What Is The Conflict In Quiz Show

Quiz Show, is a film that superbly embodies the concept of Emerson’s Self Reliance that had been written over 150 years prior. The film follows the story of a group of people, specifically contestants of a game show, who get too caught up in the money-making aspect of things, and end up losing sight of their morals and who they are as people. The underlining meaning portrayed in the film is the importance of remaining self-reliant, especially in society. Furthermore, it pushes the idea of not conforming by showing the results of what happens when one does. For these reasons, the film can be viewed as a modern depiction of Emerson’s essay, because of how it encopasses what Emerson was expressing. In Quiz Show, the eternal conflict is that
In order to hold on to some independence, Van Doren refuses the answers, but instead ask to just receive the questions, which he can research himself. He tries to convince himself this makes his deception less of what it is but essentially none of his guilt is diminished. Emerson’s ideas can be easily related back to Van Doren, who is a visual example of the objective that Emerson is trying to get across to readers. “These are the voices which we hear in solitude, but they grow faint and inaudible as we enter into the world. Society everywhere is in conspiracy against the manhood of every one of its members. Society is a joint-stock company, in which the members agree, for the better securing of his bread to each shareholder, to surrender the liberty and culture of the eater.” Van Doren surrenders who he is by trying to conform to what everyone wanted from him. He ends up losing everything including the one thing he wanted to do most,
He finally concludes with himself that he no longer wants to be a part of everything to do with the game show, and purposely answers one of the questions asked to him incorrectly, making his opponent that new titleist. However, the producers are not finished with Van Doren, and Goodwin is seen whispering under his breath, “don’t do it” as Van Doren is offered to sign a contract, making him a special correspondent on the Today Show on NBC. Once again, Van Doren subsides to the producers and fans of him, as he takes the pen and relecuntly writes his signature. After he confirming his involvement in the deception, NBC no longer wants anything more from him, and fires him from the Today Show. Additionally, he learns that Columbia trustees ask him for his resignation, therefore he is no longer able to fulfill his passion of teaching. Through Van Doren’s time on “Twenty One” his independence was shattered when he let everyone around him decide who he was going to be. He failed to adhere to Emerson’s concept which states, “It is easy in the world to live after the world’s opinion; it easy in solitude to live after our own; but the great man is he who in the midst of the crowd keeps with perfect sweetness the independence of