Symbolism In The Truman Show, By Peter Weir

In Peter Weir’s, The Truman Show, 2004, the protagonist, Truman, goes through life unbeknownst to the fact that each minute of his life is recorded and broadcasted life. Weir exemplifies the manipulation of mass media, and conveys his theme through the life of Truman. As Truman ages, he notices hints that may suggest his life is not an accurate depiction of reality, leaving him a decision between accepting a false perception or searching for the truth. Peter Weir uses Truman to symbolize those of society willing to break out of the preconceived perception of the world, in order to understand the truth. Ultimately, Weir is effective in conveying his message through the use of symbolism that connects to issues primarily concerned with modern day society. Weir asserts that one must defy the external impositions in order to discover truth. Wier’s message mainly connects to a broad demographic of people due to the plasticity of the …show more content…
Truman is ultimately able to escape, however not before the television crew concocts a giant storm, in their last attempt to keep Truman on the show. Weir uses the storm to represent the backlash and scrutiny that comes when one chooses to go against society, and think differently. In his transition into the real world, Truman climbs a staircase into what looks like the sky in order to leave his fake life behind. Because stairs are archetypes for progression and transition, Weir adds this specific detail to signify the progression that comes when one accepts reality as one transitions into enlightenment. The staircase appeared to lead into a stereotypical view of heaven, and Weir compares entering heaven to becoming enlightened. The significance of this is to highlight the peace and tranquility that comes after accepting reality, much like the peacefulness associated with