The definition of culture can be defined as, sense of belonging to a particular culture or ethnic group. It is formed through a process of that results from membership in a particular culture, and it involves learning about and accepting traditions, heritage of a culture.
What are the factors that bring an individual into a set culture? What happens when set individuals do not confine to a new culture? What is culture shock? Passengers aboard the train were forced to live in a new cultural, how did this effect the individuals inside each particular train cart, and how did it effect the children born on the train. Social class and conformity were huge in Snowpiecer, this also can be associated with today’s current norms.
The people in the tail were not considered humans they were only the tail. The people in the tail were represented as lazy, disgusting, and underprivileged. A huge theme in the film is keeping the order; in this cretin circumstance keeping order meant eating babies and killing off their
adults. The trains traditions were extremely gruesome and immoral.
Race and gender in culture
In Snowpiercer the people are judged due to how close one lived from the front. People in the back were assumed as bums or the poor. The closer one lived to the front of the train the more likely they were treated as royalty. Remotely even living close to the front of the train equaled sanctuary. People in the front wouldn't dare ponder questions about lack of social class or the train being prejudice.
The people in the back of the train were predominately mixed with different races and gender. When we reached the front of the train it was comprehended the majority of the people were either white males or white elderly males or females. How does this represent the world as we look at it from a different perspective?
Minister Mason is a strong idolized female character in the film. She is characterized as the punisher or the enforcer. Mason is the second hand man or (woman) in this case. Mason strives to become the biggest and most feared name on the train, only later we find out this is not true. Although Mason is a highly respected character in the film it is all a bluff. It is shown later that Manson actually has no authority
Symbols, Rituals, and Values
Within every culture there are known traditions and norms that the people follow religiously. Snowpiercer is not different, the train follows tight rigors rules that are not disobeyed. Geert Hofstede has defined “culture” as the collective programming of the mind that distinguishes the members of one group or category of people from others.
Snowpiercer follows Hofstede ideals perfectly, there are multiple carts that distinguish the differences and some simulates of the people in the back compared to the front. Everybody stays in their own cart and does not have interest in learning about the other carts. Everybody should know their place and known rituals, most people do not defy the rules or traditions; until Curtis and the rest become feed up.
In this post-apocalyptic film, the characters do not show strong individual rituals and values, there are kind of all mixed into one huge singular culture. In this culture they emphasize the importance of being treated equal, opposed to the front wanting to keep them down. The only time cultural identity is identified in the film is through the difference of language. A translation device is used between Curtis and Namgoong, the translators is only seen used in the rail carts, people in the front all spoke strong confident English.
Conclusion
Cultural identity can be defined in several outstanding customs. In Snowpiercer people were thrown into a set identity and where forced to confined its rules. Traditions and norms are followed specifically close to keep order and for the survival of life itself. This film itself represents how cultural identity is described in today’s average life. There is the high class, middle class, and lower class. Snowpiercer shows a harder gorier way of controlling life itself. Snowpiercer does show a way in how the lower class can change their identity but it which ways was it justified.
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