The Innocent Hero

“The Innocent Hero”

Unit 1 Questions 11/1/06

1.

Merriam Webster Online defines innocent as “free from guilt or sin especially through lack of knowledge of evil.” This definition is pertinent to the hero’s journey because it is the beginning step for each hero. The innocent stage in a hero’s life is caused by a limited sense of awareness and is therefore the first stage in the hero character arc. Without being exposed to the problem, the hero is not called to adventure and thus will not complete or even start his heroic journey. An archetype is a pattern, character, symbol, or idea that recurs throughout history so much that it is considered by most as general and universal. An archetype from The Truman Show would be reality vs. perception. This question has been pondered upon throughout all human history. In the film, Truman begins as the innocent hero in that he is unaware that his perception is not reality. Series of events such as the light falling from the sky and the radio station tuning into his every movement, force Truman into a state of increased awareness and thus thrusting him into his heroic journey.

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2.

The Truman Show is full of concrete objects that represent other abstract ideas also known as symbols. Three specific symbols I particularly like are the relationship between land and water, the names of important characters in the movie, and the motif of bars. The symbol of land and water possesses many obvious qualities that are taken quite literally. Objectively, land and water are strictly geographical terms but are analogous to the “conscious iceberg” in terms of symbolism. Literally, land and water are very specific and limited on the surface, but underwater— symbolically, they mean so much more. Land in this case would represent Truman’s consciousness and what is known to him. The water, on the other hand, stands for all that is unconscious and unknown. Truman literally and symbolically crosses this boundary when he goes out onto the “sea” and is hit in the face with the truth of what he has been living unconsciously in. Names of the main characters in The Truman Show are particularly and interestingly symbolic. The two specific characters are Truman and Christof. To the most casual observer, these names are merely the names of characters in the movie, but once again, symbolism brings so much more meaning to them. The name “Truman Burbank” can be broken down into pieces according to his first and last name. His first name, Truman, can be split into the smaller words, “true” and “man” and his last name, Burbank, stands for the studio city in Southern California based on its theatrical sets that fake actuality. When you put their symbolic meanings together you see that Truman Burbank is a “true” “man” in a “fake” place. This symbolic meaning is a great overview of the movie as the

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innocent hero tries to find truth and reality which is concealed behind the fake perception of the world he lives in. The other name I found symbolic is Christof. If one take the same approach and breaks down his name into components, it is obvious that it is formed by combining the Son of God’s name, “Christ,” and the preposition, “of.” The word Christ implies that a godly creator character, which Christof fulfills, but leaves the word “of” which poses an important question: What is Christof the Christ of? The last and most recurring symbol in The Truman Show is the object of bars. When take alone, bars are simply strips of metal used for architectural purposes. Symbolically, however, they represent how Truman is trapped in his limited conscious world and is being held back from discovering the truth and reality of life.

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