Thread by @eveneechan

The meaning of shoes exchange symbolism on #LittleWomen

Shoes exchange is important element in series. Each time someone do shoes exchange, they receive things (from act of love), but they gave away things too (result of bad omen)

🧵 Analysis thread

#KimGoEun #ChooJaHyun

The director mentioned giving shoes is act of love. But there's old supersition said give shoes means give bad omen

Both indeed applied here

Let's analyze it

Started when Injoo's pink heels got broken. Hwayoung offering her sneakers so IJ could comfortable walk to hills

(1)

After arrive at hills, Hwayoung offering Injoo her Bruno Zumino, so Injoo could feel confident playing rich at resto

Kinda back a bit to Injoo's broken pink heels, it's like foreshadow of Red Shoes and bad things around it in future

(2) #LittleWomen

These were first hint of symbolisms:
- Heels = rich life, but there's danger
- Sneakers = simple, but comfortable life

Injoo give the sneakers back to Hwayoung, symbolizing she gave away comfortable life in exchange to have the Bruno Zumino (rich play & money)

(3) #LittleWomen

We know what happen next:
Hwayoung give Injoo her luxurious yoga membership + Bruno Zumino heels + 2B Won! Hoping Injoo could live at her dream apartment (act of love)

But in exchange, Injoo need to use it all smartly or her life in danger (bad omen)

(4) #LittleWomen

But we know Injoo, she's reckless (and we love her for that)

When Inhye want to study at Boston, Injoo came to Sangah's house, wearing BZ and offering the money to Sangah for IH's school

At this moment, IJ's dangerous life is started; Sangah found out IJ has the money

(5)

Yes, seems like Sangah didn't know Hwayoung still close with Injoo all this time

HY always tried to make her friendship with Injoo as secret in public. HY probably realise SA tried to "playing" w/ IJ, if she know IJ close with her

But now SA know, and she started her play

(6)

Hwayoung just realise Sangah tried to play Injoo when she read the manipulated article that Sangah prepare to lure Injoo to Singapore

She tried her best to protect Injoo; from throw herself in between car and truck, tell Injoo to run, reporting IJ's littering, and-

(7)

-the most important thing:
Hwayoung took Injoo's heels and exchange it with her sneakers;

It's symbolism of Hwayoung took back all bad omens (heels) that Injoo received and give back the comfort (sneakers) to her

Hwayoung back to Korea after recovered to receive punishment

(8)

Injoo is now free and situation started back to normal (she wear sneakers in last ep)

But Injoo choose to leave and back to save Hwayoung, who got kidnapped by Sangah bcs she still on dangerous life zone (she still wear the heels)

(9)

Conclusion:
Shoes exchange is symbolism of series main theme: capitalism;
Bcs in order to give/receive smtg, you need to pay smtg

But at same time it's also symbolism of act of love between Injoo and Hwayoung, who grew up in poverty and want to give things to each other

(10)

Bonus:
Shoes exchange also refer to Cinderella

Cinderella (Injoo) was poor, but then a Blue Fairy (Hwayoung) use her magic (money and belongings) to dressing her, so she could go to the party (playing rich). She also give her the iconic glass shoes (Bruno Zumino)

#LittleWomen

But unlike in fairytales, in world of capitalism, magic come with big price

Each time you receive/give something, there's something that you need to gave away in exchange

(11)

Another Cinderella reference

Bonus: color mood on hospital scene is blue, like the color of Blue Fairy and Cinderella's party dress

Bonus: giving shoes on Sangah perspective

She always give things to her victims (act of love) before killing them (bad omen), and love dressing their corpses, like she did to her mom