Assignment 22 - Caitlin Southworth

If I could be a fictional character I would be the prisoner from The allegory of the cave that gets shown the light. Now, this may seem strange at first, but it’s only a matter of perspective. Yes, being chained up, unable to move in a dark, shadowy cave seems less than preferable, but that’s the only life those prisoners knew, just like our life is the only one we know. We don’t know if there are people manipulating our lives and what we see and know, just as the prisoners didn’t know. They were fine with their life because that was all there was. But the prisoner that gets shown the light learns of a wider world. He becomes knowledgeable and more open minded. This is why I would want to be him. Many people dream of becoming enlightened or understanding of many things- the prisoner does just that. He learns of a wider world than the one he knew and was content with. He becomes more open minded to the possibilities in the world- which is a wonderful thing to have.