Blood, Sweat, and Tears vs Demian
Basically what I look at first is whether or not the lyrics coincide with the video. Are they something I need to keep in mind while watching? For BTS, Iāve never felt like they have so I feel like it isnāt important for this video. I probably could because these lyrics are very sexual and phallic imagery is the easiest to spot. I digress. Ā Keep in mind that this is what Iāve come to understand after watching the video and reading the text. Iām not pairing it with HYYH although I could. This is going to be an analysis of just this video and how Iāve interpreted it.
I recommend reading the book Demian, if you havenāt. Itās under 100 pages with only eight chapters and a really good read. Ā Iāll try to explain the connection as much as I can but know that spoilers will be included and I probably wonāt be able to flush out the whole thing as easily as Iād like because there is so much going on.
First thingās first. Plot. Is there one? Yes :D
Demain is a story of good versus evil, but itās also more than that. Ā It pushes the boundaries and says that these choices can only be made by those who choose to make those decisions. Ā Therein meaning that āgoodā and āevilā can only be created when a man who has the will to make choices makes them consciously leaning one way or the other while others just follow. Ā It also serves as a representation of those who are curious and trying to go against authority or societal norms. Ā Iām also going to mention very quickly that this was written from the point of view of Sinclair as he reflected on his life and how his choices molded his current worldview.
With this in mind, consider there to be three separate instances of Sinclair and another character from the story, who represent ācuriosityā and ātemptationā within BTSā blood, sweat, and tears.
Iāll go ahead and tell you who the pairs are, in order of how theyāll appear in the plot of the video. You have Rap Monster and Jungkook, Suga and Jimin, and then V and Jin. Ā JHOPE also plays a large part in this story, but Iāll explain that in a bit.
The three characters who act as mentors and catalysts for curiosity and temptation in Sinclair are Demian, Pistorius, and Eva.
The first interactions within the video hint at who will play which role, but I want to specifically point out the fact that V is the only one who interacts with the art around them while JHope observes. JHope then sees Jin, who is captivated by a painting in the corner no one else has seemed to notice. Pause. If we look at Jin as Sinclair and remember the end of the book, Sinclair is in battle as he is reflecting on his life and the choices heās made throughout the book. Ā Keep in mind that Jin is reflecting as you continue to watch.
The video then cuts to scenes of Jungkook innocently swinging while eating his candy and V looking around, unfocused, and itās also good to note that V is the only person in a room that looks unrealistic compared to the rest of the setting of the music video.
We begin to see the representations of temptation and corruption as Suga comes into view. His room becomes foggy and we then see Rap Monster as he lights a candle which switches into the image of a painting of a bird being set on fire. Ā This bird is extremely important imagery in the novel as it ends up representing Sinclairās independent thinking.
We then see the glass of clear liquid becoming green. Remember the color green as we continue because it is also important, okay? We see bright colored smoke and then Rap Monster drinking from the cup with the quirk of an eyebrow.
JHope is then seen from a throne-like chair in a fountain that seems to be in a location much different from everyone else ā just as V seems to be, but JHopeās seems more realistic ā and then we see him readying an arrow.
A green liquid, which seems to stem from that which Rap Monster had been drinking earlier, falls onto Jungkookās finger and he places his finger in his mouth. We finally have seen Sinclairās first taste of temptation.
As Jin is reflecting, Jungkook represents the earliest memory of himself (Sinclair) while Rap Monster represents Demian and his views on how things can happen if you will them to. Ā Sinclair sees Demian as a mentor and thus began his travel into enlightenment.
We also need to note that V has either been in a fake-looking setting or shrouded and hard to see in most of his scenes thus far.
We watch Jin continue to reflect at the dinner when he suddenly looks up to see the sky rippling as if not real. Ā This is when he starts to see the flaws in his past views and former innocence.
We immediately see JHope shoot his arrow after, splattering a multitude of colors against a screen that, once again, shrouds V from being able to be seen clearly.
