Preview

Pleasantville

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
738 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Pleasantville
Humans have the choice to do anything they would like to do. There are many explanations as to why humans work this way, but one of them is explained in the Bible. According to the Bible, humans were given the choice to obey or disobey God. In the movie, Pleasantville, directed by Gary Ross, there is a television show named Pleasantville. The show is about people who live in this small, secluded town. They are unable to leave their town, and they are unaware of what is going on. They have not been introduced to free will, so they do not recognize what it is. When two characters, David and Jennifer, become trapped inside Pleasantville, they introduce free will to the town. At first, it is unacceptable, because they do not recognize such freedom. But as they see how wonderful freedom is they cannot resist it. The movie Pleasantville portrays the Bible’s theory of freedom being a part of human nature. The characters in Pleasantville represent Adam and Eve of the Bible. In the movie, before David and Jennifer enter Pleasantville, the residents lived peacefully, but lifelessly. They did not question their motives or their existence. They just lived. This was how Adam and Eve lived before they ate the fruit from the tree of knowledge of good and evil. They did not question, and they just lived. But once David and Jennifer were introduced, the residents of Pleasantville started to see changes happening. Things were not going the way they were supposed to. Soon enough, free will was introduced. The residents had a choice in what they did. Slowly, the whole town began to realize this different way of living. It seemed natural to make the change to freedom. When Adam and Eve ate the fruit, they too realized a different way of living. They lived freely. It is humans’ nature to be curious and be free. The residents of Pleasantville were the first of their kind to understand what it was like to live freely, just like Adam and Eve. The residents of Pleasantville were free
Continue Reading
View Writing Issues

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    James Rachels The Case Against Free Will Summary
    • 798 Words
    • 4 Pages

    James Rachels The Case Against Free Will Summary

    In his article, "The Case against Free Will" James Rachels investigates the idea of choice and what makes through and through freedom a vital idea. Rachels additionally contends that just individual and God have unrestrained choice, yet God's ability with the expectation of complimentary will is still under inquiries. There are several main point Rachel mention in this article. Rachels says Darrow’s resistance that individuals that never in charge of their activities, in light of the fact that their activities are brought on by strengths past their control.…

    • 798 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Better Essays

    Stylistic Analysis Of The Movie Pleasantville
    • 1026 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Stylistic Analysis Of The Movie Pleasantville

    David and Jennifer are living in the age of negativity. The environment is going to hell, unemployment is going to rise, life just sucks in general. This doesn’t bother Jennifer, but David wishes his life was more like his favorite 50′s TV show, Pleasantville. He’s seen every episode to the point of memorization; so when a mysterious TV repairman gives him a remote that transports him and his sister, Jennifer, into the show; he’s thrilled, but she is not. David (now Bud) tries to get Jennifer (now Mary Sue) to play the role she’s been given in the show, and follow the plot, but she decides to change things up. Now, her modern influence starts changing the way Pleasantville citizens think, as well as changing the landscape from black and white to technicolor.…

    • 1026 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Better Essays
    Read More
  • Powerful Essays

    The city of Springvale
    • 10319 Words
    • 42 Pages

    The city of Springvale

    When an explorer plans a journey through unknown territory to a new des­tination, his preparations include a careful inspection of a map of the ter­ritory. The explorer familiarizes himself with topographic features such as major highways, mountain ranges, lakes and rivers, and population centers. He may gather information concerning the climate of the region and the language and customs of its inhabitants. This preliminary knowledge of the environment helps the explorer chart his course and minimizes the danger that his progress will be im­peded by unforeseen circumstances.…

    • 10319 Words
    • 42 Pages
    Powerful Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Pleasantville Comparecontrast Essay Example
    • 1164 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Pleasantville Comparecontrast Essay Example

    The movie Pleasantville was a commentary on the ideas of the 1950s. Throughout the movie, there are many parallels between the two. The Fifties were a time of normalcy and the desire to keep things they way they were. During the movie, the changes Bud/David and Mary Sue/Jennifer bring about are met with strong opposition. After the town rebels against the “Coloreds”, Betty Parker is almost raped because she was different from the rest of the town. The movie also touches on the gender roles of the Fifties. The movie, while a lovely movie to “veg out” and watch, has more than one underlying message to show that the 1950s weren’t like Leave It to Beaver episodes.…

    • 1164 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    John Tierney Do You Have Free Will Summary
    • 479 Words
    • 2 Pages

