Abstract

The short film series Wings (2016) by the Korean musical group BTS (Beyond the Scene) revisits John Milton’s Paradise Lost. BTS reinterprets Adam and Eve’s leaving of Eden as youths’ self-discovery process, overcoming a binary mindset. BTS emphasizes how experiences—trials, pains, and the struggle of youths to walk out of black-and-white perspectives—turn out to be “all so beautiful” as resources to grow. Wings demonstrates how the themes and elements in Paradise Lost can be used as a tool not only to explore Biblical concepts, but also to understand what pedagogical environments youths need to fully express themselves as writers. Inspired by Hermann Hesse’s Demian, BTS emphasizes this process of breaking through binary perspectives as a process of “metamorphosis” for youths. This study, therefore, aims to reveal the pedagogical importance of the self-discovery of youths, especially in higher education. BTS demonstrates how Paradise Lost not only relates to Western adaptations and theological approaches, but also carries pedagogical value to Eastern societies, encouraging South Korean youths’ self-expression. Furthermore, BTS’s emphasis on youths’ freewill can encourage a supportive environment in the writing class, which empowers them to overcome the fear of “making mistakes” and encourages them to discover their multifaceted selves.

Keywords: global pedagogy, popular culture, self-discovery, teaching writing, K-Pop, Paradise Lost

Author Bios

Nayoung Seo is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in English at The George Washington University, where she is a Columbian Distinguished Fellow. Ms. Seo’s research focuses on comparative literature between East and West, particularly Romanticism and Shakespearean adaptations. She has presented on gender, cultural globalization, childhood, and film and theater studies at the American Comparative Literature Association, Shakespeare Association of America, Asian Shakespeare Association, Renaissance Society of America, Popular Culture Association/American Culture Association, and other venues. Her most recent essay “Switching Gender Roles: Romeo and Juliet in K-drama” is in press from Borrowers and Lenders: The Journal of Shakespeare and Appropriation, issue 16.1, September 2024.

Suggested Reference Citation

APA

Seo, N. (2024). Revisiting Paradise Lost through K-pop: A global approach of teaching writing. Dialogue: The Interdisciplinary Journal of Popular Culture and Pedagogy, 11(2). http://journaldialogue.org/issues/v11-issue-2/revisiting-paradise-lost-through-k-pop-a-global-approach-to-teaching-writing/

MLA

Seo, Nayoung. “Revisiting Paradise Lost Through K-Pop: A Global Approach of Teaching Writing.” Dialogue: The Interdisciplinary Journal of Popular Culture and Pedagogy. 2024, vol 11, no. 2. http://journaldialogue.org/issues/v11-issue-2/revisiting-paradise-lost-through-k-pop-a-global-approach-to-teaching-writing/