Can You Handle The Truth?: The Matrix and Plato’s Allegory of the Cave

Imagine spending your whole life in a fire-lit cave, believing the shadows displayed on the wall are the images of real objects.  What if the world you live in is a computer based software program designed to distract your mind from the true nature of the world?  Could you handle the truth? These are the respective problems that confront Neo of The Matrix, and the faceless prisoner from Plato’s allegory of the cave.  In both stories each main character is faced with an unnerving life crises that suddenly alters the trajectory of their path.  They both face the terrifying truth that the world they live in is an intentional deception to disguise the true nature of reality.  Each character undergoes a series of trials and tribulations before accepting the truth, but each have dramatically different conclusions. Because the knowledge of truth is inherently powerful it causes a transformation in both Neo and the prisoner in Plato’s parable.  Both characters develop an understanding of truth through an ordered sequence of stages that occur over a period of time.

      If you enjoyed your life but discovered the world as you knew it was untrue, would you choose to learn the truth, or continue living as is?  In The Matrix, Neo is given this choice, but in the guise of either choosing a red pill or a blue pill.  As Morpheus presents these options to Neo he exclaims,”I am only offering the truth”.  Neo chooses the pill that contains truth and the events that proceed prove to be very challenging to him.  Once born into the real world, Neo is shown the true nature of reality and initially does not believe it.  It is so completely foreign to him, it seems impossible to be true. A life aboard a ship eating soft mush is a much different life than his old desk job for a software company.  His day to day life in the Matrix did not consist of having to hide and avoid sentinels, or rigorous training to become the savior of the human race. This eye opening experience of a radical new reality is ironically similar to the blinding one that was endured by the character in Plato’s allegory of the cave.  Once the prisoner of the cave is removed from the chains and shackles that bind him, he is dragged to the outside world and is overwhelmed by the light of truth.  Because his eyes were never exposed to the sun before, they are extremely sensitive and unready to bare witness.  He is immediately blinded by this gargantuan solar force, and yearns for the safety of the cave.  The prisoner truly feels he is being punished in this cruel new world, and is stricken by the fresh forces that confront him. This immediate, seemingly overwhelming burden of truth presses down on both Neo and the prisoner proving to be a test of character and fortitude, pushing each man to the brink of sanity.

Once the truth is revealed to Neo by Morpheus he refuses to believe it, and suddenly throws up.  This involuntary action of vomiting illustrates the provocative nature of truth penetrating into Neo.  In the cave parable, the prisoner is physically and emotionally stunned by the truth as he is pulled into the glaring rays of the sun.  It is so awe inspiring that the prisoner must look away for he can not stand to bear such magnificence.  These involuntary actions imply that once attempting to realize the truth, it is initially overwhelming and can be too much for an individual to bear at one time.  

    The sense of sight actually works against Neo, the escaped prisoner, as well as the bound prisoners.  In the parable of the cave, Plato states, “ A sensible man would remember the eyes may be confused in two ways, and for two reasons- by a change from light to darkness, or from darkness to light.”(200) When the escaped prisoner is forced to ascend out of the dark cave into the sunlight, the bright rays bewilder him and cause him to shield his eyes.  Because he has lived his whole life in darkness, the powerful light of the sun is overwhelming to the senses, and creates a state of unease and confusion.  A very similar case of confusion is experienced by Neo once he is shown the “desert of the real” by Morpheus. In contrast to the allegory of the cave where the prisoner is accustomed to the darkness of his cave dwelling, Neo has become accustomed to the sun filled world of the matrix. Prior to Neo being born into the real world, there existed a battle between the machines and the humans.  During the tumultuous war, the humans attacked the sun as it was a source of energy for the robotic enemies. “It was us who scorched the sky” explains Morpheus describing the radically different appearance of the world presently.  It is this darkness of the real world that bewilders Neo;  A world that is absent of light is a completely foreign concept to this brave hero of the film.  The state of the world as it exists is so terribly confusing to him he initially exclaims, “I don’t believe it! It’s not possible!”

