I feel like this drama had such a wide spectrum of characters. It was truly amazing.
Myung Ja Eun: sweet, innocent, naive, compassionate, selfless (she deserves the world)
Sung Soo Ji: Relatable, a little selfish, smart, calculating, brave, straightforward (we are so much alike, its astounding)
Im Ye Rim: Courageous, passionate, confident, forward (my absolute favorite character)
Kim Da Yeon: out of control, anger issues, crazy (she had a shi* family but I did not feel a tad bit sad for her)
Baek Ha Rin: psycho, pure evil, cunning, calculating, manipulative (she loved to blame others for her actions but I love how Soo Ji saw right through her. Also, there was no excuse of harming a little child. She thrived on her money and power, and to have all of that taken away from her, it was truly the ending she deserved.)
Seo Do Ah: Multi faced, conflicted, smart, honest, secretive, just (I loved her arc. she had a very realistic portrayal and I loved how she subtly tried to help Soo Ji throughout the series.
Feel free to drop your own comments about the characters.
Soo Ji is my all time favorite kdrama protagonist. I admire how well she can read situations and act accordingly to get what she wants whether that be making connections or putting bullies in their place. I love how her childhood of constant moving shaped her to be the way she is, cunning, self-reliant, and adaptable. And I like that she's not the typical happy-go-lucky protagonist with little to no flaw. She's self-serving and detached, and seeing her grow to care for others and make real friends was beautiful.
One of the things I'm curious about and would love to hear your thoughts on is what motivates Soo Ji. What is it that she values? What drives her? First episode, she cut out her previous school friends without warning or care. She seems to value having connections but doesn't value the friendship itself. She's practical and understands how society works; thus, she tries to find her place and befriends the right people, not too low and not too high in the hierarchy. But why does she care about conformity when she's detached, independent, and isn't image conscious? If it's her way of having an easy going school life, she could have that without making friends as she would be perfectly fine on her own. Might even be better for her since she puts in so much effort into making and maintaining connections she doesn't care for. I'm trying to understand why she conforms to the hierarchy and makes friends when she's detached and could be better off without. It's an intriguing contradiction.
My speculation is that it's her way of achieving stability and control. Soo Ji is subject to the whims of her father's lifestyle and becomes exceptionally adaptable since she can't control her constant relocating. Perhaps her way of having a sense of control and stability in her life is through carving out her place in the hierarchy. I'm still trying to figure out what makes her tick. I can rule out that her care for fitting in isn't motivated by the image of success, or else she would have accepted Harin's offer of friendship in episode 4. Her value of stability and control had her deny the offer. Truly, I find Soo Ji very interesting.
We actually don't know what kind of relation Soo Ji had with her former friends, so I will refrain from commenting on that, but I feel like Soo Ji is not a very complicated character, infact she is one of the easiest kdrama character to understand . She is pretty straightforward and always speaks her mind.
I think her motivations and ambitions were clear from the beginning. She wanted to save herself. I feel like she is used to being alone due to moving so often and only socializes to be a part of the crowd, not to maintain friendships. She was selfish, just like a lot of other girls in the class and only wanted to save herself by getting out of grade F.
She had a lot of self respect and a bit of ego, therefore despite being bullied, she refused Ha Rin's offer for alliance since Ha Rin was the reason why she got bullied in the first place. She was not a boot licker to Ha Rin or Da Yeon like Woo Yi, Seol Ha, Seung Ha or Eun Byeol. Ha Rin had nothing on her. The reason she wanted to bring the game down was because she wanted to challenge Ha Rin. She is also mentally strong and does not succumb to her bullies to instead fights back. That was her main driving force.
Also it might be genetics as well since her father was a solider she also had an innate sense of justice which she initially disregarded because of how the other girls in the class treated her. In the end it was Ja Eun's kindness and friendship that triggered Soo Ji to change her ways and look at the bigger picture.
