Thanksgiving/Black Friday and/or Buy Nothing Day

My thanksgiving was spent with my moms side of the family. They're big church goers. They don't really like me and mom but we went anyway. My mom played piano the whole time and me and my cousins rode around in the gator. No one really discussed anything about the day. We didn't do that thing where you go around and say what you're thankful for. It was creepy cause we were in my aunts new house which was her friends who killed himself in the bedroom of the house and it was weird because they kept talking about him like about how much of a good person he was. It was creepy. They told me to go up in the attic and take anything I want out of all his stuff. I chose not to because I believe in ghosts.
I got texts from some of my moms friends saying happy genocide day but that was the most of what was discussed about the day itself. My aunt kept saying how nice it was to be with family. My uncle got drunk cause he always does and he's my favorite family member. My cousin also got drunk and told me she's going to take me out dancing soon. That probably won't ever happen.
I think the American people often try to blind themselves to ignore the evil things we've done to other cultures, and focus more on how good we are. We sit around proclaiming thanks for all these things that are in our lives, and we feel better about ourselves afterwards, as if somehow giving all that thanks shows how grateful and kind we are. We play ignorant from the destruction we've caused. This doesn't reveal much about how to live a good and meaningful life. It reveals what not to do, which is to pretend we're something we aren't. We focus on how we are going to be perceived, and if that means sitting around stuffing our faces and pretending to be thankful for those around us shows what grateful and good people we are, we will do it.
We drove back that same night. I spent Black Friday at home. The only thing I bought that day was a metrocard. I did buy soup that night but it was after midnight so I figured it doesn't count as Black Friday, so I guess you could say I participated in buy nothing day. I didn't really do it intentionally. I just hate big crowds and people who push and I knew everyone would be out that day and even if I wasn't shopping I'd probably get really annoyed. By midnight, it was nice out. I bought french onion soup and a coke.
It's strange that the day we're supposed to sit around discussing all these amazing things in our life that we are thankful for and how we can't be greedy because we've got so many amazing things, is followed by a day in which we rush out and try to buy new things to make us happy. It's all about temporary stimulation for the American people, and then denying it. We put up this false persona as if we have everything we need from our family and from what we've been given, and then we rush out to consume more and more. We're just a bunch of liars.

big paper-dom messages

It's no secret that we live in a world controlled by corporate media. We are sent messages through these corporations, telling us the best ways to live. These supposedly best ways to live, are usually those that consume the most. Within media, we find there are three different types of messages. The first are dominate messages, which are the messages we see the most often, and those that are most visible. The next are marginal messages. These are messages that we only occasionally see. Finally, there are prohibited messages, messages which corporate media would not want to be sent to the public.
One of the most dominate messages we can find is that we are not as good as we could be. We are shown things that would somehow improve the state we are at, whether that be our appearance or through our relationships with others. We are constantly being told that we are good how we are, but we could be better with the help of what they can provide.
We can see this dominate message a lot through magazines.

election

I never wrote my response to the election so i'll do it now.
It was really exciting to watch that happen. The second it was announced people were screaming and cheering around my neighborhood. The buzz around the election and voting had been going on for so long that I had never actually stopped and considered how greatly things might change if Obama were elected. I think this was an incredible feat for our generation, especially because it was the first time for many of us to actually vote. I think it was amazing that we were able to participate in such a drastic change, we were able to see that we are capable of change, and we are capable of being heard. Our generation has been so jaded when it comes to politics. The first most of us ever heard of politics was when the Bill Clinton and Monica Lewinsky scandal came to light. Shortly after that, when we grew older and were finally capable of really comprehending political issues, all we have ever known was this Bush administration. We've grown up with such a negative and jaded view of politics and what its capable of, and its all we've ever known as for politics. It's incredible to see that for the first time many of us have had the option to vote, we were able to basically control the outcome of the election. A huge victory for a generation that has been so let down for so long.

worker dies at long island wal mart

It's really disturbing that people would be capable of something like that. And it's even worse that they continued into the store to shop, despite the guy dying on the floor. I think it is proof that people can be corporate zombies. I don't think someone can really use this and respond saying "Oh but that was only in one place in long island, it doesn't happen everywhere", but the fact that it happened anywhere at all, it matters. Even if the people had stopped and walked out of the wal mart, I still would have seen that and been proud that people were capable of realizing how horrible an act that was. I wouldnt simply say "oh but only some people did that". I would just be happy anyone did that.
It's scary when you really think about how it must have been like to be there. The people sound like animals, bombarding the door and trying to break it down.

11/18
http://www.stylelist.com/beauty/beauty-101/top-tips-for-fighting-acne-and-aging

The Good Life

1. What is the song basically saying about how to live a good life? Paraphrase the main idea.
It's basically saying that the good life is to do what you want and get money and famous for doing that.
2. What lyrics particularly speak to that perspective? Use quotes as evidence.
"go ahead switch that style up and if they hate then let 'em hate and watch the money pile up"
"whether you broke or rich you gotta get the biz havin moneys the everything that having it is"
"i'ma get on this tv mama"
"they say the best things in life are free"
"i always had a passion for flashin before i had it i close my eyes and image, the good life"
3. How do the video images support, re-orient, or challenge the dominant theme of the lyrics? Analyze.
During the quote "the best things in life are free"
4. What else do you notice that's interesting? Look for internal contradictions, aspects of the message that resonate with other messages from the pop culture, points that connect to your own perspective, etc. Analyze squared.

ESSAY

What do the people around you say about living meaningfully?

Some define the meaning of life by actions, while others define it by aspects of ones personality, and often relationships one has with others.

One person who defined it by action was Michael Wexler, a high school gym teacher. When asked what was meaningful about his life, he said "the opportunity to interact with youth and offer them guidance". The most meaningful part of his life is something that he does and interacting with others. He also defines his life by relationships, for he is listing the relationship he has with his students to be the most meaningful.

A young middle-class caucasion female on the street did not define it by action. Her response to what was meaningful in life was "loyalty and humor". Her definitions of meaning are based on aspects of someone's personality. It can also relate to relationships. “Loyalty” is probably referring to being honest and loyal to another person, therefore making her another person whose relationships with others affected her response to what is meaningful.

Another person I encountered on the street named all of these for his answer for what is meaningful. He was tall, possibly European, and caucasion. His response was "the future, thinking, being concious of ourselves and the world around us, and work to some extent". His response involved action ("work, thinking"), aspects of ones personality ("being concious of ourselves and the world around us"), however he also included "the future", in his reply. He did not clearly define what he meant by future, whether it was important because it is inevitable or because we should work for a better future, or maybe simply because it seems everything we do is for the future.

