Is Jaeeon a Product of his Environment? (28 September 22)

 Jae eon - a product of his environment? ( A thread )

Many people believe we’re influenced by whomever, or whatever we surround ourselves with. Arguably, this ideology is the foundation of Jae eon’s character. He acts as someone who can teach the audience that they are able to break free from this mindset, and flourish.

We know little about his family affairs, yet it is quite evident how he grew up, just from the small details dropped throughout the drama. There’s an undeniable distance between him and his family, (most notably his mother) which appears to shape quite a lot of his nature. 

He doesn’t have a strong grip on the basics of intimacy, care, and what it means to be loyal to someone. For Jae eon, intimacy is studying, eating, and simply spending time with a partner - things he does often with Nabi. 

For Nabi, intimacy is total focus on a partner - both emotionally, and sexually, causing the collision between the pair. Their viewpoints don’t align ; Nabi sees this as a sign to leave, but can he change?

Linking back to his environment, I think this quote by Richard Kadley depicts it perfectly ‘when you’re born in a burning house, you think the whole world is on fire’. Jae eon has always lived like this, would it be wrong of him to assume everyone else has too?

Consistently, he maintains his idea of intimacy, but simultaneously preserves an emotional distance from nabi - he stays in the ‘burning house’ he was born in not knowing that the flowers are blooming outside.

As he realises Nabi doesn’t harbour the same thoughts, his change kickstarts. Instead of allowing his surroundings to take charge, he realises he can become a product of his own choices, thus freeing him from the ‘burning house’ releasing him into the open. 

Nabi acknowledges his adjustment, supporting him through the change with her decision to date him, though she knows it could cause her pain. She leads him to the open air, free from the flames, where he can blossom into his own person.

Jae eon’s character is one I find particularly fascinating. There’s so much to unravel about him, and I think the ambiguity of the details that were revealed in the drama only make it more interesting to dig into..

elsoxee