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The buttonhole metaphor is a motif for The Search for a New Philosophy of Work. First introduced in Chapter 9 through Minjun’s backstory, the image equates life’s milestones with fastening the buttons of a shirt. Minjun’s parents compare his admission into university to getting the first button of a shirt into the buttonhole, suggesting that other professional successes—like getting a job or a promotion—represent other buttons on the shirt. They are, in their opinion, steps that line up neatly, just like buttons on a shirt. When Minjun fails to get a job, however, the metaphor collapses. He becomes disillusioned with his original life plan and realizes that the expectation that good grades and a strong resumé would guarantee his employment is unrealistic. Minjun laments to his friend Sungchul that the shirt has “no holes […] [b]ecause nobody cut them open for us” (54), signaling his loss of faith in rigid notions of success.

In Chapter 36, after Minjun and Sungchul reunite, Sungchul asks Minjun how he resolved the buttonhole problem in his life. Minjun explains: “I changed my shirt. This time I cut the holes first before I made the buttons that fit. Now, the shirt is buttoned up nicely” (269). This reflects his journey throughout the novel, in which he learns to live outside of his parents’ and society’s expectations for him. Instead of trying to fit into a pre-made shirt, Minjun tailors his life to his own values, emphasizing his agency and independence. The metaphor charts his character growth.