Art In Plato's Allegory Of The Cave

In Plato’s allegory of the cave I believe that the cave represents the prisoners home, maybe even their world. The cave is all that the prisoners have ever known since birth. The shadows on the wall represent the outside influences that entertain their minds. The prisoners might symbolize a person’s thinking. For example, when someone grows up thinking something is a certain way they are very hesitant to accept outside views or opinions that might conflict with their beliefs. In a way someones mind can make them a prisoner. If they never let their mind thrive and continuously resist change and new experiences that can hold them back in life because they do not get to experience what life really has to offer. The man who escapes represents an open mind. He was shocked at first when he was finally freed and sent out into the unknown, but he didn't let that stop him from exploring and learning about his new environment. The prisoner allowed the daylight outside of the cave to become his path to freedom. Unfortunately I do not …show more content…
Art is not a cut and dry topic, which may seem scary to most. I have heard about art programs getting cut from school budgets in past years and present day. Maybe since many people do not understand it they want to eliminate it. The future doesn't look bright art since it is being tossed aside mainly because it is misunderstood. I think that the arts convey illusion more than reality. For example, most artwork is not a tree on a piece of paper, it could be a building that someone created or a wire sculpture. To some people that wire sculpture could look like a twisted mess that they cant quite put their finger on, which will seem like an illusion because that person does not understand the intent for that specific piece of artwork. Thats the great thing about art, it doesn't have to be specific to anything beside your own