Spirited Away: A Golden Point of View

SOME ASPECTS OF SOCIETY
Part 1:  A Golden Point of View

“Golden” here is not an alluding metaphor.  It literally refers to money.  The beginning of Chihiro's troubles is due to money.  The shadow of money has covered the whole movie.

The first instance is when the Ogino family stray to the spirit land:  Chihiro’s parents think that this is an entertainment area where very few people visit, so when they see the food, they have no hesitation to partake because they think that the owner will always be stoked to have customers.  Moreover, when the father says that he brought cash and credit card, he implies to his daughter that "everything can be bought with money". Right from the beginning of the film, Miyazaki shows us how society is dominated by money.  Just with money in their hands, people feel that they can do anything and in fact they can do anything, including ignoring basic decorum…

The second instance is Yubaba’s curse:  She always has to accept everyone who asks for a job.  It sounds like trouble but no, look at the way Yubaba exploits the workers:  She does not pay them; she only gives them food and a place to stay, sometimes throws them a party when there’s a big catch.  Therefore, when the opportunity comes (when NoFace comes), the Bathhouse staff rush to get money like crazy with the desire to free themselves from indentured servitude.  (As Rin tells Chihiro, she hopes to earn enough money to get out of that place one day).  Yubaba exploits the staff to the bone and keeps the money to herself.  Thus, near the end of the film, Yubaba tries to prevent Chihiro from returning to the human world because - besides the reason that the spirit world wants to keep its secrets - she knows that if one person escapes her clutches, everyone else will follow.  If there is no one to exploit anymore, she will be poor.

Next is the image of "dirty money", when the White River Spirit comes to the Bathhouse and gives Sen a gold bar 'wrapped' in a pile of mud.  It can be inferred that the cycle of money, initially "clean" by doing the right thing, but then through many hands, it will soon become "dirty" by the means of shady business.  And the River Spirit - an apparent symbol of Nature/environment - has been muddy, filled with dirty filth of human waste - became stinking, disgusting.  Another symbol is the mud that NoFace has turned into gold, which can be inferred that material money is ultimately a mere useless mud, but the real “golden” value is always in the heart of every sentient being.  That is why Yubaba is so mad at losing her child, not because of the damage that Chihiro and NoFace caused, simply because motherhood is her most precious treasure!