Even though each character gradually learns the truth, their individual paths are much different to get there.  Neo fortunately has fellow comrades that instruct and guide him to understand the truth, but unfortunately the newly free prisoner is forced against his will to discover this new territory.  Neo has the luxury of a mentor, his true love, and friends to accompany him on his journey, and they all prove very worthy, except for Cypher, in his quest.  For the escaped slave in the cave parable, his journey to truth is one that is not of his own choosing or his own will.  In the Republic, Plato describes “The prisoner being forced up the road to the opening of the cave.”  This act of being dragged shows his path to truth is not the act of his own volition.  However, in The Matrix,  Neo was given a choice to learn the truth or to disregard it.  Neo acts on his yearning to know the truth and eventually ingests the pill that would reveal all to him.  

In their respective paths to learning the true nature of reality for the prisoner, and the truth of himself  for Neo, they begin a series of stages that gradually increase each characters understanding of truth. The first stage for each character involves their mutual inability to perceive what the truth is.  For Neo it begins when Morpheus reveals unto him the desert of the real.  This cruel and strange world is so inconceivable he exclaims, “ I don’t believe it, its not possible!”  The prisoner’s odyssey begins when he is relinquished from his chains.  He is dragged up the path out of the cave into the glowing sun.  The rays are so powerful they virtually leave him blind. “When he came to the light, would not his eyes be so full of glare that he would not be able to see a single one of the objects we now call true?”(198)  In both these cases the harsh first experience of reality is so overwhelming it actually hinders both characters from understanding the truth.  The reality that stares at them is perceived to be cold and bizarre leaving them in a state of shock and confusion.

The second stage of understanding truth comes soon after the first.  Once the initial shock of the magnanimous sun wears off for the prisoner, he is capable of learning more.  “At first he would most easily see shadows, then the reflections in water of men.”(198)  As described in the story, the shadows and reflections are the first things seen for the prisoner because they are the “easiest” to view.  His eyes are still far to sensitive to view any other objects.  The second stage for Neo consists of participating in the training programs.  As he spars with Morpheus in this virtual battle combat training program, he begins to understand the nature of the matrix.  As Morpheus asks Neo, “How did I beat you?” Neo responds, “You...you’re too fast.”  Morpheus continues,”Do you believe that my being stronger or faster has anything to do with my muscles in this place?”  By internalizing this knowledge of the nature of the matrix, Neo is able to connect a blow against Morpheus displaying the initial signs of his understanding.  

As time passes both characters are elevated to a third stage of understanding truth. The prisoner, now capable of seeing reflections and shadows, soon is ready to take in the sight of objects themselves.  As shadows and reflections are mere residual images of the objects themselves, to be able to see the actual objects as they are is an upward movement on the ladder of understanding truth.  Comparably, Neo is forced into a life defining decision.  As Morpheus risks his life to save Neo, he is captured by the Agents.  While in their custody he is constantly tortured for the purpose of extracting information.  Neo courageously decides to travel back into the matrix and reciprocate risking his life to save Morpheus from the Agents.  This decision is of extreme significance as it represents a turning point in Neo’s development.  Earlier in the film Neo met with the Oracle who was to give him advice as to who he was.  The Oracle asks Neo about being the one, “What do you think?”  Neo replies, “I don’t know.”  She then tells him what it is like to be the one,”Being the one is a lot like being in love.  No one can tell you you’re in love, you just know it. Through and through, bone to bone.” Unlike Morpheus, Neo does not believe he is the one, and due to his lack of faith it causes him to interpret the Oracle’s message to mean he is not the one.  Despite Neo’s interpretation of the Oracle’s message, his autonomous act to travel back inside the matrix to rescue Morpheus symbolizes the growth of his belief that he is the savior of the human race.

