Essay 1: The Allegory of The Matrix

David Strack

Professor Luke Vasileiou
English 101 
March 31, 2011

                                                The Allegory of the Matrix

            “What is Real”? This is the question Morpheus asked Neo and a question we sometimes ask ourselves. According to Morpheus real is electrical signal interpreted by the brain. The film Matrix has an intriguing theme which stimulus one's curiosity. This theme challenges us to reflect on what we perceive as reality. Over two thousand years ago Socrates asked the same question in the Allegory of the Cave.

            In the Matrix artificial intelligence has dominated over mankind forcing the humans to live in a computer generated reality. The electrical current produced from brain activity is the source of power harvested for the machines. The plot revolves around the savior figure Neo who was destined to defeat the machines and rescue mankind. Neo is assisted by Morpheus, whose task it is to seek out the one (Neo). After consulting the Oracle Neo learns he wasn’t to be the chosen “one”. His fate is determined by his drive to do something nobody has done before. To leave the Matrix, defeat the agent and rescue Morpheus. Another character that impacted the story was Cypher a man also unplugged but struggling with reality to be reconnected to the pod. In the pod Neo lived as Tom Anderson a computer programmer until he was unplugged from the generated reality. While living in this reality he had a feeling there was something wrong with the world. Seeking to know what the matrix is he is awoken from his life in the pod and faced with reality. 

            In the Allegory of the cave the people suffered from living in the prison house of sight. Their reality was limited to the shadows cast on the wall. One person was motivated to look beyond the shadows and into the light. He discovered the enlightenment of reality.  When he left the cave it took some time to adjust to the real world.  Reality was difficult for him to accept. The man suffered from sharp aches and was aggravated by the light. At first he saw reflections then the actual objects. Once having this experience he was inspired to share it with his fellow cave dwellers.

As the reality of the people in the matrix was computer generated the reality for the cave prisoners were the shadows on the wall. In both situations the two struggled in their in search of reality. Neo had the feeling there was something wrong with the world he was experiencing. And the cave dweller also knew there had to be something more then the what’s inside the cave. They both took risk to understand the truth even though it required sacrifice. Their desire was to rescue those were living in a fake reality. However the people in the cave refuse to change their perception of reality.  They were secure in there own world and didn’t want to change it. This situation parallels the Matrix in regard to the character Cypher. Having experienced reality Cypher cant cope with the struggles that exist. So he would rather return to the computer generated world because its safer for him. The cave people and cyphers character represent a society that is reluctant to change.

The Matrix and the Allegory of the Cave present us with a message. the message doesn't need to be decoded because its all around us. Is what we believe and learn actual real. can we expand our minds beyond whats on tv and what we hear.  a reality which involves of work, paying taxes and buying items they really don't need. Some realize there is more to life and strive to reach for it. Others are comfortable in the pod or in the cave. Not aware of the true reality these people lived in a false world believing it was reality. If your up to the task ask yourself again, what is real? 

http://homepage.mac.com/kdavies/matrix/litref.html

http://matrixmythology.com/

Blog 6: The Prisonhouse of Language

In the Allegory of the Cave the people were limited in their ability to express their experience this was because of sensory deprivation. Everything they experienced was from the cast of shadows and never in the light of reality. Their perceptions were imprisoned by the lack of insight to reality and this was because they were confined to the cave. 

        In a similar way our own experiences are limited by how we perceive things and this also can effects our ability to express ourselves. Sometimes expressing one’s self can be difficult because we cannot communicate in words our true thoughts and feelings. The concept of the Prison house of Language refers to the constrains we have in expressing what we truly wish to infer. 

       Love is an experience where at times people find it difficult to properly communicate. The word love is found in the prison house of language because it is a term in which feelings aren't sufficiently expressive enough. People aren't able to say the words they are feeling. At times we don't have sufficiently ability to express the feelings through language. In first time experiences such as a magnificent sunset or a beautiful work of art our lack of previous expose to such situation inhabits our ability to process what is felt and to put into words. This is cause from the prison we are limited by.

Blog 5 Summary of the allegory of the cave

 The allegory of the cave written by Plato, from within his work of The Republic states the main idea that people live in ignorance and refuse to accept the truth even when presented with it. The text involves a dialogue between the great teacher Socrates and a man addressed as Glaucon. Socrates portrays a tale of people living in an underground den chained to the wall with the inability to move at will. When finally someone is compelled to stand up and follow the light he suffers from aches in his body and is bothered by the light.  It will take him some time before he is able to see the reality of the world. But beginning with reflections and eventually real objects the man has interpreted the world of knowledge. He decides to share his enlightenment to the fellow prisoners of the cave only to be rejected. His eyes took a while to adjust back to the darkness of the den and because of that the people feared that the ascent to real world was dangerous. Socrates concludes the story by explaining the main idea of the prison-house of sight. 

Blog #4 The Allegory of the Cave through History

There was a time in Americas own history where a group of colonist hid under a lie of illusion.The town was swallowed by a mass hysteria and panic from the fear of losing its purity. Townspeople accused one another of witchcraft and being servants of the devil. In the town of Salem, Massachusetts between 1692 and 1963 more than 200 people were accused and 20 were executed.

To examine the origins of how the craze came about we must look back centuries ago around the time of the 1300s to the 1600 in Europe. Many religions believed that the devil can give certain people the power to harm others. This created a paranoia in peoples lives yet they wouldn’t ask question but instead proceed to follow others. People only saw the shadows cast from others and never took a step of the cave.

