Baudrillard uses Disney as an example of the "real America," and "amusement park is presented as imaginary in order to make us believe that the rest is real" (Baudrillard, 1986, p. 55). The danger of this, to Baudrillard, is that we are lulled into an unconscious state of existence because we believe the entertainments and pursuits forged for us by Disney are different than those forged for us by corporate America. In The Matrix, we see an excellent illustration of both of these concepts. Human beings are being used as energy sources and actually exist inside of vats of amniotic fluid. However, because of advanced technologies, they are programmed to think that they are living in a world that very much resembles modern society, at least the peak of capitalistic, developed Western society.
Thus, life for humans in The Matrix is for its inhabitants much the same world expressed by Baudrillard, a fake world invested with meaning by those who wish to control and manipulate. The world does not exist, only this virtual reality wherein humans are lulled into lives of blind obedience to the system. Off they go to their 9-to-5 routines, unaware all the time of what Morpheus tells Neo, "Matrix is the wool that has been pulled over your eyes" (Wachowski and Wachowski, 1999). Neo is a software engineer working in a sterile gray slot at a dehumanizing cube farm. By night he is a hacker extraordinaire. He meets the legendary hacker Trinity, who introduces him to the mysterious Morpheus. Morpheus tells Neo that the world is not what he thinks, but, instead evil forces have successfully concealed reality from humans. He also tells Neo that he is the "one," the messiah-like figure who has been prophesied as the savior of the world.
Ordercustompaper.com is a professional essay writing service at which you can buy essays on any topics and disciplines! All custom essays are written by professional writers!
No comments:
Post a Comment