Dialogue: Economy and Marriage

Dialogue：Economy and Marriage

Video, 2023

"The establishment of the institution of marriage was for the protection of property and the safeguarding of private ownership, fundamentally an economic act and essentially an economic contract."

This project aims to observe and discuss the significance, essence, and the social oppression and impacts caused by the traditional marriage system, from the perspectives of social-historical development and the overall structure of society. Under this economic act, both spouses jointly bear risks, creating value for the benefit of society while protecting individual interests. This represents both the interests and burdens of the two individuals, and it is asymmetrical. Men are generally recognized in society as independent producers, relatively more capable of realizing their life value compared to women burdened with reproduction, sexuality, and domestic work.

Claude Lévi-Strauss, through his study of kinship relations in primitive societies, summarized the basic structure of abstract kinship relations and proposed an important viewpoint: marriage accomplishes the exchange of "women" between men of different tribes. Clearly, in the kinship structure of primitive societies, men held the right to exchange women and thus occupied a dominant position. Modern society's marriage system has constructed a more rigid kinship structure, confining women within this environment. As long as you conform to it, even the strongest individual will cannot resist the decline of personal subjectivity and the network of female relations.

Under this theme, I created the second part of the series "Dialogue" following "Family Feast," a poem titled "Dialogue: Economy and Marriage." The dialogue is set between a married couple, superficially discussing the cooperative economic act, but fundamentally expounding the essence and significance of marriage. The wife, awakening and attempting to resist oppression, and the husband, contentedly enjoying the benefits and power brought by the system, represent not just two individuals but two groups. This dialogue is also a microcosm of the history of social oppression and awakening. Based on the rhythm and logic of this poem, abandoning a single timeline narrative lens language, I created the final video work within a large family scene framework, using montage-style shots and background music design.

“我们的生意又步入了新的阶段。”

"Our business has entered a new phase.”

“这是值得庆贺的必经之路。”

"This is an inevitable and celebratory step in our journey.”

“我以为你要说些什么，说些什么别的，振奋人心的演讲词什么的。看你的反应并不觉得惊讶，彷佛眼前发生的只是你在一分半前塞入面包机的面包伴随着声音弹了出来——这代表着理所应当。”

"I thought you were going to say something, something different, something uplifting. But judging by your reaction, you don’t seem surprised at all. It's as if the bread that just popped out of the toaster a minute and a half ago was exactly what you expected — like it was all meant to be.”

“我的确没有任何惊讶的情绪，但不可否认的是我仍然怀有欣喜。尽管这是商业发展的客观规律，我们遵循规律，尊重契约，在此基础上用彼此的行动获得与之匹配的经济效益，经济效益兑换着社会地位，社会地位提供情绪价值，他们把这定义为产业链。”

"I’m indeed not surprised, but I can't deny that I'm still pleased. Despite this being a natural part of business growth, following the rules and respecting contracts, we've obtained economic benefits that match our actions. These economic benefits then translate into social status, and social status provides emotional value. They define this as the industrial chain.”

“可我不认为我们彼此的行动与得到的收益是相匹配的，一些隐性成本的存在被刻意的忽视了，这就导致应有的经济效益无法被兑现，随之而来的便是社会地位和情绪价值的损失。这是产业链的漏洞还是我们的漏洞？或者我换种说法，这是否是制度的漏洞？”

"But I don’t think our actions and the benefits we’ve received are matching up. There are hidden costs that have been deliberately overlooked, which leads to the inability to realize the expected economic benefits, followed by a loss in social status and emotional value. Is this a loophole in the industrial chain, or is it our fault? Or let me put it another way, is this a flaw in the system?”

“你的说辞有点夸张的成分，反应也过激了。”

"Your words are somewhat exaggerated, and your reaction is too intense.”

“不正面回应我开启的严肃话题是你一直以来的问题，每当我真正想和你说点什么，拳头就落在了空处。”

"Avoiding the serious topics I bring up has always been your problem. Whenever I truly want to talk to you, it feels like I’m punching the air.”

“也许是你的攻击性太强了，话语不应该被比作拳头，我也不该是你想象中的敌人。”

"Maybe it's because your attacks are too aggressive. Words shouldn't be compared to fists, and I shouldn’t be the enemy in your imagination.”

“拳头当然不配与话语划等号，话语即权利。你以为我在跟你计较的是什么，是我在这个公司，在这个董事会，在这个市场失去的话语权，我们在法律的规束下共同建立经济契约，进行经济行为，我却在创造共同价值的同时被剥夺了应有的个人价值，这本质难道不是一种奴隶制度？”

"Of course, fists can't be equated with words. Words are power. What do you think I'm arguing about? It's about the voice I lost in this company, on this board, in this market. We establish economic contracts and engage in economic activities under the constraints of the law, yet while creating common value, I am deprived of my deserved personal value. Isn’t this essentially a form of slavery?”

“我理解你需要一些情绪上的宣泄，但在这之后总要回归正轨，这个轨道是单向性的，不可逆的，法律，雇主，亲戚甚至是你的邻居都为它铸造了带有尖刺的围栏，在尖刺上涂满了名为舆论的毒素，并由此获得了约束你行为的能力。”

"I understand that you need to vent your emotions, but afterwards, we must return to the right track. This track is one-way and irreversible. The law, employers, relatives, and even your neighbors have all built a spiked fence for it, smeared with the poison of public opinion, and thus obtained the ability to constrain your behavior.”

“你口上说着理解我的情绪，支持公平对等的管理模式和运作规律，可你从未让出使用长桌尽头的那张椅子的权利，你舒舒服服的陷在里面，寸步不移，足不出户,却享受着远超于我的外界资源。我偷偷去看了，每个公司都有这样一张长桌，尽头都有这样一张椅子。”

"You say you understand my emotions and support a fair and equal management model and operational rules, but you never give up the right to use the chair at the end of the long table. You comfortably sink into it, not moving an inch, enjoying resources far beyond what I have access to. I secretly checked; every company has such a long table, and at the end of each one, there’s such a chair.”

“既然外面也是这样的情形，是否意味着这就是这个世界的样子。规律顺应时代和社会产生，修正和调整，最终在人心上刻下铁则。”

"Since the outside world is also like this, does it mean that this is what the world looks like? Laws and rules adapt to the times and society, are revised and adjusted, and eventually engrave iron rules in people's hearts.”

“象征铁则的规律和制度在出现的那一刻，就为其被打破埋下了种子，就像顺从和反抗从来都是双生子。”

"The laws and rules symbolizing these iron rules plant the seeds for their own disruption the moment they appear, just like compliance and rebellion are twins.”

“你的理论越来越不切实际了。”

"Your theories are becoming more and more unrealistic.”

“这在史书上一般被称作觉醒，或者改革。但我仍然庆幸自己的幸运，起码我仍拥有发起这场对话的勇气，而太多人，被刻意压榨的教育和被看作狭隘肤浅的经历堵死了她们从洞口观察世界的猫眼，这才是最悲哀的。”

"In history books, this is generally called awakening, or reform. But I am still grateful for my luck; at least I still have the courage to initiate this conversation. Too many people have their peepholes to the world blocked by deliberately oppressive education and experiences deemed narrow-minded and shallow. That is truly the most tragic part.”

“我们离婚吧。”

"Let’s get a divorce.”

“可你怀孕了。”

"But you're pregnant.”