The conflicts began when the reverends daughter and niece started having fits. They screamed were violent and contorted themselves into strange positions. The girls were examined and diagnosed being affected by the supernatural. The girls blamed three women for afflicting them a slave, a homeless beggar and an elderly. It soon became a witch hunt that got out of hand when faithful member of the church were put on trial as well as 4-year old children. The member of the magistrates performed injustice action to these innocent victims and everyone else refused to accept the truth that these convicted citizens weren't witches. Finally the unfair trials were put to a end after.

Much like in “ allegory of the cave” the people chained to the wall only watching the casted shadow are similar to the citizens of Salem. They were only looking at what the citizens were forced to see and was living inside the cave of paranoia.




http://www.eyewitnesstohistory.com/salem.htm

BLOG #3 Perceptions of David D. Strack

- I thought adam and eve started mankind then i learned evolution. 

-I thought that back in the day everything was in black and white  and had no color because of the western movies  

-The World created in 7 days i was  taught as a young child and curiosity lead me to investigate for myself.

- i believed ghost were everywhere its funny cause just recently i developed a common sense that ghost don’t exist.  

- I thought scientifically that coffee makes me short im still not sure if that’s true but my family explained to me so I went along and trusted.

-Growing up i believed at heaven everybody flew around and people can visit past famous people I had my own perception of heaven from what I heard and now i believe heaven is a mental state of being.

-i use to think snow was pieces of the clouds. 

Assignment 2: The Allegory of The Cave

The allegory of the Cave seems to reflect a timeless human condition, in which humankind tends to be reluctant to accept what is not their conceived norm. In Socrates illustration of the people in the cave he demonstrates how their inability to distinguish between shadows and reality causes them to reject reality when they are confronted with it. the following quote explained the cave peoples their lack of desire to be enlighten. "Men would say of him that up he went and down he came without his eyes; and that it was better not even to think of ascending; and if any one tried to loose another and lead him up to the light, let them only catch the offender, and they would put him to death"

Private Vs. Public- Dstrack

There are differences between my private self and my public self that as scary as it may sound its seems as if have two personalities. My private self is always outgoing and willing. When im comfortable is when I believe my private self comes out most. I enjoy the simpler things like laughing and hugs. im hyperactive and witty. Being my private self includes but isn’t limited to sharing good company, eating a large amounts of food, I take pleasure in positive attention like complements. In “private mood” I have a tendency to study every waking moment of life. I can be anywhere from human behaviors and how I can learn from experiences and better myself. I watch informational media like documentaries and historical movies. I have a thirst for knowledge that national geographic and the science channels are able to quench. My private self can be confident yet not every screw is tight.

If im in my public self I tend to be more passive and so that the people around me feel comfortable. I make an effort to impress. In public I am easier to feel inferior to others. Being at the skate park and seeing riders that are so much better then me shuts me down. Regretfully I fear competition. If I were to be embarrassed in my public self it would be the end of my ego. Im not fond of failure and a bad image. Get let down to easy in public self. Which can be a problem now as I think of it.

But when im in public self I do I alter the way I communicate with the individuals specifically according to who they are. If they’re my friends from east new york I lose my proper rhetorics. These probably exist so I can maintain my perspective from people and maybe for acceptance. I change my public self to formal also depending the audience like with family im completely able to act myself and with friends they encourage me unknowing to be myself. I wouldn’t consider that problematic because it is intentional. Im aware that im changing the way I speak or my behavior because of a reason. The day that unknowing I change my entire personality for whom im not just to get a better look for me that’s when a conflict will arise.

Although there are differences I do keep a balance between myself in terms of private and public. For example just yesterday at the grocery store I noticed that I wasn’t acting difference because I was in public I remained interacting with my sibling normally. Not a picture perfect image because we are loud and obnoxious to the extent of course.

Recently if I notice my private self becoming shown and I just go with it. My private self is social so im not shy to say hi to a random person on the train and strike up a conversation.  I enjoy talking especially about myself. As for activities my public self and private self are in twine I mix music at parties so my energy comes from my music that I wish to employ to the crowd.

So at times when my private and public self conflict im aware of it and it is for a reason. It is very visible the moments that im private and public. From the people that know me can point out that when im more joyful in my private self. I bring a good presents when im private self and I try to show it in public so that everyone else shares being themselves.

what was suppose to be a fb update but was too long lol

The media tells us tht we need to be known n loved by thousands to be a somebody. I dnt need to be famous or be a celeb I got my biggest fans in my family n friends the ppl that I got right now. at least they wont be happy to see me at my highest and then enjoy watching me fall. We dnt see the silver lining in the clouds bcus were looking for the gold. Be true to yourself, dnt just let the days pass in numbers. u got one life to live make it count. Ur gonna be lying in the cold earth soon its reality. wake up tomorrow walk outside n take a deep breathe like it was ur last. start ur day with confidence knowing u can change the world with each step u take walking to the train. smile when ppl call ur name. B joyful for the gift of life. unwrap the present only you can choose ur future make that gift last. Good night

daft for Blog 1

My name is David Strack i am 18 years old, i live in Woodhaven Queens. My background is Maltese.  my major is Media Studies. i DJ for a source of income. i enjoy nature and im into traveling now that im getting older. im currently invoked with learning the sport of BMXing. it is painful yet rewarding. my personality is outgoing. iam very social and active. i have a good sense of humor or at least i think so.