As the third stage slowly slips away, gradually each character reaches the next stage in their development of understanding the true nature of reality.  In Plato’s allegory of the cave, the prisoner goes through a sequence of stages learning the powerful truth of the outside world that was hidden from him since birth.  In the fourth stage of his progression he gradually is capable of viewing the night sky. “After that he could look at the heavenly bodies and the sky itself by night, turning his eyes to the light of the stars and the moon more easily than to the sun or to the sun’s light by day.”(198)  By now one is sensing a certain pattern developing with the prisoner’s sight.  As his eyes become desensitized to the true nature of reality, his ability to understand it increases exponentially.  The brightest objects of the world which were initially too overwhelming to him, soon become clear gradually over time.  As Neo reenters the matrix in hopes of saving his beloved mentor, his ability to bend the rules of the matrix increases.  Neo and Trinity are battling the Agent on the rooftop of the skyscraper, when the Agent begins to fire his weapon at Neo.  When the bullets speed toward Neo he proceeds to dodge them watching them whiz passed his body.  He has never performed such a skillful ability before, displaying this amazing talent for the first time.  Trinity amazed asks him,”How did you do that?... You moved like they do, I’ve never seen anyone move that fast.”  This comment affirms Neo’s unique ability to bend the nature of reality that is only replicated by the Agents.  The Agents possess an inherent understanding of the nature of the matrix, which allows them to manipulate it to such a high extent.  Neo displays his growth of understanding when he dodges the bullets, moving like the all powerful Agents.

The fifth and final stage of the development of understanding truth completes the transformation of each character.  It marks the finished process of each character’s painful, and rewarding quest.  The newly enlightened prisoner has discovered much of the world around him after evacuating the cave, but yet one key element is missing.  After seeing the stars and the moon of the night sky, the prisoner is ready to view the last of what he could not comprehend initially. Plato writes, “Then, last of all, I fancy he would be able to look at the sun and observe its nature, not its appearances in water or on alien material, but the very sun itself in its own place.”(199)  The sun was the first force of the outside world the prisoner felt, and it is the last element he is able to understand.  It caused him to shelter his face from the shock of the rays, yet gradually through a process of steps he is able to look at the magnificence that one blinded him.  Neo’s last stage of understanding himself and the matrix finally comes to a close as he successfully defeats the Agents in battle.  Up to this point Neo has shown momentary signs of full understanding, but it is not until he chooses to fight Agent Smith face to face that the missing link is put into place.  As Agent Smith battles Neo in the underground subway, he forces him onto the train tracks.  While the oppressive agent holds Neo in a tight headlock he exclaims, “You hear that Mr. Anderson, that is the sound of your death. Goodbye Mr. Anderson.”  Neo then emphatically responds, “My name is Neo” and soars into the sky with the agent on his back smashing him against the ceiling, then crashing back down onto the subway tracks.  This declaration made by the main character is a verbal recognition of the completed transformation.  It signifies his firm belief that he is indeed the one, the savior that Morpheus believes him to be.  After disposing of Agent Smith, Neo is chased by more agents through the city streets.  Neo finally reaches a room where a ringing phone will grant him access out of the matrix when suddenly, Agent Smith appears and unloads a clip of his firearm into the chest of the stunned protagonist.  Neo is dead at this point, but is miraculously brought back to life by a kiss from Trinity.  Neo slowly rises to his feet with a strange look on his face.  The Agents begin to fire rounds at him simultaneously, but an enlightened Neo places his hand in front of the bullets and they all inexplicably stop in place.  After being brought back to life, Neo is fully aware of the true nature of the matrix.  He is capable of performing imaginable feats due to his vast understanding of the workings of this illusionery world. 

The main characters of Plato’s allegory of the cave, and The Matrix each fully completed an arduous sequence of stages that ended in the understanding of truth.  Although both characters endured much to reach this milestone, they are each judged by their peers very differently. Once Neo has fully understood the truth of the matrix and who he is, he becomes a source of encouragement and hope for the rest of his crew members. The savior of the human race has finally arrived, and is welcomed warmly.  He eventually leads his shipmates to victory in the war against the machines in future movies.  However, for the free prisoner, once he is exposed to the true nature of reality he soon wants to share this new knowledge and wisdom he has gained with his chained comrades back in the cave.  As he descends back into the den, his eyes have difficulty adjusting to the darkness and he can not see with clarity the shadows he previously only knew.  Because of the inadequacy of his new sight, the fellow prisoners mock him and forbid anyone to ascend into the light.  They remark, “Up he went and down he came without his eyes; and it was better to not even think of ascending; and if anyone tried to loose another and lead him up to the light, let them only catch the offender, and they would put him to death.”(200)  In the film The Matrix, the protagonist is exalted as he completes his metamorphosis, and in the famous story of The Republic the main character is denounced for his finalized transformation.  Each one with an understanding of truth, but each with radically contrasting consequences.   