This is what I have interpreted from the drama
For me, Soo Ji is one of the most complicated kdrama characters and is the character I least understand in Pyramid Game. I can discern the other's core motives but not Soo Ji's. I skimmed episode 3 for some quotes!
Soo Ji can be considered a straightforward character, but I think there's more nuance to it. She wears a mask for socializing. She isn't impulsive but tactical and will only speak her mind if she has nothing to lose. In episode 2, when Soo Ji was being bullied, Ha Rin stepped in to help her off the floor. Soo Ji suspected Ha Rin is the mastermind and wanted to call her out on it, but instead, she accepted help and thanked her since speaking her mind in that situation would backfire. (ep. 2, 3:23).
I'm looking for her core motivations that Soo Ji centers her actions around from beginning to end. To do that I need to understand why her first priority when transferring schools is to make friends and assimilate with the natural hierarchy. She isn't lonely, nor does she seek deep connection, so why does she surround herself with a crowd?
I don't think her self-respect and ego play that big of a role in her actions. After becoming Grade C, Soo Ji didn't mind being friendly with Ha Rin who she knew created the game. “I’m Grade C now. I don't care if she's the game master of a psychopath. There's no need for me to be hostile.” (ep. 3, 5:25). I'd also like to note that they were holding hands in this scene which Soo Ji didn't mind despite it being the ultimate disrespect to oneself.
I still think stability and having control over her life is what drives her. If trouble isn't brought to Soo Ji directly, she'll stay passive to the bullying around her even if she's conflicted from her innate sense of justice. It wouldn't matter who's in Grade F as long as it's not her, even if it was Ja Eun who didn't treat her badly. “I'm not as nice as you are. I'm disgustingly normal. I wouldn't have cared about this game had I not been ranked as Grade F.” (ep. 3, 3:40).
The reason Soo Ji challenged Ha Rin is because her stability and control are jeopardized. Through the handwriting on the sticky notes, Soo Ji figured out who voted for her, and the majority of her votes came from Ha Rin and her subordinates. Soo Ji doesn't trust Ja Eun or Ye Rim to vote for her again. She would be relinquishing her control to Ha Rin for a false sense of security if she stays passive. “Was I dug out of Grade F by Baek Ha Rin’s design? Then if that psychopath has a change of heart, I'll go back to being Grade F again. Darn it.” (ep. 3, 24:38). I'm positive she would have accepted Ha Rin's offer of friendship in episode 4 at the expense of her self-respect and ego if Ha Rin wasn't in control of Soo Ji's stability. It wouldn't have mattered if Ha Rin caused Soo Ji's month long suffering.
It is emphasized that Ha Rin's control over Soo Ji's stability is the catalyst to her direct action. Soo Ji has been discreet and passive but then she had a flashback to the sticky note with Ha Rin's handwriting (ep. 3, 26:43), it triggers her to make an outright declaration of war by throwing a pen at Ha Rin and declaring how she'll keep her promise to Ja Eun, to destroy the pyramid game.
I see Soo Ji’s self-respect, ego, sense of justice, mental strength, and straightforward personality as the fuel to the flames while her need for stability and control are the fire itself. It's the common denominator she centers her actions around. It’s why she won't rock the boat and why she would.
This is a very interesting take. Although I largely think that Soo Ji was mostly driven by her rage for Ha Rin and teenage hormones plus her competitive personality.
Soo Ji can be considered a straightforward character, but I think there's more nuance to it. She wears a mask for socializing. She isn't impulsive but tactical and will only speak her mind if she has nothing to lose. In episode 2, when Soo Ji was being bullied, Ha Rin stepped in to help her off the floor. Soo Ji suspected Ha Rin is the mastermind and wanted to call her out on it, but instead, she accepted help and thanked her since speaking her mind in that situation would backfire. (ep. 2, 3:23).EllieWins:
I think it was mainly because she was just prioritizing her safety at that moment, as anyone else should have done.