Two people answered the question “what is meaningful in life?” by saying happiness. When asked to describe what it is that makes one happy, Michelle, a fellow student, said “friends, family, music, and just little things”. In her response, Michelle is saying overall that it is happiness that matters most, something you can consider an aspect of ones personality. However, she also lists what it is that makes her happy. In that, she lists relationships with others (family and friends). She also brought up “little things”. When she described what “little things” are, she said it was just the simple little things you notice during the day, like something cute that happens or a joke that no one else gets. This part of her answer cannot be categorized with the others, possibly making it one of the more unique and maybe even more meaningful responses.
Another person who answered the question by saying “happiness” was Alex, a friend of mine. When I asked him what it is that makes him happy, he simply said “having fun”. That response is relatively vague, for it can be about relationships (having fun with friends and family) or about actions (going out and playing sports).
Andrew, a college student in California, answered by saying “the relationships you have with friends and family and the search for new experiences in life”. After receiving so many answers that had to do with relationships with others, I asked him “Why do you think friends and family is so important?” He responded by saying “We’re genetically programmed to want close relationships with thos people. We’re social animals. I personally feel social bonds are important but it’s hard to say why, aside from a whole evolutionary basis”.
His initial response (friends, family, and the search for new experiences) involved relationships with others and action. The action being “the search for new experiences”. He, too, felt relationships were very important, and he gave a fairly logical and scientific explanation as to why that is. He thinks loving ones family is as simple as genetics. Theres no ifs, ands, or buts about it, its as simple as that’s how we are made.
Aidin, an SOF Alumni, listed “being happy, love, and family” as what is meaningful in life. Again, someone responded with “happiness”, a very vague answer. I asked him what it is that makes him happy. His response was, “I want to say competition, and it sounds weird but, like, it makes me happy to know that there’s someone that could do what I do, what I could do, if not better. So I know I’m not alone. And then there’s also family, and love life”.
I found it interesting that “competition” is something that makes him happy. It seems he enjoys knowing that he is striving for something, and that other people long to have what he may have, or vice versa.
I also noticed that he, too, listed family. I asked why is family important. He said, “because you have something to fall back on if you’re going through something. Family will always be there. That’s why I put love as second [to what makes me happy] because love comes and goes. And if you’re with someone, sure you could use them as something to look forward to when you go home, if you’re old enough and living together and all of that, but family is always going to be there”. Aidin didn’t leave the answer at simply “because that’s the way humans are”, as Andrew did. He explained why, emotionally, one may feel such a strong connection to family.
He had also mentioned love, so I asked him why that is important too. He said, “because with your loved one, you could share things that you wouldn’t share with your family. So it’s like two different settings, two different environments”. It seems that he categorizes both love and family as things that can be there for you, however love picks up where family lets off. A romantic relationship gives you what a family cannot, and vice versa. His overall response involved primarily relationships.
Seeing that most people have chosen to define the meaningfulness of their lives by the relationships they have with others, one must wonder what it is that a person gets out of such a relationship. It seems it is this sense of belonging one can feel. Wexler must feel the sense of belonging when he feels he’s making a difference in someone’s life. All the people who listed family or friends must feel they make a difference in how happy those family members and those friends are. It’s this feeling that we each somehow serve some kind of purpose, and it seems that the easiest and most common way to feel that is through friends and family.

stuff for essay

What do the people around you say about living meaningfully?
Some define the meaning of life by actions, while others define it by aspects of ones personality, aspects of ones daily life or even sometimes objects.
One person who defined it by action was Michael Wexler, a high school gym teacher. When asked what was meaningful about his life, he said "the opportunity to interact with youth and offer them guidance". The most meaningful part of his life is something that he does and interacting with others.
A young middle-class caucasion female on the street did not define it by action. Her response to what was meaningful in life was "loyalty and humor". Her definitions of meaning are based on aspects of someone's personality.
Another person I encountered on the street named all of these for his answer for what is meaningful. He was a tall, possibly European, and caucasion. His response was "the future, thinking, being concious of ourselves and the world around us, and work to some extent". His response involved action ("work, thinking"), aspects of ones personality ("being concious of ourselves and the world around us"), however he also included "the future", in his reply. He did not clearly define what he meant by future, whether it was important because it is inevitable or because we should work for a better future, or maybe simply because it seems everything we do is for the future.

stuff for short essay

What do the people around you say about living meaningfully?
Some define the meaning of life by actions, while others define it by aspects of ones personality or aspects of ones daily life.
One person who defined it by action was Michael Wexler, a high school gym teacher. When asked what was meaningful about his life, he said "the opportunity to interact with youth and offer them guidance". The most meaningful part of his life is something that he does and interacting with others.
A young middle-class caucasion female on the street did not define it by action. Her response to what was meaningful in life was "loyalty and humor". Her definitions of meaning are based on aspects of someone's personality.
Another person I encountered on the street named all of these for his answer for what is meaningful. He was a tall, possibly European, and caucasion. His response was "the future, thinking, being concious of ourselves and the world around us, and work to some extent". His response involved action ("work, thinking"), aspects of ones personality ("being concious of ourselves and the world around us"), however he also included "the future", in his reply. Something I found interesting, because isn't the future inevitable? Is it meaningful if it is destined to happen? Or, was he inferring that working for your future is what is meaningful? That what is meaningful in life is doing things today to make your future more meaningful?

comments:

Kyles:
bonnieee said...
the fact that you used ur bands music made it more meaningful i think. and the pictures of your cat climbing on you made me laugh.

mara:
bonnieee said...
i really liked the footage of italy and im jealous you know how to speak another language.

kiya:
bonnieee said...
i really like how you used a central theme of being in a car throughout ur video that deffinitely makes it unique. and i used to sing that song in the car when i was little.

ian:
bonnieee said...
although ur video was pretty long i watched it all cause i was really interested i think mostly because it wasnt like everyone elses where it was a slideshow of pictures and videos. having it in an interview format was really unique and i think got to the point really well

PROJECT

bonnies project from bonnie b on Vimeo.

