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.
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