Jinx: Daily Jinx Advent Insight 4 📆 🏚️

In my last composition, I elaborated Shin Okja’s personality by examining closely her new scarf from chapter 41. She embodies toxic positivity and as such the expression of “pink-tinted glasses”. The elderly woman views herself as a victim, yet feels entitled to a fortunate life filled with love and wealth. Therefore she avoids confronting her mortality by clinging to overly optimistic beliefs. This form of toxic positivity involves denying or minimizing real issues, as if looking through “pink-tinted glasses” that filter out any negative realities, including the prospect of death. In this sense, the “pink-tinted glasses” become a metaphor for ignoring painful truths by maintaining a forced optimism.

The grandmother’s power over Kim Dan

But this also implies that she evades confrontation and as such argument with people. No wonder why there was no heated discussion between her grandson and herself in season 1. But how could she always sidestep discussion? In my opinion, one of her MO is to make requests or ask for favors. (chapter 53), which she admitted at the hospital. Another tactic she uses is making promises that compel Kim Dan to follow through on them, while she is not bound by this obligation towards her relative: (chapter 11). The evidence for this interpretation is visible in the last panel. The latter employed the expression “I promised grandma”. There is no “we” in this sentence. Her illness was the cause for not making any promise from her side. That’s how I had another revelation. The doctor’s oath was in reality one of her favors from the past. That’s how she could control her grandchild in the end. In addition, through the promise she attached the physical therapist to her house.

Kim Dan and the humble dwelling

And that’s how she could avoid the loan shark’s harassement. In my eyes, she knew deep down that with this promise she was not only putting all her burdens onto Kim Dan, but also exposing him to the violence of the thugs. As long as Kim Dan didn’t bring up this topic, she could feign ignorance. However, her reaction concerning the new expensive treatment (chapter 7) indicates that she was not senile or totally oblivious of the truth. She raised her voice out of fear that Kim Dan might have signed a lease behind her back. In that case, she would have become responsible for the new debts. Note the drop of sweat on her cheek, a sign of discomfort. Since I started examining Manhwas, I noticed the strong correlation between the drop of sweat and hypocrisy. Thus I conclude that the halmeoni was living after the following principle: “What the eye does not see, the heart does not grieve over”. For me, her gentleness and smiles are masking her true personality: greedy, selfish and even heartless.

Thus I was wondering if the threat from Heo Manwook was not exposing the existence of a tacite arrangement between (chapter 16) the loan shark and the old lady. He knew where she was (hospital), and notice that her grandson had been paying the loan from his own account and cellphone. (chapter 11) He had taken over her burden. Furthermore, my avid readers should keep in their mind that the loan shark had been angry, for he imagined that the young physical therapist was moving out. (chapter 16) As you can see, the debt was strongly connected to the grandmother’s house. But who had moved out from the small dwelling? The grandmother. Interesting is that this district was about to get redeveloped. The thugs could have noticed it… there were everywhere banners announcing the new construction. (chapter 9) But who was not aware of the redevelopment? The grandmother… She had been living at the hospital for 3 years. I came to this deduction because of Choi Heesung’s remark about his k-drama: (chapter 30) As you can see, I have the feeling that Shin Okja is not so innocent either. She must have known that her grandson was exposed to violence. In my eyes, her MO is always to leave her mess behind and let others take the burden.

The pink-tinted glasses and home

But there exists another proof for this interpretation: her home. (chapter 19) (chapter 10) In my last composition, I mentioned that her flat was exposing her toxic positivity. And now it is time to bring up the evidence for this perception.

This picture comes an article focusing on the connection between home and psychological problems. The author explains why a house gets neglected.

This means that Shin Okja never came to enjoy the present moment. In addition, with the quote Jinx-philes can grasp that the grandmother never considered this house as her true home. Her stay was limited in time. That’s the reason why the window was not repaired in 20 years. She could see the damages, but she chose to close her eyes to the rundown house. Thanks to this article, I had this new revelation: why did she neglect her home? It is because she had never planned to stay there, she was “focusing” on the future. Consequently, the promise with Kim Dan (chapter 11) can be judged as an evidence that this senior was rather future-oriented. Moreover, the agreement can be perceived under a different light. Since she had always thought of moving out and saw this dwelling as a momentary refuge, her commitment appears more shallow and dishonest. Did she truly desire to return to that place? From my point of view, she hoped to live elsewhere in the future, either on the West Coast or with her grandson in a better home, once he had got a big gig.

