Socialism in The Duo

The theme of socialism features prominently in The Duo. The drama narrates the life of the leader of an anti-establishment group from birth to death. The protagonist desires a world in which all people belong to the same class. One does not even witness a scene from the royal palace in the drama. In spite of his being a beggar in childhood, afflicted by heavy physical and psychological pressures and discriminations, the protagonist thrives and never seeks revenge. He is kind to the people around him and even those who have wronged him. Then how come he becomes the leader of an anti-establishment group and commits murder later? If the story is not opposing a person or persons, then what is it opposing to? The answer lies in the fact that the evil of the drama is the system and thought ruling over the unfair world of the story. Those who approach this system become more negative and those who turn away from it become more positive; those who guard the existing thought and those who stand up to it. And there is another group of people who retreat from troubles and unrest in order to maintain their fairly peaceful life. The story becomes more complex when the positive characters face an important challenge. Is the deadly path we are stepping into going to lead to a fairer world or have we just deprived ourselves of the privilege of life? The Duo depicts the futile efforts of a small group of people who stand in opposition to the conventional social, political, and economic principles of the society. These efforts include sparking revolts, stealing from the rich, and distributing among the poor, as well as assassinating the government officials. The drama clearly shows how the life conditions of human beings affect their beliefs and stances regarding various issues. The story includes four main characters who hold different viewpoints. Chun-doong is the one who comes to a certain belief after experiencing mental ups and downs, and he is murdered trying to make a just world. Although as a police chief, Gwi-dong speaks of justice, he is a conservative and he is the one who annihilates the group. Dong-nyeo does not even believe in the existence of injustice and believes that class distinctions are laws of nature and are basically right. Dal-yi is highly skilled at handling pistols. She is brave and she holds opinions similar to Chun-doongs’. However, she regrets her beliefs and purposes, and after Chun-doong’s murder and the disintegration of the group, she resorts to a normal life. In the end, all of these futile efforts might have made the characters of the story ponder and reconsider their thoughts and their consciences.

Read More