Truman Burbank lives in a world that revolves entirely around himself. His relationships are fake, his work is not real, and his life is put on display for millions of people around the world to watch. He has been the star of this reality show ever since he was in his mother’s womb. The Truman Show, or as he knows it, his life. He knows nothing of the show. To him this is just his ordinary day to day life. Ever since he was born, his every move has been scrutinized by his audience without his knowledge. As he grows older he starts to question the reality around him and he finds that he wants to break away from his everyday existence.
It does not serve the purpose of this essay to discuss the, almost prophetic, critique of everything TV would become. Instead we will focus of these perceptions of reality that Truman faces in his life. Truman, the kind hearted, lovable hero of our story. It doesn’t take a whole lot of letter rearranging to spot the inference. Truman is a true man. Or is he? Is Truman’s real personality that of what he has grown up as or is he a product of a manufactured environment? He lives in an artificial world but he himself is real. Does that mean we are watching truth or just an appearance of truth?
That is the power of false perceptions. Christof, the director of The Truman Show, (in the film not the movie director himself) is interviewed and is very apologetic towards the criticism claiming that while the world is manufactured and put up for sale in the Truman store, everything that people see in Truman is real because it comes from Truman himself. Nothing is rehearsed or planned because he doesn’t know he is being filmed. The implication is that he is only as real as the world around him makes him. This screenplay really demonstrates the power of false perceptions.
They alter reality, or rather give us an idea of how different everyone’s versions of reality are. As evidenced in The Truman Show, you can see how different Truman’s world is compared to even our world now. He is the definition of sheltered from his youngest years to adulthood. A world void of crime, now wouldn’t that be nice. When you are sheltered in this vigorous of a way it would seem that you are to be happier and more content because of your heightened sense of security, but with that false sense of security comes a sort of naivety.
As in the movie, false reality comes to an end some time. Now you have this extremely powerful sense of false reality. How does one function in our true society now? You have to start over and relearn your entire way of being in this world. The power is immeasurable. It is apparent in both The Truman Show and our very own lives. In your life you will inevitably meet someone with this naivety for life. It could even be you. Some people envy it while others see it as a disadvantage. Generally of the time this type of sheltering comes from our parents.
There are people who want to try and keep their children from as much pain, suffering, and negativity as they can. While others expose their children to as much as they can as soon as possible. Both ways have their advantages and disadvantages. When you meet these two types of people, together, side by side, it is usually extremely apparent. These people will see the world in completely different ways. Their versions of reality could be as different as night and day. Who is to say which is the false perception though?
The movie, The Truman Show, shows a very poignant expression of false perceptions, but in our day to day lives it would be increasingly difficult to pick out the true and false perceptions as we all have different ways of thinking and their is no true way of determining who is right. My depiction of The Truman Show really gives way to the true power behind Truman’s false perceptions. You wonder if these perceptions of reality stay with him for the rest of his life and if they inevitably cause confusion and disconnect from society when he leaves his little bubble of a world.
Will he remain the same innocent, kind hearted man he is? Or will he become bitter and angry with the world? Will he be angry with all of the people he trusted as friends and family when he finds out it was all fake? Actors, and actresses instead. Christof, is he so invested in Truman’s world that when the bubble bursts, he may be lost in the world? The power and control of these perceptions of reality hold is so great that he can never truly measure or determine the outcome until it happens. They come from the mind of many.
They spread like viruses in homes, communities, cities, and states. Some days you see these false realities taking so much power that they just become a way of life. Summarizing this analysis of the power of false perceptions based on the film The Truman Show will be simple as the concept links so greatly with the screenplay. In short, The Truman Show follows the concept by the sheer simplicity of his life being so wholly controlled by an audience without his knowledge. He has no idea that his entire world is based on a lie.
His perception of reality is so far from that of the real world that it’s a wonder how he will function in society when he finally leaves his staged life for a real one. Truman has a world all his own. Made up friends, family, a job, and an entire community. The people are friendly and the place is void of crime and negativity. This is the biggest false perception of life that I personally could think of. Truman will have to go from thinking the world is a happy and scheduled place, to a world filled with complete and udder chaos. All you can really tell someone about the power of these false perceptions is good luck to you!