Song: "First Day of My Life" by Bright Eyes

GUIDING QUESTIONS - DESCRIPTION:
1. What have you included in this video?
A lot of videos. It starts with videos of my hometown, houston. There are videos of my pets, my boyfriend, my friends, and my parents.
2. Which parts of the video related to relatively meaningful aspects of your life? Which parts related to relatively meaningless aspects of your life?
The meaningful parts are when I spend time with my friends and family. Being with them makes me happy, and isn't that the most meaningul thing of all?
3. What would you have liked to have included but weren’t able to?
I would've liked to include more about music. I also didn't get to include all of my friends because I didn't have a lot of video of them. And I would've liked to include more video of traveling, cause I have to do a lot of that for my family. And writing. And my internship cause thats meaningful to me because it's the only time that it seems like I'm actually doing something relative to my future.
ANALYSIS:
4. What seem to be some of the main criteria you use (emotionally +/or mentally) to assess how meaningful an aspect of your life is?
I used mostly emotional criteria. If I care strongly about something, I feel it is meaningful. If I feel my life would be less interesting, exciting, and enjoyable without these certain things, then I feel it is something meaningful to me.
5. Is there a pattern in what you find meaningful or meaningless? What are some of the elements in that pattern?
A lot has to do with laughter. I find my time with friends very meaningful, probably because we have a very fun time together and we laugh a lot. The same goes for my parents and my boyfriend. It seems I assess meaningfulness according to how happy it makes me.
6. Looking at the video as a whole – is it a fairly honest/accurate depiction of your life? Does it make you seem interesting/special/exciting?
I think it's a relatively accurate depiction, although it is missing some very important people in my life that I simply just didn't have video of. It doesn't have everything that is really meaningful to me (ie; music, writing, etc.).
I think it's always interesting just to see a video about someones life, but I don't think it makes me seem very special or interesting or anything. I think its a very typical video with what you would expect to see in a video- friends, family, boyfriend, pets. Pretty typical and boring.
7. Does your life seem meaningful from an outside perspective? Is it from an inside perspective? Why?
I'm sure it isn't very meaningful from an outside perspective. But from the inside it is meaningful, and I think that's simply because it's my life and it's the only one I have. I have nothing else to compare it to, so on an everyday basis I find it meaningful.
8. What questions do you have about living a meaningful life at this point?
-Is there such thing as a meaningful life?

story

real life prophet

Real Life Prophet Essay
Bonnie Black

He was accepted to Harvard at the age of 16. He earned his PhD in Mathematics by solving a math problem that a professor was unable to ever solve in only a year. He recieved his Masters and PhD from the University of Michigan. He became a professor of mathematics at the University of California. And he was once considered the epitome of terrorism in the united states. When one thinks of a prophet, they may often view them as someone is who well-liked, or respected by society. Rarely can they imagine a prophet who is currently serving the rest of their life in prison.
Ted Kaczynski, also known as the UNABOMBER, is seldom seen as anything more than a genius and a killer. However, when looking at the events leading up to his arrest, he easily fits the criteria of a prophet trying to encourage a revelation for the people.
The trope for a revelation goes as follows "(1) The ignorant masses are in a (2) unacceptable/oppresive situation when a (3) prophet/revealer tries to (4) share the message (5) that connects the dots in a new way (6) and offers a vision of a redeemed world (7) but there is opposition to the messager (8) and then drama occurs". What makes Kaczynski a prophet, is that his story follows these guidlines for a prophet.
After a successful career at the University of California, Ted Kaczynski left his position without any explaination and despite please from the staff. He moved to a small cabin he build in Montana where he lived with very little money, no electricity, no running water, and no job.
Kaczynski first began mailing bombs in 1978, when the first one was sent to materials engineering professor Buckley Crist at Northwestern University. The next bombs were sent to airline officials and in 1979 one was placed in the cargo of an American Airlines plane. Because attempting to bomb an American plane is a federal offense, the FBI became involved and came up with the name Unabomber (University and Airline Bomber).
All of the bombs were clearly homemade, made out of scraps of metal. Inside of the bomb, some parts were inscribed with the letters "FC". The FBI first figured it stood for Fuck Computers, however Kaczynski later revealed it stood for Freedom Club. In 1994, Kaczynski sent a letter to the New York times, after Burston-Marsteller Thomas Mosser was killed by a bomb, claiming that the group FC blew up Mosser because "Burston-Marsteller helped Exxon clean up their image after the Exxon Valdez incident" and because "its business is the development of techniques for manipulating peoples attitudes"(Kaczynski).
In total, Kaczynski sent out 16 bombs, which injured 23 and killed 3, over a period of 17 years. The bombs were sent to people involved with universities focused on computers and sciences, computer store owners, and people involved with industries.
In 1995, Kaczynski sent letters to multiple newspapers and some of his former victims, claiming that if his manifesto, Industrial Society and Its Future were printed by a major newspaper, he would end his "terrorism campaign". There was much confusion as to whether or not it should be done, and when Kaczynski sent another letter threatening to kill more people, it was decided that it must be printed due to public safety. It was then printed in the New York times and Washington Post in September of 1995.
Kaczynskis Manifesto focused on industrialization and it's destruction of society. He claims " the Industrial Revolution and its consequences have been a disaster for the human race". He calls for a revolution against technology.
Kaczynski was once a well-known, respected part of the education system, so when he began sending bombs to professors, one must assume he knows what he is doing. He was once a part of that world, so the fact that he is now turning against it shows that he must have found something personally disturbing within the education world.
After the publication of his manifesto, Kaczynskis brother, who he had been estranged from for some years, recognized the writing style of the piece and compared it to letters he had found. He contacted the FBI and Ted Kaczynski was arrested 1996.
The story of the Unabomber fits the trope of a revealer: "(1) The ignorant masses are in a (2) unacceptable/oppresive situation when a (3) prophet/revealer tries to (4) share the message (5) that connects the dots in a new way (6) and offers a vision of a redeemed world (7) but there is opposition to the messager (8) and then drama occurs".
Kaczynski wanted to help the people realize that they are ignorant, for they rely so much on industrial life, without recognizing it's consequences. With his manifesto, Kaczynski presents an idea not many wanted to accept- the idea that we might be better off without all of this growing technology. However, since so many people appear to be so selfish and used to the life they have become accustomed to, they are not likely to accept the idea of getting rid of all of these things that make their daily life easier. There was much opposition to Kaczynskis message, very likely due to the violent way he went about getting attention for his message. The drama that then occurs is when Kaczynski is then arrested and is sentenced to life with no possibility for parole.
The story of the Unabomber is one of intelligence and violence. His message was lost among the media coverage of his violent ways. Yet, he is still a prime example of a revealer, and should be seen as that. Ted Kaczynski can be seen as many things: genius, terrorist, and most of all, prophet.

