Tori Cobble Synthesis Paper.

When asked, many people believe that they are responsible of their own perception
of reality.
Although this is true, institutions such as the government and large companies tend
to try to
shape the perception people have of reality. Simple distractions such as ads or medi
a can alter
ones opinion about the world. Theoretically, one is okay with the reality they see no
w, without questions. Reality can be many defenitions, but one that stands out is :
the quality of being
lifelike or resembling an original. This definition of reality is often swept under the r
ug but can
be seen everywhere. For example, the American loved slogan I cant believe its not
butter!. An
amazing cornerstone from Allegory of the cave is he will suffer sharp pains, the gla
re will
distress him, and he will be unable to see the realities of which in his former state h
e had seen the
shadows and then conceive some one saying to him, that what he saw before was a
n illusion but
that now [...] he has a clearer vision (Plato). When analyzing texts that connects to
Platos
Allegory of the Cave
quote,

one might find that What to the Slave is the Fourth of July?

by
Frederick Douglass, Walden
by Henry David Thoreau, and Shooting an Elephant
by George
Orwell, all initially connect to Platos argument that life is the unreality of reality.
In the mid 1800s America was especially fortunate to have inspiring survi
vors such as
Frederick Douglass. On July 5, 1852 Douglass gave a speech to the American public
and its
president about the fourth of July. Although this was a joyous time for white America
ns,

Douglass gives the perspective of what the fourth of July is to him, a former slave. H
e often uses
pathos and logos to grab the attention of his audience. This was a huge oppurtunity
for the
African American community to have a represenative and a voice (which explains w
hy his
speech was about sixteen pages long). During the beginning of Douglass speech he
says a very
heart burning statement It is the birthday of your National Independence and of y
our political
freedom [...] It carries your minds back to the day, and to the act of your great diler
ance and to
the signs, and to the wonders, associated with that act (Frederick Douglass page
1). This text connects to the quote from the Allegory of the Cav
e because Frederick implys that Americas
fourth of july is their illusion or perspective of independence. He implys that it is n
ot thew
indepencence of everyone within the country because African Americans countined
to be, in a
sense, enslaved, while also being the backbone of America. Whereas in the Allego
ry, the
prisioners saw the shadows as the actual objects and not an illusion, nor realizing t
hat the actual
reality was behind them.
A second analogy that can be made from Doglass
What to the Slave is the Fourth of July?
That connects to the Allegory could seem similar as the first. Overall, Douglass see
ms to
repeat him self while using different words always connecting back to the unfairnes
s of
America. Your fathers staked their lives, their fortunes, and their sacred honor, on
the cause of
their country. In their admiration of liberty, they lost sight of all other interests (Fre
derick
Douglass page four). One can see this as a connection because Douglass use of th
e word your
and their implys to the American people, who can also represent the prisioners fr

om The Allegory of the Cave.

He states that they see themselves as successful and happy. Whereas the
prisioners thought that living in the cave was the way of life and did not complai
n. Withing both of these texts, one can analyze that Douglass, the orator in
What to the Slave is the Fourth of July? a
lso
represents the freed prisioner from The Allegory of the Cave.
He sees the reality
of the world and finds it hard to believe at first, but then knows that it is true, and th
at what he
saw before was not.
A second writer whos work strongly connects to Platos
Allegory of the Cave,
is
Henry David Thoreaus Walden
. Thoreau. In 1845 Thoreau decided to build his own house on
Walden Pond, owned by his mentor, and a very successful philosopher, Ralph Emme
rson. There
Thoreau wanted to live a simpler life. During that time he lived there, he wrote abou
t the things he saw and did. This came to the creation of Walden
. One can find, two quotes that connect to The Allegory of the Cave.
Thoreau is such an exceptional writer that both quotes were found
from the same page. We must learn to reawaken and keep ourselves awake, not by
mechanical
aids, but by an infinite expectation of the dawn, which does not foresake us in our s
oudest sleep
(Henry Thoreau page ). This connects to the quote because Plato also talks about b
eing
awaken with mechanical aids, the mechanical aid, being the fire that created the s
hadows on
the wall of the cave, was the key thing that kept the prisioners feeling in reality.
The second connection was quite easier than the first, considering that it de
scrobes the
past life of the freed prisoner. Still we live meanly, like ants though the fable tells
us that we
were long ago changed into men like pygmies we fight with cranes it is error upon
error, and

clout upon clout... (Henry Thoreau page ). One will find this quote connects the sto
ngest to the
Allegory quote, compared to the others. In this context, Thoreaus use of meanly sh
ows how
Americans live in a low manner. This is also true for the prisoners, in a literal sense.
They are
living with no meaning in their life and base it off of shadows on a wall that they per
ceieve as
reality and/or the actual weorld. Thoreau exclaims that this is a huge error and that i
t should not
be a way of life, more explaining the reason why he would decide to live a simpler lif
e on
Walden Pond.
The most interesting texts of the three would obvioulsly be
Shooting An Elephant
by
George Orwell. The title of this text well decribes the story of when Orwell made the
difficult
decision of having to shoot an elephant. Analyzing this text can be quite difficult bec
ause of its
little use of logos,ethos,and pathos. a story always sounds clear enough at a dista
nce, but the
nearer you get to the scene of the events the vaguer it becomes (George Orwell p
age 1). This
connection can be made because the story well reprersents the reality the prisioner
s assume. The
distance that the story is heard understandingly represents the shadows and the fac
t that the
prisoners are in the cave. Lastly the nearer of the story can represent the actual wor
ld. It is very
vague to the freed prisoner and is confusing. Overall, this qote could be added to Pl
atos The Allegory of the Cave ,
and could be said be the freed prisioner, after it is explained to him what
the actual objects in the world look like.

In conclusion, Platos Allegory of the Cave can be found as very inspirational t

o all three of

these texts. Platos philosophy can even be tied into todays society. The fact that ev
eryone is
living on the unreality of reality. When analyzing texts that connects to Platos
Allegory of the Cave quote, one might find that
What to the Slave is the Fourth of July? by Frederick Douglass, Walden
by Henry David Thoreau, and Shooting an Elephant by George Orwell, all initially
connect to Platos argument that life is the unreality of reality.

Cite Page
http://www.biography.com/people/henrydavidthoreau9506784#waldenpon