Compare And Contrast The Allegory Of The Cave And The Truman Show

Allegory of The Cave versus The Truman’s Show

From the beginning of the time, when civilization was still building and growing, many were searching of what the truth was really about in this world, for instance, the Greek Philosophers. In the present, The transformation of the past and the future is so vast and astonishing because time was capable of affecting the humans significantly. There is no doubt that there is a vast gap between ancient days and the present modern day, however, Greek Philosopher Plato’s work, The Allegory Of The Cave is greatly relatable to the movie called, The Truman Show. Plato’s work, Allegory of the Cave and the movie, The Truman Show, share a mutual development in the situation of the plot and symbolism, which

is shown through out in the two stories, nonetheless the modernized movie’s setting is different than that of the Plato’s work, Allegory of The Cave.

The Allegory Of The Cave and the movie, Truman Show, have a similar plot in some aspects. Both the main characters in the novel, The Allegory Of The Cave and in the movie, The Truman Show, are held as prisoners in a false reality. In the novel, the prisoner was held captive in the Cave, these prisoners that are trapped in the cave have no idea that there is a whole new other world, they have been in this cave since childhood making them believe that this cave is their only reality, ultimately being

incapable of questioning what the truth is.

Likewise, Truman the protagonist in the movie was held captive in the fake world called, The SeaHaven Island. Truman was adopted by the “false parents” and has been living on the island since birth. Even though Truman was given a better depiction in the false world by gaining a loving and caring wife, a friend that could share personal thoughts with and having a good occupation, yet Truman still had a boundary in which he was contained in, not allowed to see or explore the world due to the responsibilities he had in the false world. Both incidents in the novel and the movie were held as the major problem. Plato had created this plot in Allegory of The Cave in order to show the steps of how a true philosopher goes through in order to be educated, where as Andrew Niccol the screen play writer of the movie was inspired to write this movie due to an episode of watching The Twilight Zone. While both writers had different reasons to write these two stories, their plots were similar as they were both held prisoners in the false reality that they were

shown.

As different as their symbols are, the novel and the movie’s symbols hold very clear comparable meanings.

For instance, the chains that had held the prisoners captive were actually limitations in order to not look around the cave. Due to the chains that held the prisoners captive it forced them to see certain things from a certain viewpoint, not letting them assess or analyze the world beyond the cave, in other words, the prisoners were forced to not know what the actual reality was. In the same way, the sea in, The Truman’s show, was a symbol of restriction. A restraint so extensive,

that

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Truman had no chance to escape the fake world because of his fear of the sea instilled by Christof’s manipulations. Furthermore, in Plato’s novel the shadows and reflections are symbolic. The shadows and reflections symbolize as an illusion, in other words, if believing that the shadow is the truth in one’s physical reality, “In Plato’s opinion you are a ‘pleb’ if you believe this” (Philosophyzer 1). The movie echoes with Plato’s philosophy because Truman’s shadow and reflections of guilt is his mother and Meryl. Moreover, Marlon, Truman’s best friend tells him that everything that has been happening recently was the complete truth. Hence, the actions of Truman’s close relationships in the Island were shadows and reflections of guilt in order for him to stay confined in the SeaHaven Island.

Lastly, as comparable the novel and movie are; yet their settings that took place in the two stories contrast with each other. Firstly, in Plato’s novel the prisoners have spent their entire lives in a small confined space containing some citizens. Day and night their lives in the cave have been dark filtering some light due to the fire, thus having no knowledge of the natural lights or on other things. On the other hand, Truman the protagonist in the movie has been given a better representation of the outside world. Although he lives in a fake world, Truman has gained the understanding of love, happiness, sadness, a good occupation and a family unlike the prisoner in the story. Additionally, in the fable, Allegory of the Cave, the cave citizens that have been positioned in the cave have no knowledge of them being prisoned in the cave; held by

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the chains they go on doing nothing in their daily lives, but only live like statues. Whereas, in the movie, Truman has been cultivated in a “perfect” giant set, filled with actors who have dedicated their lives for the show. Contrasting from the prisoners, the staged actors in the movie knew the truth leaving Truman oblivious to his surroundings.

In conclusion, Plato’s fable, The Allegory Of The Cave and the movie, The Truman Show, include comparable elements of plot and symbolism even though Plato’s novel is centuries old; it shows that his ideas were very amazing. However, that consideration is broken when the setting of the Plato’s story and, The Truman’s Show, contrast with each other significantly. The plot in both the fable and the movie are similar because the major prisoner in Plato’s story and Truman the protagonist in the movie are both prisoned in a false world since birth. Likewise, the symbolism is different but has the meaning, for instance, like the chains that prevented the prisoners from seeing the reality, the sea was a restriction to Truman to discover what the actual reality really was. Furthermore, the shadows and reflections that the prisoners watched in the cave endlessly began to consider it as the truth, not questioning the meaning, just like the prisoners Truman’s shadow and reflections of guilt were his “own” mother, wife and Marlon. His close relations in the false world prevented him from seeking what reality truly was. Lastly, the setting in the two stories were completely different; the prisoners grew up in a small confined space, where as Truman grew up in false representation of the real world. Additionally, the prisoners had no knowledge of anything but Truman

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had gained the experience of what the real world was like. Even though being oblivious with the world is sometimes better, however in order to prevent oneself from being hurt or wasting their lives, it is a better way to live when one goes on a conquest to find the truth.