Sources Cited
"en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theodore_Kaczynski"
Unabomber's Manifesto, http://cyber.eserver.org/unabom.txt
http://www.crimelibrary.com/terrorists_spies/terrorists/kaczynski/1.htm

final- big paper

One often complains that we lack anything original when it comes to movies or books. We find ourselves watching or reading the same story lines over and over again. The same clichés appear in almost everything these days. Similarly, we are bombarded by tropes. A trope is an element in a story that tends to get repeated. A very common trope is that of the revelation trope. The following revelation trope is a megatrope, where it is an overseeing trope used very often, however it also has mini-tropes that are used within the mega revelation trope. Elements of the mega revelation trope are the following; ignorant people are in an unacceptable situation when a prophet shares a message of redefinition and redemption despite opposition and sometimes betrayal, people must choose to follow the status quo or the revelation, and lives are changed as a result. This trope can be seen within movies, plays, and literature.
From childhood, we have been presented with the revelation trope, as it was incorporated in some of the most basic childhood fables. In The Emperors New Clothes, by Hans Christian Anderson, two scoundrels choose to play a trick on the vain Emperor. They fool him into believing that they are tailors, who have developed this way of making clothes that are invisible to those who are too stupid and incompetent to appreciate it. When the scoundrels have finished “making” this piece for the Emperor, the Emperor is too afraid of being seen as stupid and incompetent, that he pretends to see a garment, that in actuality is not there. Because everyone else within the kingdom also fear being seen as stupid, they too pretend to see something that is not there. The people of the town had heard of the beautiful fabric and the amazing suit that was being made for the Emperor and they were anxious to see it. The Emperor agreed to show them, even though when he looked in the mirror, he only saw himself naked, not a beautiful suit. As the Emperor paraded down the main square, the people all pretended to see something, in fear of letting their Emperor know they were too stupid. However, a child came forward and said “The Emperor is naked,” and soon everyone else in the crowd realized it was true. The Emperor knew they were right, but refused to admit to it, so he simply stood there on his carriage continuing on with the parade.
The scoundrels in this story are the messengers, as they are trying to prove how vain the Emperor truly is. The unstable situation is the fact that the people are so ignorant and that the Emperor is so concerned with his clothes and how he looks. The ignorant masses are so afraid of being seen as something, that they try to ignore the truth, thus there is opposition to the message. In the end, the drama that occurs is the uproar of the crowd, and the Emperor as he continues to stand there naked before them.
In the movie Foxfire, the character Legs, arrives at the lead character, Maddy’s school. When the girls are in the bathroom and it is discovered that their science teacher has been sexually abusing some of them, Legs encourages the girls to stand up together. In this revelation, Legs is playing the role of the messenger/revealer. The unacceptable situation is the fact that the teacher has been taking advantage of the girls. The opposition during this revelation came from the cheerleaders at the school who were also in the bathroom, in on the conversation. They doubted the girls’ stories, and refused to believe that the teacher was doing such things. The drama that then occurred was the way the girls chose to solve the situation; by catching the teacher during the act and beating him up.
The movie The Matrix is also a prime example of the revelation trope. In the matrix, Morpheus makes Neo realize that the world as he knows it, is not reality and just a lie. It is simply fragments of a computer program. Morpheus brings Neo into what is the real world, believing that Neo is “the one”. However, through to course of trying to show Neo the real world, the machines which are running this real world attempt to stop him. In this, Morpheus can be seen as the prophet. The message which he is attempting to reveal is that the world as Neo knows it is fake. The ignorant masses is almost the entirety of the human race, as they are simply living in a computer program with no idea that what they are living is not reality. The opposition occurs when the machines begin to fight against Neo.
Revelations occur all throughout The Gospel of Mark. The most obvious being that of when Jesus learns that he is the son of God. “10 Just as Jesus was coming up out of the water, he saw heaven being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove. 11 And a voice came from heaven: ‘You are my son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.’” Such a dramatic revelation is a typical trope. The heavens tear open and deliver a message. Through Jesus’ journey of delivering the message of God, he comes across the obstacle of the ignorant masses, who often doubt his ability to heal and help others.
As Jesus is dealing with his own new found power, the people he comes in contact with also experience similar revelations, as they now realize they are in the presence of God’s literal Son. Many revelations such as this occur during the course of the story. When Jesus has now just forgiven all the signs of a paralyzed man, thinkers who have watched the miracle doubt the possibility of Jesus being powerful enough to do this.
"6 Now some teachers of the law were sitting there, thinking to themselves, 7 'Why does this fellow talk like that? He's blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?'
8 Immediately Jesus knew in his spirit that this was what they were thinking in their hearts, and he said to them, 'Why are you thinking these things? 9 Which is easier: to say to this paralyzed man, 'Your sins are forgiven,' or to say, 'Get up, take you mat and walk'? 10 But I want you to know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins.' So he said to the man, 11 'I tell you, get up, take your mat, and go home.' 12 He got up, took his mat and walked out in full view of them all. This amazed everyone and they praised God, saying 'We have never seen anything like this!' "
Here, the people have witnessed a true miracle by Jesus. This is a small revelation, had by those who doubted Jesus' powers and ability, however they came to their revelation as they saw Jesus heal the paralyzed man, as he got up and walked home.
The Gospel of Mark is very much an example of the revelation trope, and like many prophets within a revelation trope, Jesus is killed.
In the play, An Enemy of the People, by Henrik Ibsen, a Doctor discovers bacteria within his towns water supply. Dr. Stockmann is the messenger within this play, as he tries to get the news out about the infected water supply. However, his brother, the Mayor, wants to avoid the news getting out, in fear that in order to fix the problem they must close down the water supply, and risk losing their tourist population. When the Doctor first approaches the people at the paper, they are completely willing to help him develop a strong following from the people of the town and to publish his manuscript in the next issue of the paper. However, when the mayor comes to the paper, he convinces them to publish a piece he has written instead. As more and more people begin to turn on the Doctor, the possibility of him being able to reach the public before the Mayor does, becomes more and more slim.
In 1976, the movie Network displayed much of the revelation trope. It’s about a television network that is struggling with ratings, and when the news anchor, Howard Beale, is told he is going to be fired, he has a breakdown, proclaiming on the live evening news that he will be committing suicide on live television during next weeks broadcast. The unstable situation arises from this, as the network realizes that they can develop very high ratings if they use Beale’s outbursts to their advantage. They do not care about his mental health, they are only concerned with their public image and getting higher ratings. Beale’s revelation comes to him one night as he lays in bed and begins to hear a voice. The voice tells Howard that it is his job to tell the people the truth, because he is on television and has the ability to reach millions. During the next broadcast, Howard begins the famous speech, in which he tells the people that it is their job to get out of their own little worlds and acknowledge what is going on in the world. That they are being fooled by the government and the networks, being treated as though their lives have no real value. He tells them to get out of their chairs, open the window, stick their heads out the window and yell “I’m as mad as hell, and I’m not going to take it anymore!”. This is when the ignorant masses have their own revelations; they adhere to Howard’s instructions, and voices yelling those famous words begin to echo everywhere.
The obstacle within this movie has to deal with the network, UBS, trying to turn Howard into a product. Diana, the woman who takes over the news, turns it into a circus, psychic and all. “T.V. is show biz, and even the news needs some showmanship” Diana proclaims. Howard continues delivering his messages to the people, telling them that television is not the truth and that in order to find the truth, they must turn to themselves. As the network continues to keep a hold on their new found fame, they neglect to notice Howard falling deeper and deeper into an obvious mental illness. During one show, Howard begins to discuss the illegal ties the owners of UBS, CCA, have with Saudi Arabia. After this, the network decides to take advantage of Howard's depleting mental health, and begin convincing him to change the message of the show. However, in the end, the network decides they no longer want to deal with Howard, and hire someone to assassinate Howard at the beginning of one of his broadcasts, because they believe it will be helpful for the ratings of the spin-off shows they plan to create.
The messenger within this movie was clearly Howard, and many others within the movie have their own personal revelations thanks to the commotion that surrounds Howard's new found fame. And like many other prophets, Howard can be viewed as mentally ill, and ends up killed.

