Argumentative Essay Total Recall

Lazarus Thompson
Cheri Carr
PHIL 1102-010
9 February 2012

Argumentative essay: Total Recall

“All things are not as they seem but a few things we actually “know” -Plato. As we see, appearance vs. reality can be interpreted many ways. One might believe things that are dreamed about is real, or maybe are thoughts of the mind of things that has never occurred. In saying that, “It’s just a dream” is what is said when he or she wakes up. For others, especially Secret Agents, more than half of the time those agents perception is reality. I say that because, trained agents are constantly trained to remember things for the sake of protection. Situations as such were displayed all throughout the film Total Recall. Quaid being the main figure experienced an erased memory in order to forget the important things that occurred in Mars (Location of his Agent days). Regarding Quaid, “Is he experiencing a schizoid embolism or is he really a secret agent”, which are the two questions we should take in consideration. To the point, in this essay I will attempt to point out why Quaid (aka Hauser) is a secret agent, illustrate on my reasons, and explain my thoughts.

Total Rekall, a business where anyone can experience his or her dream vacation, attempted to alter one’s memory in order for he or she to experience the “perfect vacation”. Quaid hears about the opportunity to experience what he has been dreaming about, which was going to mars as a secret agent. Why would anyone want to go indulge in violence for a “perfect vacation” is the question we should ask? The procedure ended up back firing before the doctors even started the implantation. Quaid turns on the doctors because he felt what he perceived actually happened. Even before the doctors attempt, Quaid described his dream woman just as if he had an encounter with her already. Based off that, Quaid must have been already obsessed and knowledgeable about Mars. “Knowledge which is acquired under compulsion obtains no hold on the mind”-Plato.

The music played, scenery, and the over-the-top violence are all parts of life as a solider/special force agent. One can disagree, but from former United States Marine Corps experience those three points are honest and just. After Quaid left Rekall, his co-workers whom tried to kill him then met him. With the abilities displayed to defend himself (Quaid) by killing co-workers, shows us Hauser was not a regular human being. A man packed with those abilities has to undergone some type of training and have had pass experience as so. One can say in dreams those things occur; however, that particular situation happened after the screw up by Rekall. To top it off, when Hauser arrives home to try to explain to his earth wife (Lori) what occurred she also tries to kill him. Why would she do that to her husband? I will illustrate. From Lori Assumptions, she assumed Quaid knew everything that was occurring (i.e. her being a secret agent as well). When Hauser tamed her, out of the sexual lover she had for Quaid, she finally admits he has completely blown his cover. Now, when we put those two things together, it draws the conclusion this is more than just a alteration of the mind (Schizoid Embolism).

Based of the last sentence in the previous paragraph and off the information discussed up to this point, one must say Quaid existed as a Secret Agent on mars before. After all, Quaid even believed it was more than a dream. He even took off to Mars to find facts and clues. The suitcase he found early in the movie, with instructions from his former buddy for the agency with instructions, also leads us to say his encounter as a agent. Men were constantly after Hauser throughout the whole movie. Why was that? I tell you why, Quaid knew the most important necessity to destroy Cohaagen’s (Head of the whole operation) control on Mars, which was a alien reactor that would provide oxygen for the entire planet of Mars. With him knowing this, Cohaagen knew Hauser would be somewhat over him. In order to prevent that, Cohaagen always had men to try to capture Quaid and scare him by shooting at him.

One could argue different. He or she can say it was too much violence and he screen went blank at the end, but perception is reality. No one has accurate dreams that come back real. My reason why Hauser is a secret agent should be a recap to the one who disagree. To conclude, Aristotle would say substance is the combination of matter and form.