The Awakening

– Robin Williams Essay, Research Paper

Throughout the movie The Awakening, Robin Williams

demonstrates his knowledge of the scientific method. The

scientific method is a procedure of steps that is used to

prove problems. In the movie it is used to show that

patients suffering from an un-named disorder do have a

slight opportunity to return to their normal state of being. The scientific method is a list of steps to prove something

and make into a law or theory based on your final product

and findings. It is composed of several steps, it starts with

observations. Observations are where a person collects

known data concerning what you are going to test on.

Next they formulate a hypothesis based on their

observations. After they have a hypothesis they perform

several experiments to prove or disprove it. After this, they

then form a theory and experiment based on their

hypothesis. More observations and experiments follow

this, until they finally come to a conclusion which is called

a law. Throughout the movie The Awakening, Robin Williams

uses the observation, hypotheses and experimenting steps

in the scientific method. Observations included, noticing

the lifeless behavior shown by the patients, their reflexes

to moving objects, and the fact that they all had cases of

encephalitis before. After he did all the research he formed

several hypotheses and experimented to prove them.

Robin Williams used strobe lights, talked to them,

measured their brain patterns, and used games such as a

Ouija board to prove some of his hypotheses. After he formed several hypotheses and experimented with

them, he came across an article that explained how the use

of a certain type of medicine which was used to treat a

disease related to the one that he was investigating. He

tried administrating the medicine to one of his patients,

and observed the results. The patient demonstrated

normal, human conditions and seemed to have no side

effects. He then made a law that stated the medicine

helped his patient, and gave it to all the patients in the

ward. However, his observations were incorrect and the

side effects were devastating. This is how Robin Williams

demonstrated the steps of the scientific method

throughout the movie The Awakenings. In conclusion, I enjoyed this movie very much, and the

way the scientific method was used in a real life situation.

The movie proved that even though someone follows the

scientific method, there is still a chance that the procedure

will not work every time. For a theory to become a law,

the outcome must be the same every time. Even though

Robin Williams thought his hypothesis was full proof,

the move proved that it is very difficult for some thing to

become a law.