Cody Johns

English 220-23
Ms. Alapin
10/23/2015
The Cycles of Education and Understanding
The Cave is symbolic of the perception of ones reality realized through seeing, feeling,
hearing, taste, and touch. Through the use of these our main senses - we each create our
individual understanding of reality. Education is exposure; exposure leads to change by
altering ones perception of reality and subsequently, of their philosophy on life. A journey
through education, as a journey through new experiences can lead to the unshackling of chains of
the uneducated. Without similar exposure, or education - the prisoners in the cave are no more
able to understand the free-mans new-found reality, than he can understand the one they
continue to know.
As the fire behind him crackles, the invisible wave of heat flows over, and is the only
comfort he has ever known. The flames behind, eternally casting shadows onto the wall. With a
body locked into place, the man only knows what is set forth in front of him. His senses guide
him to where they are directed, and do what they are told. We see what we want to see, and
perception is changed through knowledge. The prisoner and the few men that lie shackled sitting
next to him believe each other to perceive and understand everything in their realties. With new
disclosures our existences can ultimately transform leading to an unshackling of chains.
I changed the introduction to create insight into what the prisoner was experiencing. I
wanted to capture the readers attention by pulling him into the first few sentences, I then created
analogies between education, and perception. I described how senses and perceptions are brought

forth through education. With his knew knowledge he can eventually face the fire, I wanted to
use that as something that he perceives but does not entirely understand.
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