Rating A-｜The White Lotus: Discussion on Identity

In my heart, The White Lotus is the best American drama of 2021. Apparently, the Emmy judges agreed with this view. It triumphed over hits like Dopesick to win the 24th Emmy Award for Best Limited Series.

In fact, whether it's Mare of Easttown which won three awards last year or The Queen's Gambit which also made a lot of noise, I must say that those stories are still full of craftsmanship. Yet, the story of "The White Lotus" is full of authorship and in the drama, we can see that the creator is expressing himself rather than pleasing the audience.

"The White Lotus" focuses more on the self-expression of the creator than on pleasing the audience

In that sense, the play is brave and arrogant.

How do you define its type? Black comedy? That might be close, but not enough to sum it up. It is closer to literature and always exudes uncertainty.

If one knows anything regarding racial prejudice, class differences in America or the impact of colonial history on real society, then the watching experience will be fun.

"The White Lotus" is on an island that is both isolated and modern with high-end services. More importantly, it was originally the land of the aborigines, but now it has become a resort for rich white people.

The story thus unfolds, focusing roughly on three families. The first of which is the strong mother Nicole and her husband with three troubled teenagers. There is Rich boy Shane and his new wife Rachel, the rich widow Tanya, who has just suffered the loss of her mother, and the hotel manager Armond, who looks competent but is actually a nervous wreck.

These three families came to the island for a vacation, but they didn't expect any conflict, however that's what they got. There are those who cheat with islanders in the middle of the night, those who doubt whether they married the right person, and those who have to scatter their mother's ashes into the sea...

Unlike most dramas, "The White Lotus" actually does not have a "story line". It lacks an obvious main line, basically showing the profiles of a variety of people's psychological states.

If most dramas rely on suspense to drive the plot, this one focuses on showing the mental state of each person. In other words, a group of people who look decent but are actually on the verge of collapsing and they are not even aware of their own mental crisis. The audience becomes a witness, waiting to see when they really explode.

The series focuses on three families and deals with many topics such as marriage, race, and gender

In the episodes, each person represents a certain type. In this sense, what "The White Lotus" wants to show is the kind of dilemma people are facing under the developed social conditions.

The story focuses on digging inward emotionally, wondering who they are and where they are. Of course, we will understand these social issues as they are explained in each episode.

For example, after the island that once belonged to the aborigines was "occupied" by the white people, the descendants of those aborigines could only remain living there by workingfor them. In the plot, the director set a theft scene, if the theft is considered as a crime, then can the white man's plunder still be held accountable? Is this theft revenge, or an awakening of identity?

For example, Tanya, the rich widow, wanted to sponsor the masseur to start her own business, which in the end it did not work out. She said she wanted to break the habit of controlling others through money, however the other person dreamed of being controlled. Is this sincere, or is it harmful to the lower class?

In fact, it all points to the question about identity.

Despite the many public issues involved, the show ultimately points to an inner spiritual crisis

The island itself is a metaphor. It is isolated from the other continents. On this island, all the characters are only responsible for carrying their class identity.

The few days on this island were nothing more than a secret room game. Some people thought they were sublimated but actually fell deeper, while some eventually found true relief for themselves with death.

The island where the hotel exists is a metaphor

This story is still pessimistic in the end. Those who want to change their fate, such as the masseuse, Belinda, and the aboriginal Kai have reaped a worse ending. Those privileged classes are still bound together.

Only a 16-year-old boy was left behind, choosing to remain on the island like some kind of faint hope.

At this point, the story ends with Armond, the lobby manager who took revenge on the rich kid. He is accidentally stoned to death, and everyone goes back to their original track as if nothing had happened. How is this not a metaphor for reality?

In the end, the rich man's son choose to saty on the island.