Allegory and Truman Show - 774 Words

Allegory and Truman Show The Allegory of the Cave has many parallels with The Truman Show. Initially, Truman is trapped in his own â€Å"cave†; a film set or fictional island known as Seahaven. Truman’s journey or ascension into the real world and into knowledge is similar to that of Plato’s cave dweller. In this paper, I will discuss these similarities along with the very intent of both of these works whose purpose is for us to question our own reality. In his Allegory Plato shows us how a man ascends from the darkness of a cave to the light of the outside world. In this ascent Plato’s man passes through four distinct stages of cognition: from imagination, to belief, understanding, and finally knowledge. Imagination In this†¦show more content†¦However, his reality is now based on these objects vs. what is truly real. In Truman’s second phase he starts to believe that something is wrong with his world based also on his perception and his common sense. First, his father Kirk who had been written out of the show years earlier sneaks back onto the set. This sends Truman into a teenage flashback of his last moments with Lauren a girlfriend that had tried to tell him the truth before she was written off to Fiji. He also notices that the radio is following him around and people all around him are acting very strange. At this point he does not know what is wrong but he knows he is onto â€Å"something big† as he tells his â€Å"best friend† Marlon. Understanding Some might disagree at precisely which point Truman â€Å"sees the light† and begins to understand what is really happening. Like with Plato’s cave dweller the process of understanding is a slow one. â€Å"He will require to grow accustomed to the sight of the upper world. And first he will see the shadows best, next the reflections of men and other objects in the water, and then the objects themselves†¦Ã¢â‚¬  In the same way Truman’s accent into understanding was a slow process. The scene where he notices that his wife is crossing her fingers in one of their wedding pictures is that crucial moment. From that point on we get the feeling that he has gone from assuming there was something wrong toShow MoreRelatedEssay on Allegory of the Cave/Truman Show Analysis856 Words   |  4 PagesAllegory of the Cave/Truman Show Limited Knowledge, truth (or revelation), reality, and idealism are some of the common themes expressed in Plato’s Allegory of the Cave and the film â€Å"The Truman Show.† The differences can be found in the way Plato allows some of the prisoners to remain unknowing, by giving them an almost fear-like stance involving the truth of their world, and how to free themselves. Another is that the â€Å"false† world is created on different premises, either to create a safe anRead MoreSynthesis of Truman Show and Platos Allegory of the Cave1440 Words   |  6 PagesCritical Analysis of The Truman Show and Platos Allegory of the Cave When The Truman Show was released in 1998, it was just another popular Hollywood flick, but its story is closely related to Platos Allegory of the Cave. The plot line for the movie follows this classic tale in many ways, some more obvious then others. As with most cinematic treachery, the movies similarities are no coincidence. The writers drew from Platos classic because it is such a universal story and is somethingRead More Parallels Between The Truman Show and Platos Allegory of the Cave866 Words   |  4 PagesParallels Between The Truman Show and Platos Allegory of the Cave The movie, The Truman Show is about a reality television show that has been created to document the life of a man who, adopted at birth by a television network, is tricked into believing that his life, his reality, is normal and the environment that he lives is real. It is set in a town called Seahaven, which is essentially a simulation of the real world similar enough to the outside world that the viewing audience can relateRead MorePhilosophical Principals Exemplified in The Truman Show and in the Allegory of the Cave807 Words   |  4 Pagesit is important to question any information that is given to an individual, instead of blindly accepting the majority opinion and giving it full credibility and validity based on other people’s opinions. Plato’s work, The Republic introduces the allegory of the cave, which is metaphorical scenario that attempts to explain the importance of questioning norms that may seem trivial. Plato illustrates a cave where bounded prisoners h ave lived all their lives in seclusion, away from the outside worldRead MoreThe Allegory Of The Cave1249 Words   |  5 Pagesas the allegory of the cave. Plato once wrote, How could they see anything but the shadows if they were never allowed to move their heads? (Plato) In The Truman Show, created in 1998, the man that controls Truman Burbank s life says, We accept the reality of the world with which we re presented. It s as simple as that. (Nichol) The allegory portrays mankind as prisoners. Said prisoners are chained up and forced to watch the shadows that are shown on the wall in front of them. Truman BurbankRead MoreTruman s Life Is Real For Many Reasons1480 Words   |  6 Pages1. Truman begins doubt whether or not his life is real for many reasons. The first reason being the light that falls from the sky, which he’s never seen anything like that before and has no idea what to think about it. Another reason is that Truman sees his father who â€Å"diedâ⠂¬  in a boating accident when he was a child. Truman seeing his father is what really pushed him over the edge into realizing that nothing in his life was actually real. The third thing that pushed him to question hisRead MoreThe Allegory Of The Cave, By M. Scott Peck Essay1592 Words   |  7 PagesSharmili Lakshmanan Dr. Mary Margaret Lobb HUMN 1301 September 26, 2016 The True Reality â€Å"Choosing a Map for Life,† by M. Scott Peck, â€Å"The Allegory of the Cave,† by Plato, â€Å"The Truman Show† and â€Å"Salvation† by Langston Hughes describe the views and perspective of the reality in our world. We have to get out, discover the world around and revise it. By setting up a map or goal and revising it in the world, will make us to control our perceptions and draw close to the realityRead MoreThe Themes Adresses in the Allegory of the Cave Essay843 Words   |  4 PagesExplain the Themes addressed in Plato’s allegory of the Cave, Making particular reference to the Theory of Forms There are several themes represented in the allegory of the cave, one of the first themes you come across while reading the Allegory of the Cave is ignorance. The chains binding them to the cave could merely be interpreted as a metaphor for ignorance, as if they wanted to fulfil enlightenment, all they would have to do is ask questions and seek the truth; however they all decide toRead MoreChoosing A Map For Life By M. Scott Peck1213 Words   |  5 PagesThu Le Professor Mary Margaret Lobb HUMN 1301.04 September 21, 2015 Our reality â€Å"Choosing a Map for Life,† by M. Scott Peck, â€Å"The Allegory of the Cave,† by Plato, The Truman Show and â€Å"Salvation† by Langston Hughes describe the true reality in our world. They make us think about wherever that is true or false. Also, in order to find the truth, we have to get out, discover the world around and revise it. In the article â€Å"Choosing a Map for Life†, Scott Peck compares each person’s view and reality toRead MoreThe Concept Of Reality Television In The Truman Show And The Truman Show742 Words   |  3 PagesThe concept of reality TV was amplified with the film The Truman Show in 1998. On television, it is largely debated which show was the first â€Å"reality TV show† since some may class them anywhere from game shows to documentaries, such as â€Å"Survivor† or â€Å"COPS†. Reality TV centers around characters who engage in current day life and situations, often true situations which are unscripted and spontaneous, captivating audiences by putting them in the shoes of cast members to see if they judge situations