Epiphany Narrative

AN: Okay, so the narrative part of this is weak, but this is the only epiphany I remember having, aside from split-second "ohhhh" moments, that are even more ill-suited for writing.

Epiphany Narrative

 

Is life a dream? In the popular movie, Inception, this question is brought to the forefront. Characters live or die by this question and their personal answer to it. A trailer for the movie said, “the most resilient parasite is an idea.” It stands to reason then, that the question of “is life a dream?” will be around for a long time, unless somebody can definitively answer it. However, nobody in life can answer that question for another person. It’s up to each of us to answer it for ourselves. “Is my life real?” The question can extend further: “am I living? Does my life or my actions have an impact?” These are the questions that can determine a person’s character, and decide their destiny.

I have been a fan of Christopher Nolan and his films ever since Batman Begins came out. Since then, I’ve avidly followed his movies, of which Inception is one of the best. I’ve seen it numerous times: at the theatre, at home, on trips, at parties… and every time, the ending of the film provokes a discussion. At the end of the movie, the main character, Cobb, spins a top. If the top falls down, than Cobb knows that he is in the real world, and that he truly has returned home to his children. If it continues to spin, Cobb will know that he is still trapped in a dream world, and that nothing around him is real. The ending shot of the top is ambiguous: it wobbles, but then spins for an eerily long time. My personal belief is that Cobb had returned to the real world, but there are plenty of proponents for either side of the argument. Whilst discussing the ending with my younger siblings for the millionth time, as we climbed out of the car and stretched after a long trip, I finally realized the ultimate truth of the spinning top: it doesn’t matter.

After Cobb spins the top his children call out to him. Cobb walks away from the top, paying no attention to whether or not it falls, and goes to his children. He decided that it did not matter if he was in a dream world – he wanted to see his children. Cobb wanted to live his life. Just as Cobb paid no more attention to the spinning top, neither should we. It doesn’t matter whether or not life is a dream, so long as you are living it. The attitude we hold throughout our lives is more important than whether or not it was justified. Our lives hold the meaning that we put into them. It doesn’t matter if the top is spinning. My life matters, because I say so! I have an impact, because I choose to! My life is real, because I believe it is. That is the hidden truth behind the spinning top.