Escapism and the Illusion of Reality
In everyday life, people face various problems and difficulties. This circumstance was the reason for the creation of entertainment organizations that allow them to avoid reality and immerse themselves in the world of fun and enjoyment for a while. This phenomenon is called escapism or unwillingness to accept reality as it is, its avoidance.
For many, entertainment venues such as amusement parks are becoming more accurate than their lives. This event is revealed in the famous Westworld series, which tells about the park of the future, where people come to relax and satisfy their most daring desires. However, another topic that can be traced in this work is the connection with “The Allegory of the Cave” by Plato.
Hosts, Visitors, and Plato’s Allegory of the Cave
Westworld is a popular television series that focuses on a narrative about the future in which people can visit an unusual amusement park. In this place, they immerse themselves in the world of the Wild West, where the creators provide visitors with the opportunity to get acquainted with various plots. They range from simple gatherings and entertainment in local bars to dangerous and exciting shootouts.
The park is populated by hosts with whom visitors can freely interact and who direct people to participate in a particular scenario. However, the main problem in this place is that various problems with the host’s functioning gradually arise. The machines eventually start having dreams in which they see their past plots and stop obeying the park engineers.
In these events, it is possible to trace the Allegory of the Cave developed by Plato. Research stated that “its main idea is the discussion of how humans perceive reality and if human existence has a higher truth” (Ajvazi 1). Thus, the next step is to consider how showrunners Jonathan Nolan and Lisa Joy represent this idea in the series.
Subjective Reality and the Awakening of Consciousness
Jonathan Nolan and Lisa Joy at Westworld rely heavily on the thoughts and concepts highlighted in Plato’s text. Hence, showrunners explore the nature of reality and enlightenment through the image of the hosts and visitors of the park. One of the show’s central themes is that reality is subjective, and what one person perceives as real may not be the same as another person’s perception of reality (Roman).
A clear example is that for the hosts in the park, the reality lies in the life scenarios they live day after day. At the same time, they do not realize that they are machines assigned specific life scenarios and that there is a world other than the one they see. All aspects of their existence, such as dreams, ideas, desires, and perception of everything around them, are limited by what is prescribed to them by the authors and engineers of the park.
On the other hand, visitors to the park have an explicit knowledge that reality remains outside the doors of the amusement park. For these individuals, this expensive entertainment becomes a way to escape from what is happening in their lives. At the same time, the main issue is that the park becomes a reality for some of them. An example is the Man in Black, who practically lives in the Western world in search of an answer to the mystical plot of the labyrinth.
Thus, Westworld becomes a response to the text, offering original thinking that builds on Plato’s piece. The authors are trying to show viewers that the human experience is subjective and that people’s perceptions of reality are shaped by their biases and experiences. Humanity has studied these aspects for a long time. The series’ showrunners represent Plato’s idea through hosts such as Maeve and Dolores, who, gaining consciousness, begin confronting the world built around them and learning that reality is far from what they imagined it to be. The development of people turns against them and opposes their commands.
Therefore, Maeve learns the inside and outside features of the park and becomes aware that her dream is not fiction but, in fact, the plot that was prescribed to her earlier (Chestnut). In addition, the show suggests that consciousness is not a binary state of being but rather a gradual process of becoming aware of one’s surroundings and inner self. It also explores that memories and experiences shape reality and that those in power can manipulate these perceptions.
Enlightenment, Technology, and the Viewer’s Perspective
Particular attention should be paid to how the show reveals a correlation between reality and enlightenment. In Westworld, this aspect is achieved through gaining consciousness and seeing the truth about one’s existence. This process occurs through hosts, who gradually gain awareness of what is happening to them and their reality.
Thus, those machines that achieve consciousness can break free from the limitations of their programming and see the world as it truly is. Therefore, the series’ authors draw a parallel with how individuals who can see beyond biases and preconceptions can achieve higher enlightenment. On the other hand, it is essential to emphasize that the viewers of this series experience a different perspective than some of Westworld’s characters.
They are not direct participants in the narrative but only observe how Joy and Nolan interpret the main points of Plato’s work. Thus, people are the ultimate spectators, watching the complex process of how the park developers shape and manage the reality in which the hosts live. They understand how The Allegory of the Cave manifests itself in the park’s characters, allowing the audience to see the flaws in the hosts’ programming and empathize with their struggle to achieve consciousness.
In his work “The Allegory of the Cave,” Plato argues reality and enlightenment. Considering these phenomena through the prism of the Westworld series is of particular value as it makes it possible to gain a complete and clear picture of how it may be represented. Thus, the primary knowledge that can be taken out is how human ideas, prejudices, and judgments contribute to forming the reality in which they live (Ospino).
They also argue that enlightenment is achievable through gaining consciousness and seeing the truth about one’s existence. Moreover, it can be assumed that the authors tried to examine technology’s unique role in this process. Hence, various digital innovations in the modern world are becoming the very world where people can hide to escape reality with all its problems and difficulties.
Returning to the quote given at the beginning of this research paper, it is worth mentioning that Wild West Park was created to distract people and not become a place to avoid reality. However, for many people who visited it, like the Man in Black, it turned into a world perceived as real and that not everyone wanted to leave. This character was so keen on investigating the mystery of the labyrinth that he lost the idea of what truth and fiction are. At the same time, this fact did not become true for those already imprisoned there, for the hosts who received consciousness wanted to get out of there.
Works Cited
Ajvazi, Irfan. Plato’s The Allegory of the Cave. Tesla Academy of Sciences, no date.
“Chestnut.” Westworld, created by Jonathan Nolan and Lisa Joy, season 1, episode 2, HBO. 2016.
Ospino, Luis “Plato’s Allegory of the Cave and Its Connection to the Present.” Greek Reporter. 2022. Web.
Roman, Daniel. “Questioning Your Reality: Looking Back on the Highs and Lows of Westworld.” Fansided, 2022. Web.