Abstract

At first glance, Squid Game may appear to be about how the rich have the power to oppress the poor, about economic inequality and capitalism, or about class struggle. The series touches on all of these, but at the center of it, Squid Game shows how democracy is used as a tool for control. Given the right motivation, the rule of the many can be manipulated to benefit the interests of the few and, in some cases, to coerce the minority. Despite the advantages of democracy, the series portrays how democracy can be less than ideal, rotten, and dysfunctional. An investigation of the turn of events in the series reveals at least five myths about democracy.