She isn't lonely, nor does she seek deep connection, so why does she surround herself with a crowd?EllieWins:
She is a human, humans are social beings. And she is also just a teenager. Though she might not be lonely or seek deep connection, she certainly does not want to be an outcast or be completely alone.
I don't think her self-respect and ego play that big of a role in her actions. After becoming Grade C, Soo Ji didn't mind being friendly with Ha Rin who she knew created the game. “I’m Grade C now. I don't care if she's the game master of a psychopath. There's no need for me to be hostile.” (ep. 3, 5:25). I'd also like to note that they were holding hands in this scene which Soo Ji didn't mind despite it being the ultimate disrespect to oneself.EllieWins:
I still think stability and having control over her life is what drives her. If trouble isn't brought to Soo Ji directly, she'll stay passive to the bullying around her even if she's conflicted from her innate sense of justice. It wouldn't matter who's in Grade F as long as it's not her, even if it was Ja Eun who didn't treat her badly. “I'm not as nice as you are. I'm disgustingly normal. I wouldn't have cared about this game had I not been ranked as Grade F.” (ep. 3, 3:40).
I think at this moment she kind of underestimated Ha Rin. She thought everything would go well with of her. She wanted to be on the safer side because of how she had been bullied before, but as I mentioned before, Soo Ji has an innate sense of Justice. Although she tried to act indifferent and said she would not be othered if she was not Grade F, it did bother her in the beginning, even if it was the slightest, when she saw Ja Eun getting hit in the sports room.
The reason Soo Ji challenged Ha Rin is because her stability and control are jeopardized. Through the handwriting on the sticky notes, Soo Ji figured out who voted for her, and the majority of her votes came from Ha Rin and her subordinates. Soo Ji doesn't trust Ja Eun or Ye Rim to vote for her again. She would be relinquishing her control to Ha Rin for a false sense of security if she stays passive. “Was I dug out of Grade F by Baek Ha Rin’s design? Then if that psychopath has a change of heart, I'll go back to being Grade F again. Darn it.” (ep. 3, 24:38). I'm positive she would have accepted Ha Rin's offer of friendship in episode 4 at the expense of her self-respect and ego if Ha Rin wasn't in control of Soo Ji's stability. It wouldn't have mattered if Ha Rin caused Soo Ji's month long suffering.EllieWins:
It definitely would have mattered, because to me, Soo Ji is kind of a person who would act indifferent but still hold a grudge. At some point or the other, she would have called out Ha Rin's BS even if they were 'friends'
It is emphasized that Ha Rin's control over Soo Ji's stability is the catalyst to her direct action. Soo Ji has been discreet and passive but then she had a flashback to the sticky note with Ha Rin's handwriting (ep. 3, 26:43), it triggers her to make an outright declaration of war by throwing a pencil at Ha Rin and declaring how she'll keep her promise to Ja Eun, to destroy the pyramid game.EllieWins:
I see Soo Ji’s self-respect, ego, sense of justice, mental strength, and straightforward personality as the fuel to the flames while her need for stability and control are the fire itself. It's the common denominator she centers her actions around. It’s why she won't rock the boat and why she would.
I believe the reason for the declaration of war was because Soo Ji's self respect was wounded when she found of what Ha Rin was doing. It was like she was trying to prove that Soo Ji was on her mercy which provoked Soo Ji.
But in the end, Soo Ji is just a character so people can have different interpretations.
I think it was mainly because she was just prioritizing her safety at that moment, as anyone else should have done.Kdramarathon Runner:
Early pyramid game Soo Ji is hard for me to get a read on. A lot of what makes me think she isn't straightforward seems to be in situations where she needs to prioritize her safety, as you say. Like when she became grade C, she didn't tell the class off but smoothly assimilated with the girls to ensure the possibility of future votes (ep 3, 13:28). She is straightforward and strategic.
