Existentialism is Humanism is a philosophical work written by Jean Paul Sartre. This work outlines the major concepts developed by the philosopher, as well as it could be considered the core of his teaching on existentialism. In the work, Sartre discusses the concepts of existence, anguish, despair, responsibility, freedom, and how they are related to and perceived by an individual. The movie Matrix (1999) portrays the story of Neo, the chosen man who should free humanity from the rule of machines. The picture illustrates the transformation of Neo from ordinary man to the individual who is be ready to take responsibility for the salvation of humanity. Thus, while the beginning of the path of Neo towards becoming the chosen one is marked by Sartre’s notion of anguish, the strong feeling of despair fuels his transformation and acceptance of life of the chosen one.
Sartre was convinced that anguish is an essential part of human life. This emotion could be defined as realization of the responsibility for the lives of other people. Moreover, according to Sartre, anguish is a basis for judgment of others. Anguish encourages people to make certain choices, which could define not only their own fate but also the fate of others (Sartre). In the Existentialism is Humanism, Sartre stated “Man is responsible ... not ... only for his own individuality ... but [also] for all men.” This quote remarkably explains Sartre’s notion of anguish. This means that such emotion allows individual to feel responsibility for the lives of other people. The notion of responsibility provoked by anguish incorporates the issue of free choice and its possible consequences. That is, the availability of free choice could confuse an individual and distort his/her genuine desires. However, despite the fact what the choice is, one would always be responsible for the consequences of that choice. Hence, Sartre argues “We do not know what we want and yet we are responsible for what we are — that is the fact.” Therefore, such Sartre’s approach to anguish could be found in the transformation of Neo from common citizen to the “chosen one” that has various responsibilities.
The beginning of the transformation path of Neo is full of mental and physical anguish, which although is needed to reach success and become the chosen one. At the beginning of the movie, Neo (Mr. Anderson) is suffering since his attempts to find Morpheus are unsuccessful. In addition, his job and way of life do not bring him any satisfaction. Thus, the desirable meeting with Morpheus seems the end of sufferings for Mr. Anderson. However, despite expectations of the main character, the encounter with Morpheus put Neo in even worse anguish because now Mr. Anderson has to choose between “red or blue pill” (The Matrix). As Sartre claimed, despite his choice, Neo would be forced to deal with its consequences. He chooses a “red pill,” and it becomes the first step towards his transformation. Already after realizing the truth about the world and the rule of machines, Neo is burdened with great responsibility. As it is revealed later, he has to save the humanity and defeat the Matrix where people live in captivity. Since that moment, every step and every action of Neo has direct influence on the lives of people in Matrix. Obviously, Neo is an anomaly that does not belong to Matrix as well as cannot find its place among the freed humans. He would like to conduct normal life; however, Neo has to deal with the consequences of choosing the “red pill” instead. He eagerly wants to find the way out from anguish. Thus, Morpheus states “I can only show you the door. You are the one that has to walk through it” (The Matrix). As a result of such “walking through the door,” Neo experiences enormous despair since he got stuck in the middle between his old life and life of the chosen one.
Along with anguish, Sartre’s notion of existentialism is heavily relied on the concept of despair. Apart from common definition of the latter as a negative emotion, Sartre views despair as positive state which motivates individual to achieve the purpose (Sartre). Despair is one of the essential characteristics of human life. One experiences despair when he/she faces death or other difficult situations (Sartre). Next, the state of despair allows people to reconsider their lives and values and make important choices. In other words, being a negative emotion in its essence, despair appears to be a positive driving force, which allows a person to become better and comprehend his/her life path. Sartre states that “Life begins on the other side of despair,” which means that a state of despair consists of two parts. The first part inflicts negative emotions and could even put an individual on the verge of death. The second part is a positive outcome in which a state of despair transforms an individual into better and improved human being. In other words, one achieves a genuine life. The process that takes place between the first and the second parts could be called the process of fashioning one’s personality, which results in an authentic image of a man. Such reasoning is supported by the words of Sartre: “In fashioning myself, I fashion Man” (Sartre). Therefore, it is possible to say that the notion of despair, as defined and developed by Sartre, is the main driving force that provoked Neo to recognize his purpose and start new life as the chosen one.
The unsuccessful trainings and inability to reach even Morpheus’s level of mastery put Neo into despair, and he starts to believe that he is not the chosen one. However, being in this state and facing death boosts Neo’s endeavors, and he finally realizes the purpose of the chosen one. Neo cannot understand the words of Morpheus “Don’t think you are, know you are” and how the latter violates the laws of nature and physics (The Matrix). Thus, since Neo thinks that it is not possible, his despair increases. Moreover, all the events constantly confirm Neo’s belief that he cannot be the chosen one. Thus, it is possible to say that his feelings cannot be an authentic existential despair as defined by Sartre. The breaking moment, which not only drives Neo to the maximal despair but also boosted the emergence of the chosen one, happens when Neo is shot by Agent Smith (The Matrix). This is an authentic despair according to Sartre. New Neo easily violates the law of nature and physics, and, most importantly, he comprehends his own exceptionality and obtains faith in the existence of the chosen one. In other words, Neo fashioned the role model of the chosen and accepted it through despair and death. Thus, it is possible to say that Neo’s becoming the chosen one exemplifies Sartre’s notion of despair as a positive motivational force.
In conclusion, while Sartre’s concept of anguish could be found in the first steps of Neo, the main character of The Matrix movie is becoming the chosen one, and his final transformation is boosted by the despair as defined by Sartre. The state of anguish allows Neo to understand that he is responsible for the lives of all people that are captured in Matrix. By choosing the “red pill”, Neo immerses in enormous despair, which is defined by Sartre as the positive state allowing one to become a better human being. Finally, through the death (which is a genuine despair according to Sartre), Neo accepts his role and life of the chosen one.
As a writer, I pour my heart and soul into every word I craft, striving to evoke emotion, spark curiosity, and ignite imagination in my readers. With a passion for storytelling and a knack for weaving together compelling narratives, I invite you to explore my world through the pages of my blog on my website https://speech-writer.org/hire-persuasive-speech-writer