Derrick Jensen, author of The Culture of Make Believe, can be seen as a prophet. His book is his message and those he hopes to spread his message to are the people who read his book. The unacceptable situation he wants to fix is the way we all currently live our lives. He discusses the way hatred has become embedded into our society. He begins with the most obvious of hatred within society by discussing hate groups. Jensen examines the way hatred has played a part in many different ways; through racism and the slave trade, South African apartheid, children sold into prostitution rings, police violence, consumerism, capitalism, the massacres of the Native Americans, and more. His goal is to reveal the patterns of hate within Western Civilization. He then goes even further, to proclaim that even relationships we have with others can be examples of hatred. He also dissects how technology has even furthered our hate.
Jensen is a prophet because he takes every day aspects of our lives and dissects how they are fueled by hatred. He presents the way we live our daily lives in a new way, showing how destructive we are without even recognizing it. It is in this way that Jensen is a prophet, for he presents the way we live in a new and unusual way, in hopes of helping us all develop better lives.
Jensens message is that in order to solve our destructive world, is to return back to simpler times, back when men were hunters and gatherers, and that if we do not, it will be the end of the world as we know it. He believes that the way we have grown to live is not at all the way humans should. That we must return back to humanity, and must relearn what it means to be human.

The revelation trope is even visible in songs. The song No Surprises by Radiohead, is revealing how unhappy people are because everyone has become robotic due to the ways of the government. The prophet is the band itself, and they project their message through the song. The first two verses go as follows;

A heart that's full up like a landfill
A job that slowly kills you
Bruises that won't heal

You look so tired and unhappy
Bring down the government
They don't, they don't speak for us
I'll take a quiet life
A handshake of carbon monoxide

The band wants people to realize how numb they have become to life. The unacceptable situation is the way people have all become so resistant to how they are feeling because of how society has become just a machine that everyone is working to help run. The solution Radiohead calls for is for people to join together and take down the government, for they have no interest in whether or not people are happy and they have no clue what people truly want in life.
The case with this song and it's message is contradictory. The song is portraying how almost numb people have become due to the government and society and that the people must speak for themselves. They are attacking corporate America, however by producing this song and becoming the well known band that they are, they are part of corporate America. They are producing things that people want to buy and that people will sing a long to. It's another part of the media and pop culture that they seem to be warning us of. Situations such as these make believing and willing to follow a message difficult because it appears many of them may just be for show. It makes one wonder whether or not revelations are sacred and valued things, or simply some schtick used by the media.

Many of the previously mentioned films and literature can be compared to one another to learn more about the use of the revelation trope. When comparing them, one can see the different minitropes within the revelation trope that are also often used.
In the movie Foxfire, the character Legs reveals the abuse some students are experiencing from the teacher, and she unveils the message that the women involved must join together and fight back. In Enemy of the people, the Doctor discovers bacteria in the baths and when he reveals it, those powerful, such as the mayor and those working at the newspaper, work to silence him for economic purposes. The doctor later on tries to speak to the people of the town himself, trying to convince them to help. In both the movie Foxfire and the play Enemy of The People, the revealer wants to help people join together and rise up against those in power. However, Legs is the only one that succeeds, while the Doctor becomes rejected by the society. Through these revelations, it becomes clear that people are more willing to accept a message or revelation that will empower them along with others, rather than one that requires them to change the comfortable lavish life they are used to. Legs offered a message of empowerment and sisterhood, while the Doctor offered a message that required the town to give up their tourist appeal, which meant a loss of money, and money needed in order to save the water. Those that were offered the message of empowerment that would help them rise against those in power, chose to act on the revelation, while those who were offered the message that required a change in their lavish economic lifestyle, resisted the message.
People may resist revelations because they are essentially being told that the way they are living is unacceptable in some way. They are being told that the life their parents and grandparents helped create for them is somehow bad and wrong. They think "What right does this person have to tell me how I should be living? This person knows nothing about me and how I am living my life, so what makes them so qualified to judge me?" It is in this way that society has become so helpless. People refuse to change how they live because we have all become so selfish and comfortable with our lives that we either a) don't really have any desire to change and/or b) don't even think it would be really possible.


In the Matrix, Morpheus sees Neo as “the one”. Morpheus appears to be the one in power on the ship and when it comes to fighting the agents or the machines. However, once he finds Neo, he almost bows to him as he teaches him, knowing that Neo has the ability to have amazing power. Similarly, in the Book of Mark, John the Baptist is seen as very powerful, for he has the ability to baptize people, which will allow them the forgiveness of their sins. However, John the Baptist then reveals that there will be one more powerful that will come after him. John the Baptist then baptizes Jesus, which almost makes one view John the Baptist as in a more powerful position then Jesus. During his baptism is when Jesus receives his message from God, learning that he is the Son of God. Had John not given Jesus the baptism, he would not have received his message. However, John continues to explain how he is almost unworthy of Jesus, saying that “the thongs of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie”. Often the prophet, who has the ability to give the message to the disciple, can be seen as more powerful and with a more direct connection with what is considered all powerful, i.e. God or the Oracle. However, once the disciple comes into play, the much more stronger Prophet now acts weaker and praises the Disciple and their power.
Similarly, the Prophet will often be willing to sacrifice themselves in order to save the disciple, for they see him as being much more powerful than they are. In the Matrix, Morpheus, who is the prophet and is teaching Neo, the disciple, tells the others to escape while he distracts the Agents by fighting them. He knows he will not be able to save himself, for the Agents are very powerful and they have police officers with them. Despite knowing that he will most likely die, he chooses it is more important to let Neo get away then to save himself. In Star Wars, when Obi-Wan, Luke, Han Solo, Chewbacca, R2-D2 and C3PO are aboard the enemies ship, trying to make their way back to their own ship, Obi-Wan makes it possible for them to return to their ship by beginning a fight. Obi-Wan begins a light saber duel between Darth Vader, which many on the ship stop to watch, which allows the rest of them try to get back to their ship. Obi-Wan then allows Darth Vader to kill him as he warns him that he will become “more powerful than you can possibly imagine.” Obi-Wan sacrificed himself in order to help the rest of them make their way back to the ship. However, his sacrifice became much more important than just that. In fact, both sacrifices, by both Morpheus and Obi-Wan, became a much more impacting factor on the life of the disciple.