She is a human, humans are social beings. And she is also just a teenager. Though she might not be lonely or seek deep connection, she certainly does not want to be an outcast or be completely alone.Kdramarathon Runner:
You take into account human nature and the teenage experience when gauging Soo Ji as a character. I think I struggle to understand her because I have more of a clinical approach to interpretations, especially toward Soo Ji. She has a detached temperament and calculated method of doing in all areas of her life which overshadowed her humanity for me. But you're right, she's human, and that's part of why she surrounds herself with people.
Her ideology had a heavy hand in my initial interpretation. “School is a microorganism of society. I must figure out who will help or hurt me. And find my place among these many people. So I don't crash-land too high or too low. Right in the middle, where it's comfy and average. (ep. 1, 11:38).” And when she finished her dad's sentence: “Schools are…” “---a miniature version of society.” Soo Ji is pragmatic. She views society as a necessary system, and to coexist in it as all humans must, she needs to make human connections. It isn't because she wants it but because she views it as a necessity for the stable life that she does want, and that's why she makes connections and why they’re surface level. If she truly wanted connections, wouldn't they be deeper? Upon further consideration, it can be attributed to her constant relocating. Why get attached if she'll just move and have to cut them off later? Also, when Soo Ji was conversing with her dad about how she should conduct herself, we learn she is averse to problems. “Actually, I am going to avoid my problems. To the best of my ability.” (ep 3, 13:18). By keeping connection surface level, she can minimize problems, too. I see now that she makes connections because she does want to socialize, but because of her home situation and values, she approaches it systematically.
I think at this moment she kind of underestimated Ha Rin. She thought everything would go well with of her. She wanted to be on the safer side because of how she had been bullied before, but as I mentioned before, Soo Ji has an innate sense of Justice. Although she tried to act indifferent and said she would not be othered if she was not Grade F, it did bother her in the beginning, even if it was the slightest, when she saw Ja Eun getting hit in the sports room.Kdramarathon Runner:
If Soo Ji's self-respect and ego has precedence—enough to put herself in danger to take down the pyramid game later on—why convince herself to disregard Harin's involvement in the pyramid game and be friendly with her? (ep. 3, 5:25). If she valued her self-respect and ego, she could still act friendly for her safety without brushing it all under the rug in her mind. Disregarding all her suffering is disrespectful to herself.
Soo Ji's innate sense of justice does have weight—a lot more than I first thought. I saw Soo Ji as a character who will always prioritize her wants and needs over others. The quote about her not caring as long as she's not in Grade F solidified that for me (ep. 3, 3:40). But you make a great point that she tries to act indifferent. She is detached but to a degree. When Jaeun was being bullied (ep. 1, 16:09), Soo Ji was bothered, but I saw her as someone who would remain a bystander, only giving passive help. We'll never truly know if she would've taken direct action or not because the pyramid game changed the circumstances, but now I'm suspecting that she could have. If her sense of justice is set off one too many times, it's possible that she may take direct action, even if it rocks the boat. This kind of contradicts the other aspects of my assessment for her character.
It definitely would have mattered, because to me, Soo Ji is kind of a person who would act indifferent but still hold a grudge. At some point or the other, she would have called out Ha Rin's BS even if they were 'friends'Kdramarathon Runner:
Soo Ji wants to find her place in society, and Harin is the school’s society, so to speak. It would be self-destruction to call out the nonsense of someone who can destroy her socially. She'd rather swallow her self-respect and ego for a peaceful school life. After reaching Grade C, it's what she did to convince herself to be okay with acting friendly to Harin despite her being the mastermind (ep. 3, 5:25). That's why I think she didn't challenge Harin solely out of a wounded ego, and why it led me to believe she would accept her offer of friendship if Harin didn't hold Soo Ji's school life so precariously (ep 4, 1:54). I do agree that if she did accept, there's a high chance it wouldn't have lasted. The building resentment and existence of Grade F would likely spur direct action.
