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"the allegory centers on a fictional group of slaves held captive in a cave their entire lives. They are chained in a seated position so that all they can see is directly in front of them. Behind the slaves is platform with a wall upon it, and behind the wall people walk back and forth carrying objects that stick up above the wall, so that the objects act like shadow puppets. Because of the light source in the cave, the objects cast shadows on the wall of the cave in front of the slaves. Those carrying the objects speak to one another and their voices bounce off the wall before the slaves appearing to make the shadows speak. All the slaves have ever known are the shadows in front of them, and the sounds they believe the shadows make.
Suddenly, one of the slaves is unchained and forced to turn around facing the platform and the shadow puppets protruding above the wall. After his eyes adjust to the sudden glare of light, he slowly comes to realize that the shadows were not as real as he had formerly believed. They are in some sense caused by the objects that he had previously never seen.
Next the slave is forced up, past the platform, and out of the cave into the “real” world. Of course, at first his vision is unclear as he is not used to the brightness of the outside world; it takes some time for his vision to adjust. But, eventually, as his vision improves, the slave sees the objects of the real world and comes to realize that even the “real” objects from the cave (i.e., the shadow puppets) were themselves only replicas of the true reality he now sees clearly.
Feeling sorry for his companions who remain chained below ground, the slave returns to the cave to try and set his fellows free. But upon returning he finds his vision so unclear that his companions think he has gone mad by leaving his place and traveling to the other “world”. They mock him and refuse to leave the world of shadows that is their “reality”; they even threaten to put him to death if he should try to set anyone else free.
Suddenly, one of the slaves is unchained and forced to turn around facing the platform and the shadow puppets protruding above the wall. After his eyes adjust to the sudden glare of light, he slowly comes to realize that the shadows were not as real as he had formerly believed. They are in some sense caused by the objects that he had previously never seen.
Next the slave is forced up, past the platform, and out of the cave into the “real” world. Of course, at first his vision is unclear as he is not used to the brightness of the outside world; it takes some time for his vision to adjust. But, eventually, as his vision improves, the slave sees the objects of the real world and comes to realize that even the “real” objects from the cave (i.e., the shadow puppets) were themselves only replicas of the true reality he now sees clearly.
Feeling sorry for his companions who remain chained below ground, the slave returns to the cave to try and set his fellows free. But upon returning he finds his vision so unclear that his companions think he has gone mad by leaving his place and traveling to the other “world”. They mock him and refuse to leave the world of shadows that is their “reality”; they even threaten to put him to death if he should try to set anyone else free.
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