A 6 page paper which examines two distinct topics. First, it considers how the 1999 film, “The Matrix” can be viewed as an example of the power structure described by French philosopher Michel Foucault and then compares and contrast radical twentieth-century feminists Emma Goldman and Simone de Beauvoir. Bibliography lists 2 sources.
Name of Research Paper File: TG15_TGmatrix.rtf
Unformatted Sample Text from the Research Paper:
maintained that social change reflected a shift in a particular historical power structure. He theorized that, "Structure organizes and broadens the web of power. The overall volume of
power rises with each individual involved in the play. The society is a huge web, and much of the power tends to be concentrated toward the higher echelons" (Rider,
1999). In the Foucauldian power structure, whatever social regime that is in power, in essence, manufactures its own distinctive type of truth or knowledge (Rider, 1999). As these
concentrations of knowledge branch out, an intricate and interdependent network is constructed. As envisioned by Foucault, this hierarchy was presided over by an "absolute savant," or a writer/intellectual, who,
possibly along with a group of followers, has the power to either sustain life (and truth) as it is, or to destroy it, if he so desires (Rider, 1999).
This select group, which is legitimized by the power structure that it, in turn, controls, has the ability to actively "affect reality" (Rider, 1999). Filmmakers Andy and Larry Wachowski brought
the Foucauldian power structure to the silver screen in their 1999 futuristic thriller, The Matrix. The premise involves protagonist Thomas Anderson, who is a software programmer by day and
a hacker known as Neo by night. Becoming increasingly disillusioned with his life, Neo seeks to find a raison detre, or a reason for being. He seems to
find it when he is contacted by a computer generated figure known as Morpheus, who along with his band of followers, is attempting to disseminate "the Matrix," or a type
of dream world which is completely controlled by machines and anything remotely resembling humanity is being harnessed for power, and then is subsequently destroyed. Morpheus regards Neo as a