Tag Archives: korean belief

Clothes Are Wings

Age: 24

Text:

“Clothes are wings.”

Context:

The informer tells me that this is a Korean proverb, and essentially means “Clothes make people better”. They’re not sure where they learned it from, but they assume it’s from their parents, or from watching k-dramas.

Analysis:

I thought it was very interesting that Korea would have a proverb about physical appearances and how it affects how people may perceive you. Korean society is very much one where one’s physical appearance absolutely determines how you are treated, where you are in the social hierarchy, and what people think your character and personality is like–this is all determined by how you look. It can become so extreme to the point where it may becomes toxic–one must always be skinny and slender, conventionally attractive, pale, chic, with impeccable fashion taste regardless of your socioeconomic status.

I feel like this emphasis on physical appearance has something to do with how homogenous Korea is, and its values on community rather than the individual. By having the mindset that “clothes make the man”, it creates a standard that everyone must strive to meet in order to not stand out and disrupt the flow of what is considered “normal”. This is a Confucian ideal(community over individual), which is a foundational aspect of Korean culture and social roles.

SOUPY VS. STICKY FOODS BEFORE AN EXAM

Nationality: Korean-American
Age: 21
Occupation: Student
Residence: Los Angeles, CA
Performance Date: April 21, 2021
Primary Language: English

MAIN PIECE: 

Informant: So in Korean culture… Before like a test or an exam you’re recommended not to drink or eat something that’s like soupy or runny. So, like, don’t have soup on the day of. And you should rather have something sticky like sticky rice or taffy or something like that, that has that like “oomph” to it… ‘Cause the correlation there is like, you drink something runny or you eat something that moves, then that information will leave with it. But if you have something sticky, that’ll help your brain stick that information into your head. 

INFORMANT’S RELATIONSHIP TO THE PIECE: 

Interviewer: Do you practice this?

Informant: No, I don’t. It’s just something my mom told me about… I haven’t really thought about it before like now. 

Interviewer: But have you ever tried or tested it?

Informant: No, I haven’t.

REFLECTION:

According to James George Frazer, homeopathic magic is magic in which like produces like. We see that manifested here, as soupy foods are believed to wash away information, whereas sticky foods encourage information to stick. The idea that what you consume can directly impact your performance in daily life is not unique to Korean culture; it is widely accepted that food is tied to health. Science shows that eating certain foods leads to different physical outcomes (ex. eating carbohydrates versus eating protein before working out). What is unique about this Korean belief is that it is not based on the nutritional value of a food, but on how soupy or how sticky it is––on texture or consistency. This is why it is more likely to be considered a form of magic, than a science-based belief.