In a society that demands conformity, individuality is a heroic act. The Truman Show by Peter Weir portrays the protagonist Truman Burbank to be together a hero and a victim. From his lack of conformity, to his privacy exploited for millions to see and the manipulation of him, this is my essay on why Truman Burbank is victimised, yet still heroic. Trumans non-conformity was brave and determined. While the masses conformed and lived a controlled life in Seahaven, Truman was alone and stood out of the crowd. Everyone in Seahaven was the same.
They all lived in architecturally identical housing, all participated in the community and conformed to the society which was controlling Truman. At the start of the movie it was very apparent that Truman doubted the society in which he resided. When the light fell from the sky a frown of doubt was clearly visible on his expression. When he drove to work he also had an air of doubt about him from what the radio was reporting. This doubt increased progressively throughout the film until we are met with him wanting to entirely leave the town of Seahaven by sailing away.
To live in a town in which everyone is the same and to disagree with the flow and be true to your self is truly heroic. To fight against the conformity that Seahaven brought especially when the capitalist ideals are about conformity. But a hero cannot exist without a victim. Trumans life was being monitored. As the point of the Truman show was to capture Trumans life, Truman Burbanks privacy day in day out was displayed on TVs all around to world for all to see. Cameras were set up all around his house, at his office at work, in his car and everywhere Truman moved.
Everyone in the town knew where he was and what he was doing so they could plan around it. Truman had to be so closely monitored to keep him unsuspecting of Seahaven and unsuspecting of true reality. In one scene you are made to feel uncomfortable as you can see Truman looking in the mirror. This just goes to show how everyone is criminally infringing on this humans life. In this way was Truman victimized. Truman Burbanks existence was to generate profit. His life was exploited in an effort to gather money.
The whole TV show was a proud showcase of the American Dream, a dream about materialism, consumerism and capitalism. Trumans life was a grossly manipulated. His was denied love for others profit, his family and friends were falsified in order to trick Truman and make more profit. His marriage was also false as he later found out when he discovered that in their wedding photo, his wife Meryls fingers were crossed signifying a untrue marriage and that his wife was getting paid per time she slept with him.
Even his very own best friend who he talked about life with, his family that deceived him, the trauma Christoff inflicted with his fear of the water and the sadness about his fathers death. The fact that Christoff and his crew, the media, could go to such extreme lengths to create money is repulsive and they all make Truman a victim. Truman being manipulated and exploited for profit, true love denied for him, having his personal moments and privacy exposed to the world yet having the strength to struggle against conformity. That is why Truman Burbank is victimised, yet still heroic.