One of the antagonists in The Matrix is the character Cypher.  Cypher, like Neo and the rest of the crew aboard the ship, chose to learn the truth.  Cypher explicitly regrets this decision to Neo and wishes he was able to live inside the matrix again.  He makes a deal with Agent Smith to continue his life inside the matrix, simultaneously wiping clean the memory of the real world.  As he takes part in the bargain, he reasons, “Ignorance in bliss”.  This line of reasoning is in direct contradiction of the truth.  Cypher believes that a successful, and enjoyable life in a fabricated world is superior than the hardships dealt with in the real world. In prior scenes of the movie he openly expresses his doubts about their mission to Neo. He cries to Neo, “Don’t you wish you would of taken the blue pill.”  His unrelenting doubt of their mission acts as an overpowering obstacle hindering his performance of will. It paralyzes his understanding of truth, and prevents him from fully dealing with the task at hand.     

The truth may be perceived by some to be like a bully torturing the soul of an individual causing them to want to hide from this sensed threat.  For others the truth is likened to the force of an earthquake, shattering the surface of the self and leaving the individual vulnerable and weak.  For the prisoner from the allegory of the cave, and Neo of The Matrix the radical nature of truth penetrates into the heart of each character changing them from the inside. They only fully understand the truth, in their respective stories, over a period of time.  For each the initial shock of truth proves too much to handle, but it eventually reveals to them what the world is like and who they really are.  Acceptance of the facts at hand may take a longer time for some, but once internalized both stories show how it can produce great personal growth and development.  For both main characters it takes much effort and fortitude to withstand the force of truth, but the results of their painful task is varied.  Ironically truth is conceived to be of tremendous significance in society, but how is it that people react so harshly against it?  The powerful nature of truth may lead one to tear down their established way of life; for some this proves too much to handle.

Works Cited

Plato. The Republic. Trans. A.D. Lindsay. London: David Campbell Publishers Ltd., 1992. Print  

Return to Source: Philosophy & ‘The Matrix’. Josh Oreck. Perf. Donna Bowman, David             Chalmers, Peter Chung. Warner Bros Pictures, 2004. Film

The Matrix. Dir. Andy Wachowski, Lana Wachowski. Perf. Keanu Reeves, Laurence Fishburne,         Carrie-Anne Moss, Hugo Weaving. Warner Bros Pictures, 1999. Film

Wartenberg, Thomas. “Beyond Mere Illustration: How Films Can Be Philosophy Mere Illustration: 
How FilmsCan Be Philosophy”.  Journal of Aesthetics & Art Criticism. Vol. 64 Issue 1,     
p19-32. 2006. Academic Search Complete. 2006

Imagination and Meaning

Imagination is the tool to dream.  It may be the source of great joy, or the source of great despair and sorrow.  It may grant an individual escape from undesired ills, or suffer the victim to the edge of sanity.  To imagine inanimate objects as profound beings as the case in The Handsomest Drowned Man. The giant drowned man was a prop used for the village people’s imagination. Like a toy car for a child, the drowned man was a toy the people imagined whole stories about, and make believe scenarios, and even a name.  Despite the drowned handsome man not speaking or interacting with the characters at all, they conceived such details about his life that made him a hero amongst the village.  

In the Twilight Zone episode of The Lonely, the main character is deserted on an asteroid millions of miles from the earth by his lonesome.  To aid him with his bitter loneliness, he was given a robotic woman who can feel, sense, reason, and capable of other human abilities.  Despite being a mechanical system, the robot looked identical to a human woman.  Quary, the main character, was immediately was cruel towards the replica, but as the robot began to cry he was suddenly moved by the tears.  He soon welcomed the machine, and viewed her as a genuine human being.  If one was unaware of the mechanical parts working beneath the flesh like exterior it would be almost impossible to detect its robotic nature.  The main distinctions between a human and the robot lie in the imagination, and the spirit that is uniquely human.  Albeit the mechanical woman could reason, calculate, sense, and feel, it lacked the human capabilities to believe and to imagine.  To be able to pretend and make believe are exclusive to Quary and other humans, not included in the robot.  Also the organic makeup of a human is foreign to that of a machine.  For example, a human being is similar to a cigarette and a robot would be likened to an electric cigarette.  They both serve the same function and one is modeled after the other, but only fire, a natural element of the earth, can ignite the cigarette.  The electric cigarette relies on batteries, a synthetic element, for its energy source.  

