Myth Of The Cave Allegory
Johnathan Livingston Seagull and “The Myth of the Cave” can’t have more different titles with completely different meanings right; well, not exactly. How is it that an allegory about a seagull is anything like an allegory about people inside of a cave? Allegories are just representations of a thing that has a hidden moral or religious meaning the titles of these allegories are very misleading until you analyze them both. Jonathan Livingston Seagull by Richard Bach and “The Myth of the Cave” by Plato are both allegories about people who are mistaking what they think is the truth but really isn’t the truth at all and arguing with whether they should help others seeing through this fake reality. In the beginning, the people in “The
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The reality that the seagulls think in the beginning is that flying is only used to get food as said on page 5 of the book “…’this flying business is all very well, but you can’t eat a glide, you know. Don’t forget the reason you fly is to eat’” (Bach). The people in the short story and the seagulls in the book are altering what they think is reality based off of what they can see.
Lastly, in “The Myth of the Cave” an excerpt says that “Men should ascend to the upper world, but they should also return to the lower” (Plato). In “The Myth of the Cave it says that “’ they remain in the upper world: but this must not be allowed; they must be made to descend again among the prisoners in the den, and partake of their labours an honours[Sic], whether they are worth having or not’” (Plato); this quote is saying that in order to not forget what they have been given they have to return to where they came from. In Johnathan Livingston Seagull Johnathan has to decide whether or not he will return to the world he first came from or if he should continue on his learning as said on page 56 “… he couldn’t help but think that there might be one or two gulls back on Earth who would be able to learn, too” (Bach). Later on, in the book, Johnathan says, “’Sully, I must go back,’ he said at last” (Bach). In both, the story
The reality that the seagulls think in the beginning is that flying is only used to get food as said on page 5 of the book “…’this flying business is all very well, but you can’t eat a glide, you know. Don’t forget the reason you fly is to eat’” (Bach). The people in the short story and the seagulls in the book are altering what they think is reality based off of what they can see.
Lastly, in “The Myth of the Cave” an excerpt says that “Men should ascend to the upper world, but they should also return to the lower” (Plato). In “The Myth of the Cave it says that “’ they remain in the upper world: but this must not be allowed; they must be made to descend again among the prisoners in the den, and partake of their labours an honours[Sic], whether they are worth having or not’” (Plato); this quote is saying that in order to not forget what they have been given they have to return to where they came from. In Johnathan Livingston Seagull Johnathan has to decide whether or not he will return to the world he first came from or if he should continue on his learning as said on page 56 “… he couldn’t help but think that there might be one or two gulls back on Earth who would be able to learn, too” (Bach). Later on, in the book, Johnathan says, “’Sully, I must go back,’ he said at last” (Bach). In both, the story