Plato's Allegory Of The Cave

People’s perception on reality is not always true. Those are mistaken for ideas they believe is reality. This is what Plato’s “Allegory of the Cave” was based on. According to the text, the prisoners are sitting in a cave, chained from their legs to their neck so they cannot move. The prisoners are watching images cast on the wall with fire blazing above and behind them. They cannot grasp true reality, which are shadows intentionally made by men. They were forced to have one idea; and if anyone tried to lead a prisoner to the light, they would be killed. A prisoner is soon set free from the chains and forced to watch everything from the outside. He needed much adjustment, but soon he had a much deeper view of reality. When he went back into the cave to explain his new outlook, he was rejected. Plato’s ideas of reality are similar to those of modern situations we have in today’s society such as, childhood myths and fast food restaurants.
Childhood myths have been around for numerous years.
Santa Claus is one well-known myth in which children believe in. By their elders, the ones they trust most, children are forced to believe whatever they do affects their reward, come Christmas. When in reality, it is a bribe technique for parents. According to the myth, he watches every child’s actions over the course of the year. At the end of the year, he goes to each child’s home to leave presents, or nothing, depending on their behavior. Children are so convinced Santa is real, that even when told the truth they are unable to cope with the situation and want to go back to believing. In the “Allegory of the Cave,” the prisoners have their necks chained so they cannot look in any direction for any clues for what is real. These children are the prisoners, who are focused on one happy idea, and nothing
else.

Fast food restaurant owner are the puppeteers that feed people with faulty images. Take McDonalds for example. They created catchy logos with a dancing clown and opened a restaurant chain where each restaurant looks the same. This image serves as a trademark for people who could recognize the image globally. With the help of the media, they spread images of the appealing food and restaurant chains worldwide. The TV commercials were attractive, because you could see generous portions of fresh juicy hamburgers and overjoyed children eating the French fries. This relates to the “Allegory of the Cave,” when they explain how hypnotized the prisoners were. Food images seen on the TV, magazines, newspapers, and other forms of media amplify people’s curiosity to come and try the food. It also appeals to the children by including a prize in their “happy” meal. It persuades them to think happiness as well as they will receive a gift. Like in the “Allegory of the Cave,” fast food restaurants never reveal the true facts about the dangerous side effects of their meals. They knew the truth would be harmful to the society. People would be devastated to find that their favorite meal is unhealthy. Therefor, even if many people are aware of the harmful effects, they still continue to follow their way, and eat fast food. However, similar to the man set free, some people have found the “light,” adjusted, and made the necessary changes in their diet and meal choices.

Like Plato believes, each person is a prisoner. We must break free from the “chains” of fantasy and lies to experience a deeper meaning of reality. We first need to understand the truth about society and what goes on in the world around us. Whether it is being lied to by the ones you trust most as shown through childhood myths, or trying to keep us happy by creating glamorous images like the fast food commercials, Plato proves we are all prisoners to whatever we may believe.