Essay On The Truman Show

1. Write down the titles of the newspaper headlines and provide a brief analysis for each headline as to how it assists in the control of Truman.

“The Best Place on Earth, Sea Heaven Voted Planet's Top Town,” is giving a reason why Truman should stay instead of going somewhere. “Crackdown on Homeless, Seahaven Island City Fathers say, “Enough is Enough.’’ Homeless people should be more important to the community and truman should help them out. “Who Needs Europe?” Is persuading him to go somewhere other than europe because they don’t want him to leave.

2. According to Robert Castle (2005, Bright Lights Film Journal, Issue 49), The Truman Show demonstrates an individual’s struggle to gain his true self. Comment on what the role of media could be in causing an individual to not know his/her true self. Do you believe that audiences are so weak that they are unable to resist the power of media? Are they empty vessels (containers)

easily manipulated by the media?
The media is a very influencing place. Some people are influenced by the media in a good way but others it will influence in a bad way. When people in a small community are being told something they often will believe it right away, and will relay the message to others. Then in a matter of a short amount of time the entire community will think that what was told to them was true but it really was not true. When you know a small group of people they will tell you something about another person and you will most likely believe them. This is happening in the small group of people you are with most of the time and the ones you are closest to. Truman was forced into this role but was trying to get out of it but could not. He wanted to get out of the local town but every time we went to leave there was some kind of roadblock.

3. Discuss in a paragraph (or 6) how the symbolism of each of the names below contributes to our understanding of the film: Seahaven, Truman, Burbank, Christof, Santa Maria, and Simeon.
Seahaven is symbolic because it is showing that the city is a place where people are given a certain way of living. Truman is the only real person in the world that is the truman show. He is the only one that is facing big problems. Burbank show that there is no difference between the two lives that she lives. Christof is the creator he is the god of the world. Santa Maria was the way of exploring and he used to boat to find what he was searching for.

4.

What camera techniques are used in the scenes depicting Truman? Are there any unusual camera angles you can recall? Give some examples and discuss how they contribute to the audiences’ understanding of the story and Truman. What camera techniques are used in the scenes depicting Christof? Give some examples and discuss how they contribute to the audiences’ understanding of the story and Christof. Compare and contrast the styles used with Truman versus those used with Christof.

In the movie there was a camera that was placed on the world map. The camera was most likely put there to figure out the places he was planning on going to so that the could stop him from going. There was a camera in the radio of the car. This helped to show what time it was and where he was driving and his surroundings. The camera on the neighbor's trash can was helpful in showing when truman was leaving. This camera was also showing who was with truman and if he was carrying anything that he would need to take with him for an extended amount of

time.

5.Discuss the following quote by relating it to Truman: “Television, with insatiable hunger for material, has made celebrities into content.” Roger Ebert, 1998, Chicago Sun-Times.
There was nothing that people would watch on television. Then, The Truman Show came out. Truman was being filmed for the tv show through hidden cameras. The audience was very entertained by the show that there was crowds of people watching the show. People made sure that during the time of the show they where doing nothing but watching the show.

6. During an interview, Christof mentions a quote about reality. Write down this quote and explain in what ways might Plato’s Allegory of the Cave relate to Christof’s statement and Truman himself?

“We accept the reality of the world with which we are presented.”-Christof. Truman was a prisoner in the cave. Because of Truman being confined to the prison he was not able to experiance the real world and what was true and false of what he was being told. When he went out to find the truth he was stopped by some type of opsitcal. The quote is showing that a choice is made even if you don't want to make that choice. This gives you your thoughts and gives you your reality. We believe that the world we live in is the only one we can as did Truman.

7. During an interview, Christof states the following: "I have given Truman the chance to lead a normal life. The world, the place you live in, is the sick place. Seahaven is the way the world should be." Is Christof correct? What, if any, would be the benefits of living in Seahaven as opposed to the real world?

I do not believe that christof gave truman a good life. Truman was living in a mainly normal world, besides the fact that there were cameras everywhere he went. One of the main problems was that he was being stopped from reaching his goal of going outside of Seahaven. Every time he tried to go somewhere else he would be stopped by something that would not normally happen. Another big problem with Truman's life was that he has never meet his dad. His mother believed that his dad had died but Truman didn't believe her. He believed that he was out there somewhere and when he thought he had found his dad he was stopped by a crowd of running people. The many problems stopped truman from chasing his dreams but the scenery of the world was mostly the same as the real world.

8. When Truman finally exits Seahaven, what do you think it is that he expects to find on the other side of the door? Write a very descriptive piece discussing what possible and hypothetical experiences Truman faces on the outside of the dome.

I think that when Truman exited the door we was expecting to be somewhere else like Figi. When he left I think that he was trying to find the perfect girl. Sense all the women that he meet along the way weren't letting him leave the city. When we entered the new world he probably was amazed by how different it was being that he was not filmed. He didn't have people stopping him from doing the things he wanted to do. He will probably meet his father since his mother didn't believe that he was still alive. He most likely won't have people that are making crazy scenes to not let him achieve his goals. Overall i think that Truman will be a more happy person to be around because he won't be stopped by the crazy obstacles like no flights going to Fiji for a long time.

9. Please help to discuss the idea that humans possess an innate voyeuristic desire to watch other people (the dictionary definition of this word will often include sexual desire- we are using this word in the sense of instinctual and pleasurable but not sexual). How is this related to the concept of being a social creature and human? Relate this to the film with examples.

When The Truman Show came out people would devote their time to just watching the show. People liked to watch Truman get stopped by the obstacles that were thrown at him out of nowhere. Truman was walking and thought that he saw his dad. He began to approach him but there was a crowd of people running a marathon that got in his way. Because of the people running Truman wasn't able to tell if the man was his dad or not. People became more social because they spent their time watching the show with others that watched the show.

10. Write down three quotes that you have in your notes that you have not used in this writing assignment. Analyze and explain the importance of each of these quotes.

“I know you better than you know yourself.” This quote is showing us how truman was being controlled by christof and not by himself. He was being put in a position that someone else made the choice to put him in.

“and all the way around here Figi. You can't get any further away before you start coming back.” Truman is explaining that he wants to be as far away as possible from Seahaven as he can because it is the place he likes the least.

“As truman grew up we were forced to manufacture ways to keep him on the island.” As truman became smarter he was able to figure out what was going on and he had a better way of thinking. Which made it easier for him to escape Seahaven.