Understanding Research

This semester I've learned to utilize the LaGuardia online library database.  This online database is a cornucopia of scholarly articles, and valuable information that may be used in assigned research papers.  When writing my research paper for class this online amazement was crucial to the success of my work.  The information one can find on the database is invaluable to any writing assignments a student can have.  The class period my cluster spent in the library learning how to use the online research database was extremely useful to my development as an academic student.  The instructor taught the class the most important information on the LaGuardia library homepage is the hours of operation for the campus library.  The library at LaGuardia is one of the most valuable resources a student can use in writing any paper.  During this semester my familiarity with the internet has soared, and my research skills have increased tremendously.  

I am now comfortable walking into the on campus library and asking assistance of the employees for any help I may need.  On the libraries website online, there exists several helpful resources aiding in citing sources for research papers.  I have used this source multiple times this semester to guide me in my work.  I have learned to navigate the online subscription database for cuny students.  I now understand that by using key words or phrases they can either narrow or broaden the search depending on my need.  This database is extremely useful, and I look forward to referring back to it throughout my college career.  

Theory of the Means of Production- Karl Marx

The theory of means of production is a Marxist invention and refers to physical inputs used in production models.  The means of production are broken down into two categories: One being the instruments of labor, which include tools, factories, and infrastructure. The second category is called the subjects of labor, which consists of natural resources, raw materials, and also humans be classified in this category.  An illustration of this is the plow and the soil.  Humans must use the instruments of labor in order to produce wealth.  Different societies of people, and economic classes use the means of production differently.  For example in the capitalist model, there exists an ownership of the means of production, what Marx would call the bourgeoisie.  An illustration of this would be a corporation, and the owners of the means of production would be the few people, such as c.e.o.s and c.f.o.s, who make the decisions what to do with the factors of production. 

The means of production, instruments of labor and subjects of labor, work with the means of distribution, which consists of banks, stores, and things of that nature.  How this is connected with the Matrix, revolves around the concept of the machines using humans as an energy source, or a means of production.  This image is the literal representation of what Marx refers to as what happens in a capitalist economy.  The objectification of human beings, or labor, as a means of production is consistent within the capitalist model.  Typically the humans use the machines, powered by electrical energy, to produce wealth, but the “real world” that is depicted in the movie The Matrix, it is the machines who use the humans as instruments of labor to power their lifestyle.

Dorian Gray Draft

       When people disagree with the views and beliefs held by the majority of society, they often find themselves on the outside looking in.  In the story “The Picture of Dorian Gray”, some of the characters identify with this outcast perspective, and instead of living in accordance with the common principles that mold the majority, they choose to escape to a life more in line with their exclusive interests and passions.  To spend the days of one’s existence in the realm of imagination and fantasy is more appealing than to work with the viewed, inferior masses of society, for Dorian Gray and Lord Henry Wotton.  Given their respective wealth and rank amongst the population, it allows them both to not have the common worries that most people share in a society.  The disconnect from society the two characters have in common not only stems from their shared ideology,  but also from the influence of a specific book, and their aforementioned wealth and status.   

       The principles of hedonism which guided both Dorian, and Lord Henry were on the opposite end of the spectrum from the ideology of the masses of the time.  “Yes, there was to be, as Lord Henry had prophesied, a new hedonism that was to re-create life, and to save it from that harsh, uncomely puritanism that is having, in our own day, its curious revival.”(Wilde, 67)  A tenet of hedonism is to maximize sensual pleasure, and limit suffering.  This principle of limiting suffering guides Dorian to dismiss any painful experiences as unimportant, and he uses his own imagination as a tool to escape from these inconvenient memories.  One such example of this is illustrated when Basil comes to see Dorian after hearing the news of Sybil Vane’s death. Dorian says to Basil,”A man who is master of himself can end a sorrow as easily as he can invent a pleasure. I don’t want to be at the mercy of my emotions.  I want to use them, to enjoy them, and to dominate them.”(Wilde, 53)  To invent a pleasure one must use the imagination, and Dorian does this to not feel the suffering caused by the death of his first romance. 