    John Tierney Do You Have Free Will Summary

    including “psychologist and neuroscientists” ( Tierney 1), deny free will and concludes that they believe that as “an excuse to behave as one likes” ( Tierney 2). Moreover, he states that there are believers, who believe that people have control over their actions. Tierney uses life examples…

    • 479 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    The Adjustment Bureau: Movie Analysis
    • 875 Words
    • 4 Pages

    The Adjustment Bureau: Movie Analysis

    The article “Freewill and Determinism in Psychology” by Saul McLeod states “We are not aware of the environmental causes of our own behavior or other people’s that we are tricked into believing in our ability to choose.” It’s just like what the men explain to David at 1:04:42 “You don’t have free will you have an appearance.” and 1:04:57 “You don’t have the ability to choose big things that happen in your life.” In comparison the article talks more of an educational standpoint about determinism and free will. The movie explores the idea that these men are walking around guiding people's destinies, and David refuses to be helped by them.…

    • 875 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Maple Ridge
    • 816 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Maple Ridge

    Male Ridge is quickly developing into a unique city that offers a diverse, wonderful lifestyle. Maple Ridge’s location – nestled between Golden Ears Provincial Park and the Fraser River provides its residents with a plethora of outdoor activities and choices while careful city planning and development give the city a nice selection of amenities and culture. As the city is growing, so too are its choices for activities once the sun has gone down. Here is a brief list of some of the nightlife options available in Maple Ridge.…

    • 816 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Pleasantville
    • 402 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Pleasantville

    In the movie Pleasantville, a brother and sister from modern day became part of a black and white ‘50s television show called Pleasantville. This was done using a special remote given to the main character David, by a TV repairman. In the beginning David believed Pleasantville should remain the same. Pleasantville was his utopia; he thought everything was perfect. His sister Jenn was determined to change Pleasantville. Jenn thought people acted like losers, and wanted them to be “cool”. David later realized things should change because people did not show their emotions in Pleasantville, and had no way to express them. When people in Pleasantville showed their emotions, they changed from black and white to color. By the end of the movie, everything was in color because of David. People had learned to show their emotions. The creator of this movie was trying to communicate the message that emotions make things more interesting. This statement is true for Pleasantville and writing. In Pleasantville people would change to color when they showed their emotions. Bill expressed his emotions through painting colorful pictures. David gained his color when he got angry and punched Whitey. Emotions are put into writing to add detail. At Lover's Lane people reading books became colored and the listeners remained black and white. If people incorporate emotions into their writing it will help get the reader's attention and make the plot more interesting. This movie relates to our critical analysis essay. The idea of perception versus reality is conveyed throughout the movie. David thought Pleasantville was perfect when he watched it on television. When he became part of the show he found it had many flaws. The citizens of Pleasantville believed there was nothing outside of Pleasantville; in reality there was a lot. In reality, bad things can happen. When the tree caught on fire, the firefighters did not know how to deal with it because there had never been a fire in…

    • 402 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Better Essays

    Themes In Pleasantville
    • 1340 Words
    • 6 Pages

    Themes In Pleasantville

    Pleantville is David's fantasy and he doesn't want it to change in any way, “maybe it needs to be messed with” said by Jennifer demonstrates her opposing views. This gives the audience the knowledge that things are going to change. These changes are caused when the relationship between Jennifer, “Mary Sue” and Skip, captain of the basketball team, begins to advance. The beginning of change is depicted by a red rose in the alternate black and white world. Colour is very symbolic in “Pleasantville”, it signifies not only physical change of pleasantville but also the inner journeys each character undergoes. The values of Pleasantville also change with the physical changes. Individuality is not tolerated and these changes increases the characters ability to have their own thoughts and beliefs. David and Jennifer have remained black and white, even though they have been the cause of all the changes in pleantville, this symbolises that they are also in need for change. The intolerance for individuality is demonstrated when Betty, mother of Bud and Mary Sue, feel the need to hide the fact that she has also become coloured to conform to the norms of society, “I cant go out there looking like this” the grey make up is juxtaposed with the colour. Betty's personal inner journey deals with her appreciating her individuality therefore her colour. Her values as a housewife are also…

    • 1340 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Better Essays
    Read More
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Roseville, California
    • 464 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Roseville, California