But there’s more to it. As soon as you consider the house as a temporary place, you will realize why she came to neglect Kim Dan, why she never prioritized him. Kim Dan is like the home… He is just a temporary support. How did I come up with this perception? He is “the outside help”. She definitely wanted to use him as her “servant”. At the same time, it becomes comprehensible why she blamed her grandson for his poor health. (chapter 21) Her MO is to wait for some change, as if she was waiting for a miracle. It was the same with the house: the latter had mold, a broken window… not because of her, but because of life and other circumstances. It was not her fault, if the house was not well-maintained. She couldn’t change it, but the presence of the huge Wedding Cabinet exposes this lie. She could have sold it and with the money, either pay back the loan and move to a smaller but better house. Moreover, she was able to watch a K-drama during the weekend, a sign that she definitely had time. (chapter 30) She was not working non-stop. Another important aspect is that such persons are passive, because they are waiting for the right time or for the outside help. They somehow imagine that a prince charming will suddenly appear and remove all their problems. Consequently, I conclude that the elderly woman views herself as “Sleeping Beauty”, hence the doctor adopted her mentality. The athlete must have appeared like a knight in shining armor for the grandmother that day. (chapter 21) She must have felt young again. Consequently, I come to the following conclusion. Halmeoni chose to abandon Joo Jaekyung and forget her gratitude, because he could no longer help her. She needed her grandson once again.

The moment my avid readers considers Kim Dan as the “outside help”, it becomes obvious why he had to become a PT. There is no doubt that he selected this profession because of her, another favor from her. It is said that such persons live in the future… but her illness changed her mind-set a little. She is getting aware that she is running out of time. Now, she is looking back at her past. Striking is that in her request, she used the personal pronoun “we” (chapter 53), but it is strongly intertwined with her own desire. On the other hand, her favor is centered on a single moment (“one last time”), which stands in opposition to her attitude in the past. She is not waiting for the right time, she is now making plans. However, she is not taking her grandchild’s life and career into consideration. To conclude, her plan is revolving around her once again.

And this raises the following question: who pushed her to make such a huge decision? The doctor Kim Miseon. Later, Kim Dan received the brochure about the hospice, so it is also possible that once there, she feels betrayed, as she imagined a different life there. As you can see, though the grandmother is running away from her vanished home, she is not able to escape “responsibility” and “reality”. I am more than ever convinced that her pink-tinted glasses are about to get broken. And this brings me back to Kim Dan and his home. Since she is trying to relive her “youth”, it becomes obvious that in verity, she is abandoning her grandson, for he was not part of her past. Just like she “forgot her Wedding Cabinet, her flat and as such abandoned her home, she is abandoning Kim Dan. Observe that she never brought up the topic “home” with her new favor. Her chaotic and neglected home (chapter 10) exposes her mentality. She is “careless”, “disorganized” and “chaotic.” This person lacks attention to detail or responsibility for cleaning up after herself, leaving others to manage or fix what she left behind. Thus she appears as “inconsiderate, as her messiness impacts Kim Dan. The latter has to “clean up” her mess.

That’s it for today.

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6 thoughts on “Jinx: Daily Jinx Advent Insight 4 📆 🏚️

  1.  “She must have felt young again” oh yes! She definitely did! I remember fandom were fawning over her and how she acted like a fangirl with Jaekyung, a term usually reserved for very young, immature women or teenagers who get charmed by idols or actors or fictional characters. They and everyone saw her acting younger than her age, commenting on a guy’s body, having pink cheeks etc so she definitely was acting like she is 16-24 when she is quite old and should be more mature about her conduct with younger people, especially someone who did her a huge favor.

    I also think the same. I also think Grandmaa is just a more subtle and more benign toxic presence in Kim Dan’s life compared to someone like Namwook in Jaekyung’s. Grandmaa raised Kim Dan with her ability but also made him think that all she did she has to do as a favor and she has no obligation to take care of him like she did. This is why Kim Dan views every important relationships in his life as something he has to “pay” for to keep. Affection is just a temporary attainment which has to be paid back. Its basically a roundabout way of how Jaekyung also “buys” “intimacy” but unlike Jaekyung, Dan thinks this is an acceptable mindset to have about family. This also explains why he was so hellbend on giving Jaekyung a gift for birthday when he can SEE right in front of him that Jaekyung doesn’t like Gift given to him in general. Its like his brain is in autopilot mode with his beliefs.