        The central cause that stirs the imagination of Lord Henry and Dorian Gray is a highly influential book they both read.  One is led to believe that Lord Henry read this book when he was a youth indicated in the text,”He was amazed at the sudden impression that his words had produced, and, remembering a book that had read when he was sixteen, which had revealed to him much that he had not known before.”(Wilde, 15)  Then Lord Henry passes this book on to Dorian as he reads it, and experiences a similar revelation, “Things that he had dimly dreamed of were suddenly made real to him.  Things of which he had never dreamed were suddenly revealed.”(Wilde, 64)  Dorian suddenly becomes obsessed with this novel, and goes to great lengths to acquire as many copies as he can. “He procured from Paris no less than five large-paper copies of the first edition, and had them bound in different colors, so that they might suit his various moods and the changing fancies of a nature over which he seemed, at times, to have almost entirely lost control.”(Wilde, 65)  The influence of this book can not be emphasized enough, as it acts as a key factor in the transformation of Dorian Gray, along with Lord Henry, and the painting of himself.  After constantly rereading this book Dorian begins to identify with the main character, “The hero, the wonderful young Parisian, in whom the romantic temperament and the scientific temperament were so strangely blended, became to him a kind of prefiguring type of himself.” (Wilde, 65)  As Dorian’s identification grows with the main character of the book, his actions and way of life begin to mirror the young Parisian.  Similarly, as the protagonist in the book escapes to an artistic realm of his imagination, so too does Dorian, and Lord Henry.  

       When one has the luxury of wealth and rank in society, the common stresses that act upon the working class are insignificant to those like Lord Henry, and Dorian Gray.  Their inherited assets are the means that allow them to live in a life of decadence and self indulgence.  Any desire or pleasure their imagination will create can be fulfilled with relative ease, and limited worry.  When a simple person must work for money in order to obtain food and pay bills, the financial elite can leisurely spend their days discussing art, and saunter to the opera for entertainment.  

       A life of excess, and material desire is the reality of Dorian, and Lord Henry who seek to separate themselves from the rest of society, because the sufferings and hardships of the average person are too much for them to bear. As Dorian subscribes to Lord Henry’s doctrine they both believe that, “Conscience and cowardice are really the same things.”(Wilde, 7).  This illusory world of leisure, material desire, and pleasure seeking principles is really a defense mechanism for their inability to deal with the world that confronts them.  They have utilized their extravagant imagination, combined with their abundance of wealth to sustain their self indulgent lifestyle, but despite all this focus on pleasure, Dorian particularly is guilt ridden and extremely paranoid.  Imagination is a powerful tool, but the story The Picture of Dorian Gray is a prime example of how a poisoned imagination can lead to a tragic ending.  

A Beautiful Mind

The film “A Beautiful Mind” was a very inspiring and touching movie.  It centered around the life of John Nash, a mathematical genius, and provided a glimpse into his developing mental illness.  Nash was completely driven by his ambition to think up an original idea, that he didn’t attend any of his college classes at Princeton, regarding them as ruining creativity.  After much hardship and effort, Nash utilized his imaginative powers to create an original idea that catapulted him into an academic elite.  

Soon after graduating he held a position at MIT developing his ideas and teaching classes.  While there he was approached by a government agent and asked to break an extremely difficult code.  After successfully cracking the code he was offered to work as a spy for the government against the Russians.  It was eventually discovered that Nash imagined the whole government operation and it did not really exist.  His mind was so powerful that he successfully convinced himself of imaginary characters actually existing.  

After the delusions of working for the government grew out of control, he was admitted into a psychiatric ward and began to take medication for his illness.  Nash for the first time in his life, tried to reconcile the fact that a lot of important memories, people, and experiences did not actually exist.  This drove him to the border of insanity, but with the love and support of his wife Alicia, he was able to endure his deceptive imagination and maintain a functioning life.  