I believe the reason for the declaration of war was because Soo Ji's self respect was wounded when she found of what Ha Rin was doing. It was like she was trying to prove that Soo Ji was on her mercy which provoked Soo Ji.Kdramarathon Runner:
I find it interesting how different our interpretations are. I can definitely see why you would interpret it that way. For me, Soo Ji declares war and doesn't accept Harin's offer of friendship because she doesn't like Harin being in control of her place in the hierarchy; it threatens her need for stability. For you, it's because Harin wounded Soo Ji’s self-respect and ego by being the cause of her bullying and feels as if Harin is holding power over her head. I say “feels as if” because Harin never intentionally made Soo Ji feel that way. It's a personal attack she would have taken it as on her own since Harin didn't intend for Soo Ji to know she was removed from Grade F by her design. It truly is a matter of interpretation. Both avenues work.
It's hard to parse Soo Ji's character at its base when the pyramid game makes everything very circumstantial. I'm really enjoying this discussion. My interpretation was unstable at the beginning, but this has helped me reflect and solidify it for myself. And if I seem like I'm nitpicking, I don't mean for it to come across that way. I just really want to understand your viewpoint.
if I seem like I'm nitpicking, I don't mean for it to come across that way. I just really want to understand your viewpoint.EllieWins:
Of course not. Your interpretations helped me understand Soo Ji's character better, and anyway I created this discussion to get to know what other watchers thought about the characters. So don't hesitate to post anything regarding the characters.
What's your interpretation on Ha Rin? What do you think drives her? It's enough to risk everything and enough to die over if all else fails. The flashbacks of her backstory shedded a lot of light on her characterization, and I'm curious on your take of her character. Also, do you think she's a psychopath? It's never confirmed in-universe but hinted at several times.
Ha Rin is a psychopath 200%
According to me, her only driving force is her psychopathic tendencies. She just uses her past with Ja Eun as an excuse for her actions. She is a bully, but doesn't want to own up to that so she blames everything on Ja Eun. Ha Rin is obsessive and psychopathic, and the reason she wants Ja Eun to be around is to find an excuse of her actions.
There is a scene where she burns a little girl with lighter, it shows that she has no empathy for people and that she derived satisfaction from seeing others in pain because it gives her a sense of power. These are all characteristics of a diagnosed psychopath.
I feel like her past shed good light on her rocky relationship with Ja Eun but still no reason for her to act the way she did.
I hated Ha Rin with every fibre of my being, which shows how well the actress performed.
I would love to know your take on this.
Ha Rin is someone who never grew up. She's still that little girl at the bottom of the pyramid. Insignificant, forgettable, and trying to claw her way up. Those feelings never went away. She hates that little girl. Ha Rin carries with her a shame she never healed from. She's trying to avoid her shame by inflicting that same pain on others as her way of coping. Ha Rin's enemy is Ha Rin and her primary outlet for that is Ja Eun who is a reflection of herself. It's never truly been about Ja Eun. She's just an elaborate excuse to create a game that puts Ha Rin above the rest. The Pyramid Game is how the world operates. Su Ji is a pawn meant to reinforce this concept. It's the foundation of Ha Rin's identity and without it, she is nothing.
Ever since childhood, Ha Rin's deepest desire is to be someone important. She wants to be looked up to, not looked down upon. She lied about having rich parents and projected the image of a princess because she was ashamed of being an orphan. And when her dream became a reality, she reveled in it. “I'll make you remember me… for a long time.” (ep. 10, 33:45). These are her last words, her priority in death, when she attempted suicide. She wants the person who made her feel the most insignificant to have her etched into their mind for the rest of their life. "Live the rest of your life in shame. At least that's what Ja Eun is already doing." (ep. 10, 32:42) "And that will be... The punishment Baek Ha Rin will face. Indifference and negligence. She'll be trapped in that. No one will be curious about her or look for her." (ep. 10, 48:12). Ha Rin wanted to be someone, only to end up nameless. Secondly, she’d rather die than live a life of shame. Her need for significance and avoidance of shame is what drives her, so the narrative gave her this specific comeuppance.
