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An Article
It may seem a strange proposition at first, to implicate any political or economic system as a part of the game, but upon closer inspection, it is actually quite apparent. What follows is an exposition of the various socio-political commentaries found in Ocarina of Time.
The Seeds of Socialism
We begin the game in a manner that may be reminiscent of Bukowksi; Link is rudely awaken by a fairy pestering him to get up and go work for a disproportionately powerful
During part of his escapade in the Deku tree, Link plunges himself through a large web in the center of the hollow. This is an allegorical reference to revolutionaries breaking through the webs spun by the capitalist powers of the world. Link falls for awhile, with a pool of water breaking his fall. Here he encounters three Deku Scrubs, which attempt to impede his progress by beating back our young revolutionary with force and linguistic tricks.
Soon, Link leaves the Kokiri Forest and ventures out into the world beyond. Just as Link is about to exit to Hyrule Field, he is visited upon by an owl called Kaepora Gaebora. Upon closer examination, we realize that this owl is very symbolic. He is an old, wise owl, representing the long legacy of communist and revolutionary thought. We shall term him the 'specter of communism', as throughout the story, he visits Link, planting the seeds of doubt about the current system.
After the specter is assured that Link did in fact get everything he said, he departs, leaving Link to continue his trek across the vast field ahead of him. Eventually, he arrives at the drawbridge opening to a large castle and surrounding market; the high stone walls and towers seemingly reaffirming the strength of the monarchy.
Wandering through Hyrule Market, he sees a busy town, filled with people going about their daily business, but again, not all is as it first appears. Under some stairs, in the back of the market, is a beggar, who asks Link to "sell me something with C". This is coded language calling for a communist revolution. On the way to Hyrule Castle, Link encounters a young girl, who we learn is the daughter of the owner of Lon Lon Ranch. She asks Link to find her father, who was delivering milk to the castle. Here again, we see an example of the capitalist system at work. A child is neglected by her father due to the ever-increasing demands of the elite for which he must work.
When Link finally arrives at the castle, he is not allowed to simply enter. Indeed, he is forced to sneak in, dodging many guards and navigating maze-like corridors; another symbolic gesture of how the working class is demeaned and treated unjustly. Once Link makes it past these obstacles, he encounters Princess Zelda in the courtyard, peering through a window. She informs Link of what is going on, namely that a man with evil eyes is swearing allegiance to the king of Hyrule. This scene alone is rife with political commentary. The man swearing allegiance, who we later learn is called Ganondorf, is the embodiment of corporate influence in government; the inherent relation between capitalism and the state.
Zelda also informs Link about a prophecy that has occurred to her: a boy from the forest acting as a light that breaks through the veil of darkness. It is now abundantly clear that Link is the warrior of the people.
Following this revelatory encounter, Link sets off to a place called Death Mountain, after being informed by a fellow revolutionary, Impa, that the Gorons there are being oppressed, and in desperate need of aid. Through the village of Kakariko Links travels up to the foreboding mountain. Along the way, another example of class division is seen, as he must show his affiliation with the monarchy to gain access to the trail leading to the mountain.
Once there, Link learns of the sad state of affairs the Gorons are in. Gorons naturally eat rocks, and in particular, the rocks from a place called Dodongo's Cavern. However, recently access to the cavern was blocked, cutting off an important resource from the Gorons. From this, we take the message of how the working class is constantly trampled upon, such basic necessities as food being withheld. Never one to stand for such injustice, Link uses a flowerbomb to blast open the entrance, and fight his way through the cavern, in order to alleviate the Goron's food insecurity.
After taking care of that issue, the Gorons express their strong feelings of camaraderie with Link, an example of how class struggles can unite otherwise isolated groups. This becomes a recurring theme throughout the game, as Link fights the allegorical forces of capitalism and unites the peoples of Hyrule in a universal struggle against oppression.
After liberating the Zora, Link is then sent forward seven years in time, awaking to find that Hyrule Castle and Market are now shrouded in darkness, and inhabited by 'redeads', which are a depiction of the miserable existence of those trod upon by the bourgeoisie.
The Revolution Has Begun
Once again, Link sets out on a journey to liberate the peoples of Hyrule, and fight for social-libertarian causes. Fighting his way through temples desecrated by a greedy and ruthless corporatist, Link systematically beats back the capitalist forces. In one particular instance, we returns to his comrades, the Gorons, to help them overcome the bourgeoisie tyrant Vovalgia. The defeat of Vovalgia symbolizes the triumph of the proletariat over their oppressors, and sets a precedent for further revolutionary action.
Link continues the revolution by cleansing the rest of the temples, and working his way back to Hyrule Castle; the epicenter from which the scourge of vulture capitalism emanates. There he finds Ganondorf in his tower, the heart of this great evil that has overtaken the land. Finally, in an intense game of tennis, Link prevails, defeating Ganondorf, saving Zelda, and escaping the castle as the whole empire comes crumbling down. Now, the final battle is at hand. Ganon in his true form arises -- his true form, of course, is a pig, highly befitting of a corporate dictator -- and Link once again is engaged in battle. As ever, Link is dwarfed by his foe, again symbolizing the daunting size and power of the terrible machine that he must fight. However, Link prevails a second time, finally defeating the system that he has for so long subjugated him, driven him to revolutionary action.
With Ganon defeated, and banished to the Sacred Realm (obviously a metaphor for the International Criminal Court), Hyrule revels in a true communist revolution, and Link is returned to his original timeline, his work as the hero of proles complete, and he is free to live out his life under a fair and just system.
Further Symbolism
There is a wealth of socialist iconography in Ocarina of Time, the Triforce itself being no exception. The Triforce is based on a triangle, divided into four smaller triangles of equal proportion, the fourth one formed by the vertices of the other three. This design is no coincidence: The well known physical strength of triangular structures is used in the design to represent the strength of the bond between the proletarian peoples of Hyrule.
Furthermore, there is the creation story of Hyrule itself, as portrayed during the cut-scene at the beginning of the game. The Goddesses each represent an aspect of socialism. Din's color is red, is associated with fire, earth, etc, and represents revolution. Farore is green, and represents renewal. She is symbolic of the change to come, the growth under a socialist system. Finally, Nayru is blue, representing the freedom that arises when the chains of capitalism have been shed.