Allegory of the cave
Agreeing with Plato on allegory of the cave. What does the allegory of the cave mean, is it factual and can it be applied.
Everyday modern society is presenting many images through forms of media. Media has a big impact because it covers the news, television. The average person has more than one television in their house and because of this they are influenced of what they watch. Reality television is a big part of our modern society and we perceive them as reality. In the reading, Allegory of the cave, by Plato he explains how each person is being represented by false illusions that we perceive as reality. We see these images on a regular basis and it is very hard to tell the difference between reality and false interpretations.

We are prisoners in our own society who have spent our whole lives in the dark with images placed in front of our eyes. Watching shows like the Jersey Shore, gives us on what is reality. It is a story how a group of young individuals live amongst each other and what they do on a regular basis. We really believe that is how the life in Jersey Shore is, and how Italians behave. As people we watch these images and we sit and absorb it like a sponge. We are being fed interpretations and we judge the way the live without realizing these are mere shadows. This so called reality, is just an illusion being scripted by directors and writers for entertainment. Do we really believe all Italians fits pump and act immature? If we do, we are ignorant people and we cannot tell the difference between reality and non-reality.

When you finally your eyes and see reality television as a false interpretation in the life on the shore, will you accept this fact? Plato illustrates how a prisoner is freed and is finally shown what is real and fake. As this prisoner absorbs the reality of what is real he wants to go back to what he perceives reality. Moments pass and he accepts the true reality of his world and is freed. Just like this prisoner, a few people know reality television is scripted and we know. At times it is hard to swallow the truth because we see copies of realty television on a regular basis. In reality it is just entertainment and illusions just like a magician with a deck of cards. As the prisoner is enlightened from seeing the truth we all know the fact of reality television is the same, just as the shadows in the prisoners’ wall in their cave.

When a magician reveals his secret, which is the sleight of hand trick, we do not want to believe it. Why don’t we want to believe it? Is it because we want to believe it is really magic or we just cannot accept the truth? When the prisoner goes back to his cave and explains what is real and what is not, they react the same way. The prisoners who have not been freed will believe his suppressor and call the enlightened prisoner a liar when he seen true reality. It is hard to digest and accept the truth many people believe in prince charming, these are the same people who leave cookies and milk for Santa on Christmas and believe in reality television.