Modern Plato

’s Cave Essay, Research Paper

In the Allegory of the Den written by Plato. In his writing he explains human

beings live in an underground den, here they have been from their childhood, and have

their legs and necks chained so that they cannot move. Being prevented by the chains

from turning round their heads. The three areas in modern American life that relate to

Platos cave are school, community, and home or personal issues.

One of the areas of modern American life that relates to Platos den is school. In

grades 1-6 (elementary) kids don’t really know anything bout life. Kids just play, act

crazy, and don’t think of other genders. After elementary is over they go to middle

school. While in middle school, teenagers get pure pressured into doing something such

as: drugs, steal, sex or alcohol. Teenagers also start to recognize other genders. They also

start to argue with their parents. This is also know as the Electro\Oedypius complex.

After they graduate from middle school they enter high school. They start taking

responsibility and get more serious. They start to get stressed about work and essays.

But after high school they start to think about freedom. But they really don’t get

freedom. Everybody has to do something to survive like working for money, food, and

pay the bills.

Another area in Modern American life that relates to Platos cave is community.

The reasons why community is related to Platos cave is due to isolation, jobs,

culture\race, crime, and the way people act. Ridgecrest for example, the town is a middle

white race society. The society blames ethnic people of committing crimes and they

wont be able to get a job. The ethnic culture in isolated towns is rare, when people see

other cultures such as: Asian, Mexican, etc. Most people consider them as weird or when

they hear other peoples language. In small towns, there are a lot of stereotypes. They

don’t wont change. The law is what also makes this world a cave. The law is created to

stop violence and criminals. If you disobey the laws then you either get put in jail or put

to death. It relates to being put in chains being prevented from turning our heads.

The final reason is your personal issues or living at home. For instance your the

rules of the house, being on home at a certain hour, and doing chores around the house.

The chores relates of also being chained up, not being able to relax, watch television.

Brothers and sisters keep on bugging you and not giving you any space. Going home at a

certain time, not having the freedom of staying out as late as you want.

In the Allegory of the Den by Plato, it talks about being imprisoned or feeling

imprisoned and being put in chains. In modern American life that feel imprisoned are

school, community and home. The three areas (school, community, and home) relate to

the cave because all three have to do with freedom. Not being able to do what they want

to is what makes them feel imprisoned.