Obediance to Authority

In the sociological study entitled Obedience to Authority by Stanley Milgram, we clearly view how strong of an effect authority has on the perception of moral decency and internal struggle. A film dealing with this same topic of compliance to authority is The Truman Show, directed by Peter Weir. In this picture, a man named Truman Burbank is caught inside a controlled environment that conceals its true nature. Unbeknownst to him, he is living inside a 24 hour-a-day comedy-melodrama in which he is the star. When Truman eventually learns of the true nature of his world, he defies all authority to regain his freedom and re-o

This breaking point was clearly seen in the motion picture The Truman Show. Truman Burbank is a mild-mannered insurance salesman living on an idyllic island town where everything is nearly perfect. Yet recent events have sparked thought in Truman’s head that things may not be all that they seem. Gradually throughout the story, Truman learns that he is the star of an elaborate show that started from his birth. As he learns this, his longing for a life outside the safe harbors of the town of Seahaven further increases. Despite orders from his mother, wife, and best friend to not attempt to relocate somewhere else and to forget all the “coincidental” events that have been occurring, Truman continually attempts to escape. Truman finally, attempts to escape by boat. As he travels toward the illusion of open space and sky, his boat suddenly hits the inside wall of the dome. He walks along a ledge at the edge of the wall and up some stairs, to a door. The producer then speaks to Truman as a voice from above and reveals the truth, while trying to draw him into another lie; life is a television program, Truman is the star. He tells Truman that all is safe and better inside. Truman rejects the idea of living in an imaginary world and goes through the door exiting the elaborate stage.

When combining Milgram’s study and the motion picture The Truman Show, we find conflicting views and responses from individuals faced with direct orders from authority figures. While the “teachers” from Milgram’s study followed stern orders to harm an innocent individual, Truman Burbank openly disobeyed his mother, wife, and the producer when attempting to flee Seahaven.

Several conclusions may be drawn from this experiment. Most individuals who believe they are superiorly upright in morals, may in fact come short of these expectations when met with a questionable situation such as Milgram’s. Though each individual claimed that he/she would not continue beyond 300 volts, more than half continued to the very end of the voltage scale. Another conclusion drawn from this study is that individuals, when told that responsibility of a harmful act is not theirs b

Some topics in this essay:
Truman Burbank, War Criminal, Nazi Germany, , Henry Huxleyonce, God Obedience, Stanley Milgram, Yale University, obedience authority, truman burbank, motion picture, compliance authority, Peter Weir, motion picture truman, milgram’s study, picture truman, 300 volts, conflict resolution type, conflict represents, type conflict, society function type, resolution type, belief compliance authority, private belief compliance,