    There is no one more significant in his life than Halmoni who could have taught him that and the proof is in the pudding. She says “she wants favors” but that implies that favor will be repaid…it won’t be because she will die soon. So its basically a silent agreement between her and her grandson that what she has done for him in the past is a “repayment”. She can continue to ask for indefinite favors and many promises because she took care of him. She is hence now is not obligated to think about what will happen to Dan if he leaves his job for her ( job he barely joined) or the money he spends on her on top of the loans. I think she believes it doesn’t matter because Dan gets to live for long while she doesn’t. That is as toxic as it gets.

    Sometimes I even wonder she is lowkey jealous of her grandson’s indefinite amount of time compared to hers. So far we don’t see any evidence of that. Beside trying to make him look bad for basically being ill in her spore infested home( shocker!)

    If she was a truly good grandparent who is selfless, She won’t make Dan feel like he was an obligation. Or that she needs to be shielded from the realities of life that she has brought on herself by his own lonesome to the point he is withering away physically in front of her eyes, which can be compensated by childish gifts of giving him her leftover food. The reality is that Dan is her family, unless she wants to fight the State to sever her relationship in court, he is her life, not an obligation. Whether he was present or not, SHE HAS to work hard to at least provide herself food too since she probably signed as a guarantee for her kid’s loans. Unless Dan thinks her plan was to just rot in her home without any money to even provide for herself??? She has no pension as far as I can guess, no inheritance, no income without a husband or child. I wonder if she did this with dreams that her son/daughter would make it big with the loaned money for some business and would provide the comfortable life she dreamed of and left behind after marriage. Then had to face the harsh reality of her kids abandoning her and leaving a grandson behind too.

    I don’t know for sure if Grandmaa has some kind of agreement with Loan Sharks but it makes sense they won’t harass her because she is old and dying and scaring her means their first legal repayor could die without any real “:legal” recourse to get the unpaid money back. I am now sure more than ever that the actual person who had to pay the loan is her on paper and Dan is not legally obligated to pay anything but he would because he feels he is indebted to Halmoni. He wants to do exact same thing with Jaekyung. He wants to pay the money he paid back to Loan Sharks knowing Jaekyung never asked for real money to repay anything back .

    The house being in a permanent state of disrepair and bad health condition definitely was eye opening to me about her mental state. It makes sense now that its written out that yes, only a person who never intends to stay for long or come back would think they don’t need to invest time to maintain their dwelling. I have seen similar cases with neighbors when my dad was in military and the only thing that moved them to do otherwise was yearly inspection. So it corroborates with my speculation that she could have signed up on the loan shark agreement for her child with the idea that they would turn things around for her finally. An optimistic future. Her toxic positivity could have blinded her to the reality that taking loans from shady business brings nothing but ruin even if their business takes off( considering how common of a trope it is in Manhwas and from what report I see, predatory Loan Sharks and consequences of dealing with them is not an uncommon news. EVERYONE probably knows they are bad news)

    *I also think these loan sharks cannot truly harass Halmoni anyway. She is in a private/public hospital before and they cannot barge in without police arresting these people, aka law they want to avoid. But knowing Dan he didn’t think things this far because he was traumatized and scared beyond his wits…literally.

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    1. OOh I also JUST realized, if she is the one who signed as a guarantee of loan for her kid, and IF she did it with intention that her kid would use the loan to make it big and provide her with a better life than her husband, being faced with reality of loan repayment and abandonment could also be called karmic. Since she did this while Dan probably was too young and the adults in his life were responsible for not taking reckless financial decisions . Yet that didn’t stop his parents or Halmoni from signing on such loans and endangering his life before he could even understand the world!

      So Dan likes to think his Halmoni saved him from dangers brought on by his parents aka HIM but in reality is Halmoni was dealing with dangers she played with because she won’t grow up and stop chasing a White Whale of financial freedom others would provide for her. With or without Dan she has to live the burdensome life that she did either way. What Dan thinks is huge sacrifice and financial burden is nothing but consequences and facing the reality of her choices. With added responsibility of the child they all forgot to think about. Now Grandmaa cannot run away from Dan and afford to NOT think about him for the rest of her life.

      But ofc, she is trying her best in the last stages of her life LOL.

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    2. I was also thinking about jealousy. Imagine her reaction when she discovers that Kim Dan met Choi Heesung and the latter became his patient/friend. Honestly, I would like the author to expose more her “ugly” side or at least show some tension between her and Kim Dan. A terminally sick person won’t be smiling and happy or feel gratitude, because their last wish got fulfilled. In fact, I was thinking that the closer she gets to death, the more she might ask for favors.

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