When Morpheus allowed himself to be captured by the Agents, it inspired Neo to take action. Previously, Neo had been somewhat reluctant to completely partake in the Matrix. However, once they learn that Morpheus is in trouble, and has allowed himself to be captured, Neo becomes more willing to help, and he decides that he is going to return and save Morpheus from the Agents, despite how dangerous it may be, and how much the others on the ship warn him not to. Just as Neo was inspired to rescue Morpheus, after Obi-Wan had sacrificed himself, we see Luke become more connected with the force. After the others escape and return to the Rebel Alliance, Luke agrees to join the assault team which is working to destroy the Death Star. While Luke is on his way to the center of the Death Star, it’s discovered that Darth Vader has sent out ships to destroy Luke on his way, some crash and some are destroyed. Seconds before the Death Star is about to destroy the Rebel base, Luke hears Obi-Wan's voice telling him to “use the force”. Luke then fires the shot that destroys the death star and saves the Rebel base. In both situations, it is not until something bad happens to the prophet that the disciple begins to truly take action and pursue the message they were given in the revelation. It was not until Morpheus was about to be killed, that Neo began to truly fight back in the Matrix. In Star Wars, it was not until Obi-Wan was killed, that Luke truly listened to the force, which is the message Obi-Wan had been trying to send him the entire time. Something negative must happen to the Prophet that will then encourage the disciple to take action and pursue the revelation on their own without the guidance of the prophet (Grandits).

The message within Derrick Jensen's The Culture of Make Believe critiques the current state of humanity and says that it is time for people to speak up on it. "If we are to do that, [return to our humanity] the first thing we must do is to see the inhumanity of our current system for what it is, and we must speak about it" (Jensen, page 602). Jensen wants to reveal to his readers how destructive we as a society have become.
This message is very similar to a revelation explained by Agent Smith in the Matrix. As Agent Smith sits and speaks to Morpheus as he keeps Morpheus chained up and connected to painful machines, he begins to describe a revelation he has had about humans. "Agent Smith: I'd like to share a revelation that I've had during my time here. It came to me when I tried to classify your species and I realized that you're not actually mammals. Every mammal on this planet instinctively develops a natural equilibrium with the surrounding environment but you humans do not. You move to an area and you multiply and multiply until every natural resource is consumed and the only way you can survive is to spread to another area. There is another organism on this planet that follows the same pattern. Do you know what it is? A virus. Human beings are a disease, a cancer of this planet. You're a plague and we are the cure". Agent Smith is describing how destructive humans are, just s Derrick Jensen is. They share a very similar message, that being that humans have become wasteful and take advantage of the world we live in. We live greedily, and as Jensen discussed, almost no longer what makes a human, a human. We are supposed to be mammals, and yet, as Agent Smith describes, we act nothing like other mammals on the planet. We do not treat our world and environment the way other species do. Jensen and Agent Smith have a very similar message they are attempting to share, however they are coming from two very opposite positions. Jensen is viewed as one of the prophets, one of the "good guys" who is trying to make our world a better place. When people hear what Jensen has to say, they agree and want to act upon it as well. Yet, Agent Smith, who is depicted as the "bad guy" in the Matrix, has an almost identical message, however no one would be willing to act on his message, for how he has been presented in the revelation trope. He is the bad guy, therefore what he says should not be taken into account.
It appears that in the revelation trope, there is a point in which the bad guy/villain gives a reason behind their "badness". It is then that they suddenly appear as if they may have a good point. There comes a time in which the villain seems to be wise, yet no one is willing enough to side with them. Jensen is a prophet, therefore his word is good. Agent Smith is a villain, and his message is almost identical, but he has been presented to the audience as the villain, so no matter how much truth his words may hold, we will never side with him. It appears there will always be a moment in which the "villain" appears to have a meaningful and understandable theory of the world, yet he will always be defeated.
Revelation tropes are probably the most common trope for the fact that revelations are one of the most common things that people share. A revelation is not limited to any certain kind of person, and is able to come in many different shapes and sizes. A revelation is necessary in order to live a mature life.
The reason this trope may be so common among movies, literature and songs is because anyone can experience one, and not all revelations need to be huge dramatic events. Even the slightest change in ones outlook can be considered a revelation. Even the simple act of growing up and becoming and adult and realizing all of ones responsibilities can be considered a revelation. They are beneficial to how we life because they allow for a new view of life and the world around us. Even if the revelation may be something negative, it still allows us to become more aware of ourselves, lives, and realities. However, they also require us to give up our more naive views, and we may often miss those, for revelations require us to accept more responsibility for our life.
Because the revelation trope is so common within literature and film, the sacredness of the revelation may often lose value. It becomes more of a schtick as more and more people attempt to be viewed as masterful prophets.
The most important revelations are those that you are able to reveal to yourself. That way you can see how you have truly grown for you have helped yourself realize something new. To seek out a prophet may often lead to a false revelation, for you are anxious to discover something. It is often best to allow the prophet to come to you, for the best revelations occur without you realizing it is on its way.




Works Cited
Anderson, Hans Christian. The Emperor's New Clothes. Golden Press, New York. 1966

Foxfire. Dir. Annette Haywood-Carter. Perf. Hedy Burress, Angelina Jolie. 1996

Grandits, Clea, 3/27/08. Personal Communication.

Ibsen, Henrik. An Enemy of the People. Oxford University Press, USA. 1999

Jensen, Derrick. The Culture of Make Believe. Context Books, 2002

The Matrix. Dir. Andy Wachowski, Larry Wachowski. Perf. Keanu Reeves, Laurence Fishburne. 1999

Network. Dir. Sidney Lumet. Perf. Faye Dunaway, William Holden. 1976

Radiohead, “No Surprises”. No Surprises. 1998.