Ha Rin carries a wound of shame and develops a harmful coping strategy to manage it. When she became a victim of the Pyramid Game, she was treated as less than human, causing her wound to fester. "If I had parents, can I use this, too?" (ep. 10, 16:06). Ha Rin asked while showing her bullies the lighter they used to burn her belongings. What she's really saying is: “If I had significance, can I hurt people, too?” This is the moment she internalized the Pyramid Game as the way the world works. She was taught at a young age that if you're at the top, it's okay to hurt those at the bottom. It's how her bullies felt better about themselves; thus, it's also a way for Ha Rin to feel better about herself. No one taught her how to heal her wounds, so this became her way of managing her shame. Her coping strategy is further reinforced after being adopted. Her grandmother expressed disapproval when Ha Rin was being corrected by her tutor, so Ha Rin studied to an unhealthy degree and reconstructed herself. Time skipped a few years, her grandmother expressed approval when Ha Rin smacked her tutor for critiquing her. (ep. 10, 17:37, 18:27). Ha Rin needed to distance herself from her past because she was always taught that her previous self was someone to be ashamed of. By becoming the bully at the top and hurting the victims at the bottom, she's able to distance and feel better about herself through. It becomes a recurring behavior.
Ha Rin hates herself which can be seen in the way she projects that self-hatred onto others. "Ha Rin, she looks a lot like you from back when you were young." (ep. 3, 10:32). Ha Rin already recognized that before her grandmother pointed it out. That little girl reminded Ha Rin of herself. She saw her own flaws reflected back at her. It triggered her self-loathing, so she burned that little girl as if it was herself. It made her feel more distant to her flaws, affirming how she is Baek Ha Rin, not Yang So Eun. “Why was I in Grade F?” “Because… you accidentally stepped on my shoe.” (ep. 10, 27:50). Ha Rin's shame was easily triggered because she has a fragile ego. When Woo Ri stepped on Ha Rin, she had been brought back to being that pathetic little girl again. It's who she is deep down and she can't stand it. She puts Woo Ri at the bottom of the pyramid to distance herself and reassert her importance.
Ja Eun is Ha Rin's excuse to recreate the Pyramid Game and her main outlet to feel better about herself. “...get your timeline straight. You were already bullying Cho Woo Ri long before you met Ja Eun.” (ep. 10, 32:01). Ha Rin needs people to bully. Ja Eun is the perfect excuse. It's personal and she fully believes Ja Eun deserves it. Ha Rin can have a whole game that puts her above the rest and have her very own punching bag. "You forgive yourself when I didn't forgive you myself. I saw the sense of guilt disappearing on your face then. I wanted to rip your face into pieces. That's why I put you in Grade F. I wanted to torture you for the rest of your life because of a reason you could never guess." (ep. 10, 31:05). Ha Rin wants revenge, but that isn't the main reason. She chose Ja Eun as her primary outlet because Ja Eun makes Ha Rin feel insignificant, both when she had nothing and when she had everything. Ha Rin recreated the Pyramid Game, placed Ja Eun in Grade F, orchestrated Suji's arrival and betrayal, all so Ja Eun can go through exactly what she went through. She is making Ja Eun a reflection of everything Ha Rin hates about herself. That's what everyone at the bottom is to her: sources of shame she can step on to make her feel above it all. “If I'm a bully, what are you, Ja Eun?” (ep. 6, 00:34). Ha Rin uses Ja Eun to justify her actions for bullying because deep down she knows what she's doing isn't right but if she accepts that the Pyramid Game is wrong, her whole world will crumble. It's the basis of her identity and where she derives her sense of importance from. She'd be that pathetic little girl she hates so much without it. She'd have to face her shame head on. She can't let that happen because it would be too painful.
