Plato's Allegory of the Cave depicts prisoners chained in a cave seeing only shadows on the cave wall in front of them, which they mistake for reality. When one prisoner escapes and sees the true reality outside, he comes to understand how the mind can separate true reality from the false reality perceived in the cave. The allegory explores central themes around perception, knowledge, and the acquisition of understanding.

2. What to you are the central
themes for Plato’s Allegory of
the Cave?
The allegory of the cave can be described by
these pictures:

6. How does the mind separate
the true reality from false
reality?

8. The movie closes with Lenny
saying, “We all need mirrors to
remind ourselves who we are.
I’m no different.” Lenny’s
“mirrors” were his memory
devices. What sort of “mirrors”
do people with normal
memories rely on to remind
themselves who they are?

9. Friends

10. Family

11. Enemies

12. Our realizations 

13. Finally, the things we do* 
*even it is stupid

14. When Lenny jots down
Teddy’s license number, he
asks: “Do I lie to myself to be
happy? In your case, Teddy...
yes, I will.” What does that
say about truth?