I recently stopped to watch The Truman Show again, not quite remembering why I liked it in the first place. It was definitely not Carrey’s underrated acting, but a theme that resonated throughout the film. I think everyone can relate that we struggle to make sense of something that we can’t always make sense of.
Truman constantly tries to make sense of his life, and his role, not just as a Big Brother TV star, but as a human in the fictional set of Christoff’s mind. He is unassuming and ordinary. Life is going great; no curve balls, until one day he sees his father dressed as a hobo on the street. This is strange as we know Truman’s father died some twenty years ago. Yet the character continues to search for meaning to this freak occurrence…
Albert Camus described the same notion as absurdism. We will fail in finding the meaning of our lives because of the amount of uncertainties around it. Camus’ solution is acknowledging the absurd – realizing life is crazy just because it is. Camus explains, by accepting the Absurd, “one can achieve absolute freedom, accepting it as unstoppable and be content from the personal meaning constructed in the process.” We need to sit back, relax, put our trays in the upright position and just let life happen. Camus says “To live without appeal.” In other words, ride the wave man.
This idea rings an all too familiar bell. With a little introspection I’ve come to realize there are things in my life I won’t understand; people that cannot be changed, events that can’t be repeated, and mistakes that cannot be forgotten. I try to make sense of why and get hung up in the process. Absurd right?
And if I don’t see ya – good afternoon, good evening and goodnight. Next up, was Chris McCandless (aka Alexander Supertramp from Into the Wild) a little Kafkaesque?
Paige Azden Musings 