The Truman Show from Sociological Perspective

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Table of Contents

Introduction
Synopsis
Control and Foundation
Groups and Roles
Institution and Media
Stratification and Authenticity
Conclusion
References

Introduction

The Truman Show is a film that is rich with themes of reality versus falsehood, control, and the modern state of commercialism. While through a purely film-based analysis, the story is concerned primarily with Trumans ability to see through the falsifications constructed around him in an effort to achieve his ambition and to recognize the truth. Essentially, it is the narrative of a character breaking out of forced boundaries as a metaphor for achieving the truth as finding purpose in life. Through a sociological perspective, viewers are able to ascertain additional but immensely vital elements of the film including the perception of reality, the relationship of the audience with media, commercialism, and control. While the film is focused on Trumans anguish and discovery of the truth, it is equally a reflection of those that produced the program as well as those that consume it. In both a social and economic sense, the film illustrates the impact of control over media as the power to manipulate other facets of the lives of consumers. Either through product placement or the scripted nature of Trumans life, the control of the executives is substantial both within the falsified world as well as outside it.

Synopsis

Though the protagonist of the film, the titular Truman Burbank, is not aware of it, he is actually the star of a reality television show known as the Truman Show. The program is filmed and shown every day for all twenty-four hours through hidden cameras. Christof, the man who has created and produced the show, did so in an attempt to televise Trumans authentic emotions and reactions and be interpreted by the audience as a kind of everyman. He is persuaded to remain there by a falsified death of his father at sea and continuous propagation of messages that present the dangers of travelling and the benefits of staying at home. While Truman was meant to marry co-student Meryl, he falls in love with an extra called Sylvia. As such, the extra is immediately removed in order to limit Trumans potential exposure to the real world and so that his life continues as scripted.

What Truman has observed to be reality begins to slowly fall apart due to incidents such as falling spotlights and the discovery of radio frequencies that relay his exact actions. Outside Trumans world, Sylvia and others are a part of a campaign to free him. Christof, the producer and creator of the show, attempts to fix these issues by introducing Trumans father back into the program. Despite things seeming to go back to normal, Truman disappears and the show is suspended for the first time ever. The search for Truman ends with him almost at the exit of the dome with Christof trying to convince him that the real and artificial world are not any different. In spite of this, Truman exits the false world and meets Sylvia.

Control and Foundation

Control is potentially the most intriguing aspect of The Truman Show as it is both indirect and incredibly obvious. Christofs power over the production and execution of Trumans life as well as the viewing and consumption habits of consumers is quite extensive. However, as soon as reality becomes introduced to Trumans life, Christof becomes desperate and loses not only Trumans cooperation but the entire show, the audience, and likely any chances of future productions. Essentially, Christofs ability to obscure the truth is his power and control over others. While viewers are aware that Trumans world is not real, Christof continues to wield control over their consumption while the show is able to go on. As such, this component of the film is essential in discerning the control theory in terms of consumerism and capitalism through a sociological perspective (Wong, 2021). Essentially, through the lens of foundation, the operations of both Trumans world, the production, and the consumption of media is moderated by the control of truth.

Groups and Roles

While the virtual world depicted in The Truman Show creates a collective memory perceived by a number of distinct groups. What this suggests is that the reaction to the falsified world is dictated by characteristics of certain groups or individuals. For instance, within the view of Christof and the production team, Truman exhibits an authenticity that may not be stylish but is entirely genuine (Vaisey, 2021). The audience that appreciates the show relies on this genuine presentation in order to consume the media. On the other hand, the audience that protests the shows existence recognizes the contradiction within the authenticity of the show, as Trumans life is a lie and therefore inherently false. Essentially, the sociological perspective suggests that the presentation of certain material or media evokes varied responses depending on the qualities or needs of certain groups. Within the fictional world of The Truman Show, this assigns these groups roles that play a larger narrative element in the film.

Institution and Media

While the Truman Show is a work of fiction, it makes continuous references to real world institutions, such as the sector of media and entertainment production. Like many industries, media follows certain standards, norms, and rules that may not be essential but remain prevalent. Within the scope of the Truman Show, this exists as a collective and cultural memory that directs assumptions about things outside the television medium (Nummelin, 2018). While Christof promotes this form of institutional influence as being an art form, as he places significant value in Trumans authenticity, it remains majorly dictated by industry choices. The product placement that becomes even strange to Truman is an example of this. While it is something considered normal in the area of media, it is unfamiliar to Truman.

Stratification and Authenticity

A theme that is prevalent within all other aspects of the Truman Show is its inherent stratification of topics and meanings. The Truman Show is both a comment on the privacy of the intricacies of someones life and the effects of the media, seemingly contradictory facets. However, they are actually different levels of a unified challenge, the stratified formulation of authenticity as it is presented to a consumer through commercialized mediums such as television (Bharathi & Ajit, 2018). Truman is both authentic and completely ingenuine as his life has no potential of being real from the beginning of the show. Similarly, when Christof tells Truman that the real world is no more real than the show, he is not inherently wrong. Both the world of television, commercialism, and the actual world are ingrained within each other and automatically authentic and not.

Conclusion

The four key concepts that appear in the sociological perspective are addressed within the Truman Show. Foundation refers to the control that surrounds those involved within the scope of the show and groups illustrate the roles of these people within its maintenance and operations. Institution defines the rules that are implied by certain facets or industries while stratification refers to the inherent contradictory and layered features of the show and the world.

References

Bharathi, S., & Ajit, I. (2018). Hyperreality as a Theme and Technique in the Film Truman Show. Global Media Journal, 16(30), 1-5. Web.

Nummelin, R. (2018). Space, Memory and Privacy in The Truman Show and Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind [Masters Thesis]. University of Tampere.

Vaisey, S. (2021).Welcome to the Real World: Escaping the Sociology of Culture and Cognition. Sociological Forum, 36(1), 1297-1315. Web.

Wong, H. (2021). Its Merely Controlled: The Truman Show in the Age of Surveillance Capitalism. UBC Journal of Media Studies, 2, 1-27. Web.

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