‘The Truman Show’ follows the life of Truman Burbank, a thirty-year-old male who lives in the small town of Seahaven. Unaware that his entire life has and is being filmed, Truman thinks he’s living a normal life. Whilst I’m sure many people in our modern world would love to star in their very own TV show, Truman’s life has revolved around hidden secrets and untold truths. In short, Truman has no idea of what free will is. Everything that occurs is tailored around his every need, and so he does not have a say in anything that happens. He is only accustomed to see the good, innocent and pure aspects of life, having not been exposed to reality. Through this, he is quite literally ‘trapped in his own life’.
The idea that ‘all of us are as free as Truman Burbank is’ suggests how humans understand the boundaries placed on our society, yet subconsciously choose to do nothing about them. Although ‘The Truman Show’ comes across as being comedic, the underlying message explains a lot about the ways in which we accept our realities.
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Everything in Truman’s life has been strategically placed for the sake of entertaining the audience. Although he’s not necessarily in control of his life, that power has always been there for him to leave the show. It may be hidden in plain sight, but it does not mean the opportunities haven’t been there. Yet it takes Truman most of his life to figure this out. In the film, Truman sneaks out in the middle of the night in an attempt to escape the confinements of his forced reality. Confused as to his whereabouts, the actors cast in this show can’t find Truman as he is on a boat sailing towards the exit of the set. Truman is forced to break from his manufactured life, and face his fear knowing that his current life will never provide him with happiness or content. He knows he can’t stay in the world he’s comfortable in forever.
Whilst to some it might seem odd that Truman can’t figure out his life is a show, given that the majority of people he interacts with speak like they’re reading from a script, his obliviousness in facts mirrors how humans operate in the real world. “We accept the reality of the world with which we are presented”.
‘Man is born free and everywhere he is in chains’ - perfectly describes Truman’s life. What appears on the surface of his life insinuates he himself is in control, and yet the murky water below the surface suggests otherwise. It represents how people often disregard what truly makes them happy in exchange to fit into a role carved by society.
Every human is born with fear, whether they like to show it or not. We’re afraid of trying new things and breaking out of our comfort zones, even simply accepting that what we’ve known for our entire lives may not be the truth. Nothing is ever as it seems, and if we let the fear of the unknown take over, humanity will stay stuck in a continuous and never-ending cycle of constants. However, we have the ability to take the initiative and dismiss what other people think. We can create a reality in which we are actually happy, and then, only once this is done, can we stop pretending and putting on a display for the world to see.
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