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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…

Christof, in the last scene with Truman, uses pathos to act as a fatherly figure towards Truman. Here, Christof tells Truman that he has been watching him all his life in order to persuade him that keeping him in the dome was for his own good. By expressing that Truman is number one in his mind, Christof makes his argument stronger, which is evident in the last scene where Truman is talking to the voice of Christof. For a moment, Truman hesitates from leaving the dome, proving that Christof rhetoric influenced him in some way.
He also uses other methods and means accessible to him in order to prevent Truman from exploring and finding the truth, such as the ocean. Truman lost his father at sea when they were out boating one day, which left a traumatic memory on Truman's life. By making the ocean his enemy, Truman is discouraged of his dream, ultimately delaying Truman from finding the truth, allowing him to adjust to his lifestyle and less likely to want to leave. Christof continues by pulling on Truman's heartstrings, saying his life, his story is an inspiration to many, that his existence has a meaning. By appealing to Truman's pathos, he makes it hard for Truman to want to leave and all the more reason to stay. By boosting Truman's self-importance, Christof tries to convince him that his life was there and only there with his life-long friends and family, even if that life was a lie.
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