The next scene is of Jungkook and Rap Monster, representing Jungkook as Sinclair in his fall into deviance. Ā Itās good to note the smoke in the room is green!
Our next view is of Jimin who is holding an apple and Suga who is holding a blindfold. Ā While the apple is a clear representation of temptation in general, it also serves as imagery from the book in regards to the first lie that Sinclair tells in the book. Ā This lets us know that weāve moved onto the next stage in Jinās reflection. Ā Jimin represents another Sinclair, aged but still curious. Ā Suga can be seen as representative of the organist Pistorius from the novel, who holds a whole new understanding of life compared to what Sinclair has been taught. Ā Pistorius, a character extremely similar to Demian, offers this new knowledge to Sinclair and becomes a new mentor for him. Ā
Pistorius teaches Sinclair about Abraxas, a God who wasnāt God but was so powerful and godlike, he begins to believe in its existence as well. Ā Iām going to note here that Abraxas is a god that supposedly gave birth to the mind and the ability to think with individuality.
Weāre again given images of V as unclear, Jungkookās ascendance into deviance and temptation, and Rap Monsterās promotion of Jungkookās development.
We then see Jimin being blindfolded and struggling against it which can be representative of his blindness and struggle to break away from conformity and his past views and innocence.
At the climax, Jinās face has been uncovered and he can see ā note that originally it was Jimin who had been blocked by hands, the first being Jungkook who represented a younger and more innocent version of himself. And we then have the line spoken by Rap Monster as Jin lets go of the balloon which can represent again, his past beliefs. Ā Those watching can see momentary regret as he reaches up after it.
We then see Suga playing the organ, again solidifying my suspicion that Suga was Pistorious, and one can almost assume this is representative of his teaching regarding Abraxas.
We finally have an interaction with V as he covers and then uncovers Jinās eyes and we get the image of V being revealed as Jin approaches a statue that seems to have come out of nowhere.
In the novel, Sinclair becomes infatuated with a woman he calls Beatrice who has male and female features and essentially represents perfection in Sinclairās mind. Ā I believe the statue can be representative of Beatrice as Jin becomes infatuated so quickly that he feels the need to kiss it.
In the novel, the other image of perfection is Demianās mother, Eva. Ā Eva is also a major catalyst for the change and growth of Sinclair and also nurtures and coddles him. Ā We read in the novel that Sinclair attempts to paint Beatrice, but the painting ends up being of Eva. Ā In the video, we see that the statue, Beatrice, has wings and V, Eva, has had their wings taken away. Ā So is V the statue? Not really. But the image of the statue reminds Jin of V who he views as perfect as well. And in all older Literature, perfection isnāt meant to roam around the Earth because it can only exist in your mind.
Speaking of mind! As soon as the kiss happens and V is finally revealed and the fountain that JHope watches over explodes with color, as does the statue. Ā This leads me to believe that Hoseok has been representative of Abraxas the entire time, and the arrow was the gift of an open mind bestowed upon Jimin/Jin/Sinclair.
As Jimin takes off his blindfold we see his tears areā¦ what color? Green!
Remember I told you to remember green, and hereās why. Ā Green is used as symbolism for growth. Ā Jin is reflecting over his growth and changing his opinions.
In the novel, Sinclair ends with the realization that Demian and Eva had all been in his mind. Therefore when the āmotherā and āBeatriceā statues both crack in the video, we can be led to believe itās because heās come to the realization that he created all of it to cope with his descent into deviation.
If you pay attention in the very last scene, youāll see that there are two different kinds of flowers by the mirror. The lily is on the side where Jin is reflecting and, while often times are associated with death they donāt ALWAYS mean death. Here Iād like to think they represent his past views and innocence. Ā If you look a bit harder, youāll see that it actually reflects the other flower, the speedwells, rather than both being on the same side. These represent fidelity and Iād like to imagine they represent Jinās fidelity to his new found beliefs. Ā The fact that they reflect one another means that they are both a part of who he is, but the crack in his own face is representative of his past beliefs being a flaw that he has to deal with in the future before they become so problematic, he crumbles.