    Roseville is a city in Placer County, located in the metropolitan area of Sacramento. The 2010 U.S. Census stated that Roseville's population was 118,788. Originally Roseville was known by a stage coach station called Grinders. As it started to develop, the name was changed to Junction due to the construction of the railroads. Roseville was incorporated as a city in 1909. According to the Roseville Civic Center, the city has a total area of 42.26 square miles, of which, 42.24 square miles of it is land and 0.002 is water. Dry Creek, Linda Creek, Secret Ravine and Cirby Creek are some of the streams the flow through Roseville.…

    • 464 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Functionalism In Pleasantville
    • 739 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Functionalism In Pleasantville

    Deviance from cultural norms are what accelerate the rate of social change within a group of individuals. The more challenged otherwise solidified expectations of the individual are, the more likely those elements are to be uprooted and replanted, contributing to a movement that advances the group in a new direction. The film Pleasantville highlights the propensity humans have to become flexible, adaptive creatures when prompted by external forces that are appealing to their self interests. When guided by such forces, people will mold themselves into newer, brighter versions of themselves, enhancing the likelihood that they will have an impact on the group as a whole.…

    • 739 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    James Town
    • 569 Words
    • 3 Pages

    James Town

    King James I sent 110 people over for a new start of life. The Englishmen arrived to Jamestown believing that they would find gold and a new way of freedom with government and religion. Most of the colonist died during the early years of 1607-1611. No skills for the New World later made the colonist have a hostile relationship with the Native Americans and the environment that they weren’t immune for lead to their deaths.…

    • 569 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Better Essays

    Jones Town
    • 1374 Words
    • 6 Pages

    Jones Town

    Ziyin Chen History 146-04 In 1978, November 18th, there was a tragedy happened in a town located in Guyana. The town’s name was “Jones Town,” and it was named by Jim Jones. The purpose of the town was to bring Jim Jones’ believers together and live happily ever after, but turns out to be a huge tragedy for those who were living in Jones Town. Around 909 people committed suicide by drinking poison under the command of Jim Jones.…

    • 1374 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Better Essays
    Read More
  • Better Essays

    Erasmus's Argument On Free Will
    • 2353 Words
    • 10 Pages

    Erasmus's Argument On Free Will

    The general members of this population believe, like Descartes does, that they have free will. However, unless an individual became aware of the Adjustment Bureau and chooses to go against the plan he does not have this earthly free will. He does not have free will because the human race is dependent on the Adjustment Bureau to avoid extinction. On the individual level, the Adjustment Bureau sometimes needs to alter an individual’s decision making processes to cause certain “pivotal” events to take place. The main two characters in the movie take control of their will and win independence from the plan. Therefore, the chairperson makes it seem that humans could take control of their will if they had the strength, as the protagonist did. However, it is overlooked that to do so he would have to become aware of the existence of the bureau. If the coffee had been spilled on David, it would not matter how strong his affection was--he would have not seen Elise or more importantly become aware that his destiny had been predetermined. This ignorance keeps regular people powerless to take back their will. You cannot fight a war you don’t know exists. This movie mirrors the reality that is similar to the one Luther describes. The main difference is the “enlightened” people in the movie can change their destiny while Luther’s God would not change the plan under any circumstances. God would not let…

    • 2353 Words
    • 10 Pages
    Better Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Jonestown
    • 912 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Jonestown

    A past religious settlement established by Reverend Jim Jones in late 1978 provides examples of persuasive tricks known as fallacies. The majority of the followers in the masses were individuals who were victims of discrimination seeking a better and more positive outlook on life, signifying Jones' selection of people. Fallacies are formed within arguments causing it to weaken by indicating a flaw in reasoning. Jim Jones utilized unique and persuasive tactics, which brought him about a thousand followers, all desperate and in need of a leader who provided them with what they believed as faith healing. However, these people carried traits of emotional vulnerability, causing them to overlook the errors within their leader's bold statements and arguments. Jones created the Peoples Temple known as Jonestown that began with immense hope and aspiration for the people, but ended in tragedy. The foundation of the tragic event was built upon Jones and his multiple arguments, which pertained common fallacies. The fallacies created by Jones consisted of appeals to popularity, ignorance, authority, tradition, incomplete comparisons, and false dichotomies. The mixture of various strategies were enforced upon these weak individuals; though unfortunate, a leader with psychiatric issues achieves success through his uses of persuasion and leads nearly a thousand people to self-destruction.…

    • 912 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More

Related Topics