Summary of "How Wanderer Alice became Warrior Alice, and Why"

In her article, Aikens covers Lewis Carrol’s Alice and the more recent Tim Burton and Linda Woolverton’s version.  Throughout her writing she pinpoints specific situations in the famed story that involve feminist themes, and also gives examples of Alice’s influence on popular and  countercultures. Her adventurous spirit and insubordination to authority is a vast contrast to the normal Disney female role. Compared to past female characters, Alice is a breath of fresh air from the traditional domestic oriented female figures portrayed in books and film.  Aikens writes, “Marriage is never her concern, and certainly not a goal.”  She is full of thoughts and ideas and even shows some ambition when suddenly full size she remarks, “There ought to be a book written about me, that there ought!  And when I grow up I’ll write one.”  Unlike most popular women characters of famous stories who display a powerful curiosity, Alice is shone in a positive light.  

Its this untamed curiosity that Aikens says is “the most famous characteristic” of Alice. It may land her in some uncomfortable situations, but it also is the driving force that governs her actions. “Alice is an experimenter in the purest sense” writes Aikens as this innocent child encounters this foreign land with curiosity and “a fearless spirit” to guide her way.  “Her appeal transcends gender identification” and the reader can really identify with Alice as she wanders and explores the new territory of Wonderland.  Instead of the damsel in distress and women sidekick that inadvertently influence women, Alice “represents an alternative way to be female”;  Rather than identifying with the hopeless princess nervously awaiting for the Prince to save her, Alice makes it acceptable to “chase something interesting, and ask too many questions.”  

Self Review of Alice Psychology Paper

1.)  The first sentence is a bit awkward, should be shorter and make more of an impact.

 The topic is well established and the reader is informed what the paper will be about. 

2.) The thesis statement is unclear to the reader.

3.) The paper is well structured, and the main points are clearly listed.  Each paragraph is relevant to the introduction and thesis.

4.)For the most part the essay is clear except for the explanation of an absolute monarchy in the third paragraph, and the last couple sentences stray off topic.

5.)  No sources were cited.

6.) The greatest strength is probably vocabulary.  Good word choices

Alice In Wonderland Psychology Paper Proposal

Several of the characters in Wonderland, specifically the White Rabbit, the King and Queen of Hearts, and the pigeon in the tree, display the characteristics of paranoid personality disorder.  They all are hypersensitive, perceive innocent remarks as a personal attack, and are prone to anger.  I propose that living in such an unstable and harsh environment such as Wonderland is perfectly capable of causing such personality traits. 

Thoughts on Alice in Wonderland (Chapters 1-2)

When Alice is bored one lazy afternoon,  she begins to slip into this "Wonderland" but it appears to be her own dreamworld. 

About Me

Hello my name is Gregory, I also go by Greg.  I'm 22 years old and I'm from Tampa, Florida.  I'm fairly new to New York, currently I live in East Harlem with my Dad.  I'm considered a transfer student, but its been a few years since I was last in a college atmosphere.  Outside of school I work at Starbucks as a shift supervisor.  I watch very little television and try to read as much as possible.  Some of my favorite books are Tuesdays with Morrie, The Power of Now, and The Art of Happiness. 

I love the outdoors! I really enjoy playing a variety of sports including football, basketball, golf, and a personal favorite ultimate frisbee.  I try to keep active when not at work or school.  Even though I don't run as much presently I really enjoy a long run through Central Park.  I was a pretty serious runner last year and participated in a marathon while staying in Israel.  Sports were a huge part of my younger life but have faded out with my maturation. 

I feel I have changed tremendously in the last few years.  After working two summers at a Jewish summer camp I have been very interested in religion and other cultures. I was raised in a Catholic family and even went to a Catholic school for a few years, but after spontaneously applying to this camp to work with my roomate at the time, it opened my eyes to a different way of life.  I volunteered in a work study program that took place in Israel last year where I spent six months living in a kibbutz (basically a commune).  It was the most amazing time of my life!  I learned soo much about the culture, the religion, the history of Israel and the middle east while simultaneously learned a lot about myself.  I've been a bit of a nomad the last year and a half, but I'm very excited and eager to get back into school and start a new chapter in my life.