Star Wars: A New Hope. Dir. George Lucas. Perf. Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford. 1977

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Bonnie Black
Revelation Trope

One often complains that we lack anything original when it comes to movies or books. We find ourselves watching or reading the same story lines over and over again. The same cliches appear in almost everything these days. Similarly, we are bombarded by tropes. A trope is an element in a story that tends to get repeated. A very common trope is that of the revelation trope. The following revelation trope is a megatrope, where it is an over-seeing trope used very often, however it also has mini-tropes that are used within the mega revelation trope. Elements of the mega revelation trope are the following; ignorant people are in an unnacceptable situation when a prophet shares a message of redefinition and redemption despite opposition and sometimes betrayl, people must choose to follow the status quo or the revelation, and lives are changed as a result. This trope can be seen within movies, plays, and literature.
From childhood, we have been presented with the revelation trope, as it was incorporated in some of the most basic childhood fables. In The Emperors New Clothes, by Hans Christian Anderson, two scoundrels choose to play a trick on the vain Emperor. They fool him into believing that they are tailors, who have developed this way of making clothes that are invisible to those who are too stupid and incompetent to appreciate it. When the scoundrels have finished “making” this piece for the Emperor, the Emperor is too afriad of being seen as stupid and incompetent, that he pretends to see a garment, that in actuality is not there. Because everyone else within the kingdom also fear being seen as stupid, they too pretend to see something that is not there. The people of the town had heard of the beautiful fabric and the amazing suit that was being made for the Emperor and they were anxious to see it. The Emperor agreed to show them, even though when he looked in the mirror, he only saw himself naked, not a beautiful suit. As the Emperor paraded down the main square, the people all pretended to see something, in fear of letting their Emperor know they were too stupid. However, a child came forward and said “The Emperor is naked,” and soon everyone else in the crowd realized it was true. The Emperor knew they were right, but refused to admit to it, so he simply stood there on his carriage continuing on with the parade.
The scoundrels in this story are the messengers, as they are trying to prove how vain the Emperor truly is. The unstable situation is the fact that the people are so ignorant and that the Emperor is so concerned with his clothes and how he looks. The ignorant masses are so afraid of being seen as something, that they try to ignore the truth, thus there is opposition to the message. In the end, the drama that occurs is the uproar of the crowd, and the Emperor as he continues to stand there naked before them.
In the movie Foxfire, the character Legs, arrives at the lead character, Maddy’s school. When the girls are in the bathroom and it is discovered that their science teacher has been sexually abusing some of them, Legs encourages the girls to stand up together. In this revelation, Legs is playing the role of the messenger/revealer. The unacceptable situation is the fact that the teacher has been taking advantage of the girls. The opposition during this revelation came from the cheerleaders at the school who were also in the bathroom, in on the conversation. They doubted the girls’ stories, and refused to believe that the teacher was doing such things. The drama that then occured was the way the girls chose to solve the situation; by catching the teacher during the act and beating him up.
The movie The Matrix is also a prime example of the revelation trope. In the matrix, Morpheus makes Neo realize that the world as he knows it, is not reality and just a lie. It is simply fragments of a computer program. Morpheus brings Neo into what is the real world, believing that Neo is “the one”. However, through to course of trying to show Neo the real world, the machines which are running this real world attempt to stop him. In this, Morpheus can be seen as the prophet. The message which he is attempting to reveal is that the world as Neo knows it is fake. The ignorant masses is almost the entirety of the human race, as they are simply living in a computer program with no idea that what they are living is not reality. The opposition occurs when the machines begin to fight against Neo.
Revelations occur all throughout The Gospel of Mark. The most obvious being that of when Jesus learns that he is the son of God. “10 Just as Jesus was coming up out of the water, he saw heaven being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove. 11 And a voice came from heaven: ‘You are my son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.’” Such a dramatic revelation is a typical trope. The heavens tear open and deliver a message. Through Jesus’ journey of delivering the message of God, he comes across the obstacle of the ignorant masses, who often doubt his ability to heal and help others.
As Jesus is dealing with his own new found power, the people he comes in contact with also experience similar revelations, as they now realize they are in the presence of God’s literal Son. Many revelations such as this occur during the course of the story. When Jesus has now just forgiven all the signs of a paralyzed man, thinkers who have watched the miracle doubt the possibility of Jesus being powerful enough to do this.
"6 Now some teachers of the law were sitting there, thinking to themselves, 7 'Why does this fellow talk like that? He's blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?'
8 Immediately Jesus knew in his spirit that this was what they were thinking in their hearts, and he said to them, 'Why are you thinking these things? 9 Which is easier: to say to this paralyzed man, 'Your sins are forgiven,' or to say, 'Get up, take you mat and walk'? 10 But I want you to know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins.' So he said to the man, 11 'I tell you, get up, take your mat, and go home.' 12 He got up, took his mat and walked out in full view of them all. This amazed everyone and they praised God, saying 'We have never seen anything like this!' "
Here, the people have witnessed a true miracle by Jesus. This is a small revelation, had by those who doubted Jesus' powers and ability, however they came to their revelation as they saw Jesus heal the paralyzed man, as he got up and walked home.
The Gospel of Mark is very much an example of the revelation trope, and like many prophets within a revelation trope, Jesus is killed.
In the play, An Enemy of the People, by Henrik Ibsen, a Doctor discovers bacteria within his towns water supply. Dr. Stockmann is the messenger within this play, as he tries to get the news out about the infected water supply. However, his brother, the Mayor, wants to avoid the news getting out, in fear that in order to fix the problem they must close down the water supply, and risk losing their tourist population. When the Doctor first approaches the people at the paper, they are completely willing to help him develop a strong following from the people of the town and to publish his manuscript in the next issue of the paper. However, when the mayor comes to the paper, he convinces them to publish a piece he has written instead. As more and more people begin to turn on the Doctor, the possibility of him being able to reach the public before the Mayor does, becomes more and more slim.
In 1976, the movie Network displayed much of the revelation trope. It’s about a television network that is struggling with ratings, and when the news anchor, Howard Beale, is told he is going to be fired, he has a breakdown, proclaiming on the live evening news that he will be committing suicide on live television during next weeks broadcast. The unstable situation arises from this, as the network realizes that they can develop very high ratings if they use Beale’s outbursts to their advantage. They do not care about his mental health, they are only concerned with their public image and getting higher ratings. Beale’s revelation comes to him one night as he lays in bed and begins to hear a voice. The voice tells Howard that it is his job to tell the people the truth, because he is on television and has the ability to reach millions. During the next broadcast, Howard begins the famous speech, in which he tells the people that it is their job to get out of their own little worlds and acknowledge what is going on in the world. That they are being fooled by the government and the networks, being treated as though their lives have no real value. He tells them to get out of their chairs, open the window, stick their heads out the window and yell “I’m as mad as hell, and I’m not going to take it anymore!”. This is when the ignorant masses have their own revelations; they adhere to Howard’s instructions, and voices yelling those famous words begin to echoe everywhere.
The obstacle within this movie has to deal with the network, UBS, trying to turn Howard into a product. Diana, the woman who takes over the news, turns it into a circus, psychic and all. “T.V. is showbiz, and even the news needs some showmanship” Diana proclaims. Howard continues delivering his messages to the people, telling them that television is not the truth and that in order to find the truth, they must turn to themselves. As the network continues to keep a hold on their new found fame, they neglect to notice Howard falling deeper and deeper into an obvious mental illness. During one show, Howard begins to discuss the illegal ties the owners of UBS, CCA, have with Saudi Arabia. After this, the network decides to take advantage of Howards depleting mental health, and begin convincing him to change the message of the show. However, in the end, the network decides they no longer want to deal with Howard, and hire someone to assassinate Howard at the beginning of one of his broadcasts, because they believe it will be helpful for the ratings of the spin-off shows they plan to create.
The messager within this movie was clearly Howard, and many others within the movie have their own personal revelations thanks to the commotion that surrounds Howards new found fame. And like many other prophets, Howard can be viewed as mentally ill, and ends up killed.

