"I Think Therefore I Am"

In the Truman Show, Truman is a man whose whole entire life has been a reality show and he is finally starting to realize this fact that cameras are constantly watching his every move. This concept for the movie can relate to Descartes and his demons. These demons that Descartes possesses are there to make Descartes not know what is reality and what is fake. Truman is feeling exactly the same way. Just like Descartes he feels like he is going absolutely mental (insane) and he cannot distinguish what in his life has been actually real and what in his life has been fake. Descartes knows for certain that if he is thinking than he is real and the demon hasn't one yet. He has the famous quote "I think therefore I am" which Truman feels because he is thinking and figuring out that he has been monitored his entire life. By him thinking and figuring things out the producers (who are essentially equal to Descartes demon) wouldn't have a show and their entire industry and profit would end. They need Truman in order to survive just like the demon needs Descartes to exist so they can have something to live for and a reason that would call for them to survive. An example in the movie of this is when Truman is discovering that his life is a television show and all the people in the town are actors/actresses. At the end of the movie when Truman tries to sail away and he eventually hits a wall he is discovering that the demon cannot bother him anymore. When the voice comes out of an intercom and says that he has two options which is to stay or to leave, Truman leaves because the demon is not a burden anymore. He can now think on his own without his life being controlled which in the end makes Truman fight off his demon and making him an actually person.  Truman has been hidden the truth like the demon holds the truth from Descartes.

Truman discovering that his world has been a lie 

Plato's Allegory of the Cave

In this piece of work Plato describes a cave where there are prisoners chained to the cave wall and they can only look forward. There are two sources of light, fire that is behind them and the cave opening. They were born into the cave. There are puppeteers and the prisoners were seeing shadows of humans and of animals. One of the prisoners breaks free and goes towards the light. At first he was blinded by the light and is experiencing all this stuff he has never seen before. The cave is a way to represent life because people are seeing the truth that we are told and we never actually know if it's the truth. Some people keep things hidden from us. We never really know what's truthful unless we experience it for ourselves

                      My drawing 

Image of the Cave

Groundhog Day and Buddhism

                In Buddhism, there are Four Noble Truths that everyone must go through to achieve nirvana or become enlightened with everything that happened in their lives. The Four Noble Truths:

 1.Life is suffering

2.The Cause of Suffering

3. The Cessation of Suffering

4. Freedom from suffering is possible by practicing the Eightfold Path.

                In the movie Groundhog Day, main character Phil Connors overcomes his suffering and becomes more enlightened by the end of the movie. Connors demonstrates the Buddhist practices to finally reach a happiness and become enlighted with repeating the same day over and over again. He goes through the first noble truth by suffering through the same day over and over again. He goes through the second noble truth by craving the day to be over and have it be able to move on to the next day so the suffering can end. He goes through the third noble truth by realizing that he will be living this day for a long time, maybe even forever, so he just comes to acceptance of it. He goes  through the fourth noble truth by trying to make that day the best day of everyones life. He saves an elderly man from dying, helps cross some old ladies across the street, saves a waitress from dropping her tray and spilling food everywhere, he saves a little boy from falling down a tree, he host a big celebration for someones birthday, saves a man from chocking, he pays for a mans dinner, and he does many other things for different people. He goes through the Four Noble Truths to become enlightened and free of his situation of living the same day over and over again.                      

Groundhog Day Stages of Grief

In the movie Groundhog Day , the main character Phil goes through each of grief in the Kubler-Ross model Stages Of Grief.

1. Stage:  Denial
2. Event: Phil experiences denial when he questions people about what day it is a few days in a row and he questions everyone's motives like he can't believe it is real.
3. Explanation: This is a sign of denial because when people normally ask questions about events they already know the answer to they are trying not to believe the actual truth.

1. Stage:  Anger
2. Event: He says the weather in a mean and mocking tone. He insults the people around him.
3. Explanation: When people are anger they usually find everything around them to be bad and insulting and they can't be happy about anything.

1. Stage: Bargaining
2. Event: When Phil goes to the doctor for therapy.
3. Explanation:  This is bargaining because he doesn't believe that he is sane and wants medication and a doctor to diagnose him with something so that he won't be living the same day over and over again.

1. Stage: Depression
2. Event: Phil tries to kill himself over and over again so that he won't have to live the same day over and over again.
3. Explanation:  This is depression because when people tend to kill themselves they aren't happy with their lives and they want the pain or whatever is on their mind to end.

1. Stage: Acceptance
2. Event:  He one day wakes up happy and answers everyone's questions.
3. Explanation:  He finally comes to terms that he is going to be living this day over and over again so he makes the best of it and learns new skills and helps people who would have gotten hurt that day.