capitalism, some other critics also might argue that its main vision is just entertainment. From that point of view, the depiction of the various violent acts and the emotional manipulations are just pursuing the overall worldwide entertainment formula that puts in priority the engagement of the audience and their shock and desire to keep watching. The success of the show itself acts as a reinforcement rather than a challenge to the very system it represents. The audience loves to watch as a result of the excitement it creates and not the reflection that it leaves them to. And at the end of the day, the media and the streaming platforms get profits from all the views. But, on this note, this challenge actually intensifies the relevance of Squid Game and Marxism theory. As Jihoon Kim notes, “entertainment and critique coexist within the logic of global capitalism” (Kim 136). The ability of the series to serve both the entertainment part and the social commentary one shows how capitalism has extended to getting profits from its very own criticism. In the end, as Squid Game lies in a capitalistic industry, it still acts in augmenting Marx’s theory, as it turns the system into its subject, all turning to the point of how capitalism commodifies many aspects like human value and even its own critique.
Ultimately, Squid Game shows that success seems reserved for the same few because capitalism is constantly changing through new methods of exploitation, disguising inequality as opportunity. Through the lens of Marxist theory, there is a clear illustration that freedom in diverse places, be it the market, the workplace, or even the media, functions towards sustaining the system that favors the powerful and at the same time keeps the other working class in divisions and unaware of their suffering. The false consciousness acts in convincing the working-class individuals that the failures they encounter in life are reflected in personal flaws and are not in any case about the structure they are under, and also their pain being turned into commodities for profit by the new digital capitalism. Squid Game brings together the above points, showing how under capitalism, there is no universal promise of success, but a controlled pathway for everyone in the system. In exposing the modern transformation of exploitation into spectacle, the series not only amplifies Marx’s critique but also urges audiences to question whether the system’s freedom and opportunity are genuine—or merely another game designed for the same few to win.