Truman Show: Ethical or Unethical? Essay

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Imagine a life with friendly neighbors, a town where everyone knows your name. A simple, routine life with a lovely wife and a best friend you've known since childhood. But what if this perfect life was a lie and the story of your life was actually a TV show? That is the life of Truman Burbank, who was born and raised on a set his entire life without any knowledge of it. So the question is asked: is Truman's lifestyle an abuse of human rights? Two characters arise to form two sides of the argument. Christof is the creator/producer/director of "The Truman Show" and has watched over Truman since before he was born. Christof believes that his actions are justified through "love" and for the sake of Truman's happiness. On the other …show more content…
Sylvia's pentad looks as followed:

Act: Keeping Truman in the dark and robbing him of his freedom.
Scene: A made-up setting with paid actors; a lie.
Agent: Selfish media and Christof who has a God complex.
Agency: Money, a set, Truman.
Purpose: To have a "genuine" show to keep ratings up.

Sylvia's views contradict with Christof's, seeing this act of confinement as unfair. She states that on moral grounds, stripping Truman of his freedom and choices is not done out the act of love but out of selfishness. She reasons that they leave Truman in the dark not to protect him from the knowing the dangerous world outside the dome but to boost ratings for the TV show. She pushes through with this motive throughout her argument in fighting for Truman's freedom and to be reunited again with him. She continues by using pathos when she calls Christof during the interview. Her tone of voice and irritation allows the audience to see her frustration and feelings for Truman. Here, she displays her love for Truman and with it, advocates for his freedom, saying that one cannot be truly happy with a life that is a based on a lie. Since she was permanently removed from the show, Sylvia can only express her argument directly through the TV network and Christof. Through her argument, she expresses her feelings and concerns for Truman, which ultimately goes hand in hand with the
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