English Composition I
Analyzing the Development of Neo
The Matrix, created by Laurence and Andy Wachowski, is a Sci-Fi movie trilogy that depicts a future in which machines use humans as batteries. To keep the humans occupied, the machines keep the humans unknowingly in a computer simulation that provides the illusion of normal human life. However, if you die in The Matrix then you also die outside of The Matrix. The protagonist of the films Neo, also known as Thomas Anderson, develops drastically throughout his adventures inside and outside of The Matrix. Throughout the series, Neo is characterized as The One to save all of humanity, but his development is displayed through fear, enlightenment, and acceptance.
Neo begins his journey unknowingly inside the Matrix. When the character Morpheus approaches Neo to climb out a skyscraper window and jump to a scaffolding to avoid custody of artificial intelligence, called Agents, Neo demonstrates an overwhelming amount of fear. Even though Neo wants to follow Morpheus, his fear leads him to choose to go into custody instead of jumping to his safety. He then continues to demonstrate his fear while speaking with the Agents as he starts to become distressed. His fear is driven by the doubt surrounding how little information he has about The Matrix, which is the only life he knows. Morpheus soon offers Neo the option to continue his life in The Matrix blissfully unaware that it's not real, or be shown the real world with no turning back. Neo chooses to see the real world, which immediately removes him from the computer simulation causing him to wake in the dark where machines rule the world.
Neo then learns that his consciousness can be entered back into The Matrix using a pirated signal, similar to hacking a computer. He begins to learn that this knowledge allows him to break the rules of The Matrix, simulating superhuman abilities while inside. Morpheus believes that Neo is the prophesized savior of all humans, inside and outside of The Mat...
