Personal Narrative: The Allegory Of The Cave

In the year 360 BCE, the famous philosopher Plato released his perplexing book The Republic, which brings to light philosophical ideas relating to ignorance, and it's effects upon people individually, or grouped together with a “mob mentality”. His brilliant writing is accompanied by numerous archetypes, but the one that catches the eye is the dark and light motif which he uses quite subtly, yet, is also quite clear in his allegory of The Cave. This motif of light and dark introduces the idea of our own personal darkness consuming us, which are our “chains” - the chains which hold us back from living happily, or our “sun”. However, some of us have the keys to our shackles, and choose to stay with their darkness, because within our cave of ignorance, it is familiar. I am one of these people, along with many others, yet no matter how painful it may be, breaking free from these shackles will remove the burden upon our backs, and allow us to see the light from outside our caves.

However, like a growing flower, my darkness bloomed in my late childhood around the age of nine. This disease of self-doubt spread to me from the infliction of bullying, caught from both of my own cousins. They blinded my own view of myself, until all I could see was the negatives within me. And this corruption, these ever-growing “chains,” hold me back from seeing true vision, even to this day. Nonetheless, if I had the ability to shatter the shackles of insecurity, perhaps I would have the power to see the sun, and the resplendent light of a better