Edgar Allan Poe's Allegory In The Cave

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No matter how oblivious one tries to be with the painful truth, eventually we all have to realize that our illusions blind us in seeing the reality of our lives. In the story, "Allegory in the Cave", the men that were chained to the walls were blinded by the illusion that their lives were entirely confined to a small chamber underground. These men lived in complete isolation from civilization, and were only accompanied by one another. This chamber was what they have been surrounded by since they were children. The only thing they can see is what lied directly in front of them and the chains constricted any movement by the neck and legs. This story was meant to teach us a lesson. It adequately portrays how our actions can be directly effected…show more content…
There are three different stages that one experiences while trying to overcome their own allusions. At first they identify the shadows/allusions that are present in their life. Then, they endure the painful reality which causes them to be in a state of confusion. Lastly, they hopefully achieve acceptance and enlightenment, which enables them to continue living their live while knowing the truth. The illusion that me and my boyfriend were going to remain as close when he went to college represented my own shadows and illusions, him leaving and becoming distant forced me to learn the painful reality that he wouldn't be with me on an everyday basis, and us working on finding a way to stay close through the distance exemplified the acceptance to this new type of relationship. I related this back to the story, "Allegory in the Cave" because the prisoner had to deal with his own allusion just as I did. He believed that the shadows were all that existed in the world and this blinded him from seeing beyond the cave. Once he escaped it was hard for him to believe that there was more then what he saw during his confinement period. He was very confused and resistant to believing what his eyes showed before him. Finally, he saw the sun at its essence and began to accept the fact that this was his new world, the real world. Although it may seem unachievable to some, identifying the allusions in ones life is essential when trying to reach a true state of

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