The Pyramid Game is deeply personal because it gives meaning to Ha Rin’s suffering and success. "It must be the Pyramid Game." (ep. 8, 8:21). After the rules were broken by Da Yeon, Eun Byeol suggested they get rid of the Pyramid Game and call it school violence, but Ha Rin refused with strong emotion. Then she flashes back to when her kindergarten teacher introduced the Pyramid Game. Ha Rin suffered to learn a lesson on how the world works. She reinvented herself around this worldview and thrived on it. If the Pyramid Game is destroyed and reduced to school violence, it would prove that the Pyramid Game was wrong; she would have suffered for nothing. "Class Five belongs to all 25 of us and this is everyone's game." "You seem to have the wrong idea. I'm not the one who judges you. The game does." (ep. 5, 9:06). Ha Rin says this while coming up with a punishment with the class for Su Ji, then it flashes to a previous quote by her when Su Ji implied that Ha Rin controls the game. Ha Rin treats the Pyramid Game with respect; she doesn't cheat, she doesn't control it, and everyone has a say. Anything goes, even voting to end the game, as long as it's by the rules. After all, the Pyramid Game is the nature of society and she's just a part of it. This gives meaning to her success. Ha Rin isn't a bully, but a winner in the game of life. Winners can crush losers. To her, she's done nothing wrong.
Ha Rin is the parallel to Su Ji's character, and it's why she seeks validation and understanding through her. “You're an inferior version of her.” “Baek Ha Rin…has leverage on you but can also get you a better grade?” (ep. 5, 4:12). Jae Hyeong compared them and Su Ji essentially agreed. Ha Rin and Su Ji have many similarities; personality, home life, and methods of operation. The parallel diverges when Ha Rin internalizes the Pyramid Game, while Su Ji sets out to destroy it. Ha Rin is superior in all the ways that don't matter: external. Ha Rin has everything, yet feels she has nothing. While Su Ji is superior in the ways that do: internal. She grows. In the end, Ha Rin has always been the inferior version of Su Ji. Ha Rin was aware of this. It can be seen on her face whenever Su Ji makes progress in beating the Pyramid Game. "We have a Grade A to Grade F. That won't change. Will it, Sir?" "It won't." "That's what your dad thinks. What will you do, Su Ji?" (ep. 5, 16:46). Ha Rin made Su Ji unfavorable to the parents and held a mock Pyramid Game to teach Su Ji how the world is. She needs Su Ji to understand and conform. If Su Ji does what Ha Rin couldn't—destroying the pyramid—she would be proving Ha Rin's insignificance and invalidating her traumatic experience. If Ha Rin is able to break Su Ji into conformity, it'll validate everything she went through and prove the Pyramid Game is the established order in life. "Why are you looking at me like that? What? Can you understand me now?" (ep. 10, 31:24). “Why must I understand you? Don't act like the victim here.” (ep. 10, 31:53) Ha Rin opened up about her past and openly acknowledged the Pyramid Game as school violence. She's lost everything. She can't deny her shame anymore. Ha Rin's back to being that little girl she hates so much, and she'd rather die than live like that again. As a final act of revenge against her biggest source of shame and to feel important in death, she ropes Ja Eun into it. The person she needs most to understand her—Su Ji, who succeeded where she couldn't—doesn't and that both hurts and incenses Ha Rin. No one's ever understood her. From the derision with which Ha Rin said the quote, she doesn't believe anyone can. It's possible that she also inflicts the exact same pain she went through onto others as her own twisted way of feeling understood.
The analysis on Ha Rin can come across as contradictory because she both believes “the Pyramid Game is how life is. I do no wrong” and is in denial ”deep down, I know it's wrong. I was a victim, too.” She has so much denial and hypocrisy.
Basically, Baek Ha Rin: “I inflict pain on others to feel better because I hate myself and don't know how to not."
I got a bit carried away and wrote a whole essay. Does it make sense? What do you think?
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