The Truman Show Response 1

When you dream, there are people who can play a pivotal part in the plot that you have never met. These people are simply projections of your subconscious, but they are so realistic that we don't even notice that our dream state isn't the real world. How are we, then, able to be certain that the same thing doesn't occur in real life. Why can't everything, everyone around us be a representation? In The Truman Show, the same situation is played out through a reality television show, instead of dreams. After watching the movie, I've begun to question every existence. How do I know that I'm not the star of some show meant to chronicle my life? How can I know that everyone around me is who they say they are, not hired actors or projections meant to solidify the illusion? To be frank, there is no way that we can know for sure that any of this is real. Even so, everything that is around me may be a replication, but I know without a doubt that I am real.

Des Cartes stated, "I think, therefore I am," and while this may seem obvious, there's a larger depth to it than the obvious. As an individual human being, I have the capacity to let my mind wander to whatever it so chooses. I can create a distant galaxy or an undersea palace without every leaving the comfort of my imagination. Also, I have the ability to create stories and poetry from nothing, using just my creativity. Finally, I have an independent thought train that, while influenced by my surroundings, is completely my own creation. A projection would simply say what it is programmed to say, and an actor would be supplied lines to speak without giving conscious thought to it. On the other hand, I am able to react to a situation and ad lib whatever I decided to say without begin influenced by a being that selects my words, thoughts and actions for me. The defining characteristic of a real person is the ability to think for themselves and make their own judgments.

 

Though it may be fun to pretend we are the center of our world, either by subconscious or divine design, the chances of this actually being reality are fairly minimal. If this were true, things would always happen the way I would wish them to occur, though this is not the case. Many times in my life, things have gone wrong and happened with a negative impact on my situation. With that said, I believe that we do not live in a Matrix type world where nothing is real, and I instead believe that everyone is a true being that has the capacity of thought.

The Truman Show Response 2

Author's Note: This is my response to The Truman Show. I tried to discuss the effect of not having free will had on Truman. I was gone on the second day, but I had seen the movie previously so I vaguely remembered it and somewhat incorporated it into my piece. It may not be exactly accurate what I remember, but I felt it was pretty close so I chose to include it. 

You lay on your back, the grass irritating any exposed skin as you gaze up at the mid-afternoon sky . There's a certain tranquil perfection about the way the sky looks. The white clouds are drawn out like brushstrokes, moving ever so slowly on the pale blue background as the summer wind blows. Millions of miles away, the sun shines appearing as only a slight speck, though its warmth and light cover the entire Earth. There's so much beauty that the sky looks fake, a simple illusion put in place to deceive. What if that were true? What if everything about life was orchestrated by a single figure who dictates our everyday life? The Truman Show is a theatrical example of the necessity of free will.

 As Truman Burbank drives to work every morning, he has no idea that he is the star of the most popular reality shows on TV. This is vital to the integrity of the show, because the illusion of everyday life that makes it such a staple in the viewers' lives. Even though it appears that Truman's life is average, every event, every second is controlled by Christof, the creator/director of Truman's life. Christof has been praised for creating a perfect replication of normal life, though there is an essential part of life that is missing: decisions. Truman is allowed to pick the small things in life - what to wear, his behavior, what he says - but the most important decisions - occupation, housing, even love - are chosen for him. A chance encounter with his future wife isn’t chance in Truman's case. Though he would have much rather married Sylvia, Truman is forced to marry Meryl by the show's producers when Sylvia is taken off set. Freedom of will is one of the essential parts of life, a part that Truman does not have. If I really wanted to, I could run away right now. I could stand up from the computer and kill myself. These choices may seem dark, but at least I have those choices. If Truman were to attempt either, there would be divine intervention that prevented him from accomplishing his wishes. Free will may not seem important, but it allows us to shape our lives into what we ant them to be.

After Truman discovers that his life is a sham, he attempts to escape from the set on the water in the Santa Maria. Christopher Columbus discovered the New World in the Santa Maria, so it's fitting that Truman would discover his new life in a new world in the Santa Maria. As is inevitable, Truman reaches the edge of the giant set he lives in. Christof attempts to keep the show running by convincing Truman that the real world is just as bad as his conventional life. In respects, this is true. There's lying, cheating, stealing in life no matter where you go. What Christof is missing is that he has deprived Truman of his free will that allows him to live his life how he would so choose. Though the set is a utopia, Truman chooses to live his own way instead of being directed and we must choose to live this way in turn.

For me, The Truman Show wasn't just a satire of reality, it was a satire of religion. Christof is the man in the moon, a distant yet in-touch leader who dictates Truman's life: God. Truman on the other hand is just a simple man, an average human who isn't aware of Chistof's existence. In the real world, God is never seen, just as Christof is invisible, hiding behind the moon.  Christof and his team of writers have Truman's life completely planned out, just as God has a path for each of us to take. The plot thickens, though, because Christof doesn't have Truman's best interests at heart when laying the trail. Because of this, Truman yearns for the free will that is missing, the free will that will allow him to create a better life for himself. In order for us to be truly happy and lead a successful life, we must have free will.  

Complete Destruction

Author's Note: This is my response to William Carlos Williams' Complete Destruction. I wrote sort of about the same thing: complete destruction.This was inspired by my grandma who is, kindly, a pack-rat. If you don't understand what I'm hinting at, you can watch the TV station A&E and there's normally about twelve hours of this show a day. 

Complete Destruction

It was an icy day.
We buried the cat,
then took her box
and set fire to it

in the back yard.
Those fleas that escaped
earth and fire
died by the cold

This is the poem by William Carlos Williams, listed above. Like most of his other poems, it's short, lacks a rhyme and is open-form. Also like most of his poem's, Williams uses words specifically to create the mood. Unlike his poem Asphodel, Williams here uses only simple words and to me that represents to simplicity of the event. He also uses minimalism, stripping the poem to the bare bones, leaving the reader to fill in the rest of the body. There is only one stanza break and it's in the middle of one of the sentences. 

Below is my poem, a response to his.

Absolute Renewal 

It was a sunny day.

Grandma had died so
we cleaned her house

til we could see the walls:

white, so they say.
Those rats that evaded
trap and poison

died by rabies.

Because the previous poem was short, I wrote another but I was unsure of whether to post it or not as I didn't really like it. The poem is much less serious than the preceding one and it's about our right to eat a healthy breakfast even if nothing tragic has happened. 

Peace on Earth - William Carlos Williams

The Archer is wake!
The Swan is flying!
Gold against blue
An Arrow is lying.
There is hunting in heaven—
Sleep safe till tomorrow.

The Bears are abroad!
The Eagle is screaming!
Gold against blue
Their eyes are gleaming!
Sleep!
Sleep safe till tomorrow.

The Sisters lie
With their arms intertwining;
Gold against blue
Their hair is shining!
The Serpent writhes!
Orion is listening!
Gold against blue
His sword is glistening!
Sleep!
There is hunting in heaven— 
Sleep safe till tomorrow. 

My Emulation

The coffee is done!

The bacon is fried!

Funeral food

But no one has died.

And the coffin is empty -

Eat now and forever.

The eggs have been scrambled!

The toast has been toasted!

Funeral food

Though no deaths have been posted!

Eat!

Eat now and forever.

The French Toast grilled

And the pancakes made;

Funeral food

Where spoons replace spades!

Satan curses!

While the sun is gleaming!

Funeral food

Though life is still teeming!

Eat!

As the coffin is empty-

Eat now and forever.