Derrick Jensen, author of The Culture of Make Believe, can be seen as a prophet. His book is his message and those he hopes to spread his message to are the people who read his book. The unacceptable situation he wants to fix is the way we all currently live our lives. He discusses the way hatred has become embedded into our society. He begins with the most obvious of hatred within society by discussing hate groups. Jensen examines the way hatred has played a part in many different ways; through racism and the slave trade, South African apartheid, children sold into prostitution rings, police violence, consumerism, capitalism, the massacres of the Native Americans, and more. His goal is to reveal the patterns of hate within Western Civilization. He then goes even further, to proclaim that even relationships we have with others can be examples of hatred. He also disects how technology has even furthered our hate.
Jensen is a prophet because he takes every day aspects of our lives and dissects how they are fueled by hatred. He presents the way we live our daily lives in a new way, showing how destructive we are without even recognizing it. It is in this way that Jensen is a prophet, for he presents the way we live in a new and unusual way, in hopes of helping us all develop better lives.
Jensens message is that in order to solve our destructive world, is to return back to simplier times, back when men were hunters and gatherers, and that if we do not, it will be the end of the world as we know it. He believes that the way we have grown to live is not at all the way humans should. That we must return back to humanity, and must relearn what it means to be human.

The revelation trope is even visible in songs. The song No Surprises by Radiohead, is revealing how unhappy people are because everyone has become robotic due to the ways of the government. The prophet is the band itself, and they project their message through the song. The first two verses go as follows;

A heart that's full up like a landfill
A job that slowly kills you
Bruises that won't heal

You look so tired and unhappy
Bring down the government
They don't, they don't speak for us
I'll take a quiet life
A handshake of carbon monoxide

The band wants people to realize how numb they have become to life. The unacceptable situation is the way people have all become so resistant to how they are feeling because of how society has become just a machine that everyone is working to help run. The solution Radiohead calls for is for people to join together and take down the government, for they have no interest in whether or not people are happy and they have no clue what people truly want in life.
The case with this song and it's message is contradictory. The song is portraying how almost numb people have become due to the government and society and that the people must speak for themselves. They are attacking corporate America, however by producing this song and becoming the well known band that they are, they are part of corporate America. They are producing things that people want to buy and that people will sing a long to. It's another part of the media and pop culture that they seems to be warning us of. Situations such as these make believing and willing to follow a message difficult because it appears many of them may just be for show.

Many of the previously mentioned films and literature can be compared to one another to learn more about the use of the revelation trope. When comparing them, one can see the different minitrops within the revelation trope that are also often used.
In the movie Foxfire, the character Legs reveals the abuse some students are experiencing from the teacher, and she unveils the message that the women involved must join together and fight back. In Enemy of the people, the Doctor discovers bacteria in the baths and when he reveals it, those powerful, such as the mayor and those working at the newspaper, work to silence him for economic purposes. The doctor later on tries to speak to the people of the town himself, trying to convince them to help. In both the movie Foxfire and the play Enemy of The People, the revealer wants to help people join together and rise up against those in power. However, Legs is the only one that succeeds, while the Doctor becomes rejected by the society. Through these revelations, it becomes clear that people are more willing to accept a message or revelation that will empower them along with others, rather than one that requires them to change the comfortable lavvish life they are used to. Legs offered a message of empowerment and sisterhood, while the Doctor offered a message that required the town to give up their tourist appeal, which meant a loss of money, and money needed in order to save the water. Those that were offered the message of empowerment that would help them rise against those in power, chose to act on the revelation, while those who were offered the message that required a change in their lavish economic lifestyle, resisted the message.
People may resist revelations because they are essentially being told that the way they are living is unacceptable in some way. They are being told that the life their parents and grandparents helped create for them is somehow bad and wrong. They think "What right does this person have to tell me how I should be living? This person knows nothing about me and how I am living my life, so what makes them so qualified to judge me?" It is in this way that society has become so helpless. People refuse to change how they live because we have all become so selfish and comfortable with our lives that we either a) don't really have any desire to change and/or b) don't even think it would be really possible.


In the Matrix, Morpheus sees Neo as “the one”. Morpheus appears to be the one in power on the ship and when it comes to fighting the agents or the machines. However, once he finds Neo, he almost bows to him as he teaches him, knowing that Neo has the ability to have amazing power. Similarly, in the Book of Mark, John the Baptist is seen as very powerful, for he has the ability to baptize people, which will allow them the forgiveness of their sins. However, John the Baptist then reveals that there will be one more powerful that will come after him. John the Baptist then baptizes Jesus, which almost makes one view John the Baptist as in a more powerful position then Jesus. During his baptisim is when Jesus recieves his message from God, learning that he is the Son of God. Had John not given Jesus the baptism, he would not have received his message. However, John continues to explain how he is almost unworthy of Jesus, saying that “the thongs of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie”. Often the prophet, who has the ability to give the message to the disciple, can be seen as more powerful and with a more direct connection with what is considered all powerful, i.e. God or the Oracle. However, once the disciple comes into play, the much more stronger Prophet now acts weaker and praises the Disciple and their power.
Similarly, the Prophet will often be willing to sacrifice themself in order to save the disciple, for they see him as being much more powerful than they are. In the Matrix, Morpheus, who is the prophet and is teaching Neo, the disciple, tells the others to escape while he distracts the Agents by fighting them. He knows he will not be able to save himself, for the Agents are very powerful and they have police officers with them. Despite knowing that he will most likely die, he chooses it is more important to let Neo get away then to save himself. In Star Wars, when Obi-Wan, Luke, Han Solo, Chewbacca, R2-D2 and C3PO are aboard the enemies ship, trying to make their way back to their own ship, Obi-Wan makes it possible for them to return to their ship by beginning a fight. Obi-Wan begins a lightsaber duel between Darth Vader, which many on the ship stop to watch, which allows the rest of them try to get back to their ship. Obi-Wan then allows Darth Vader to kill him as he warns him that he will become “more powerful than you can possibly imagine.” Obi-Wan sacrficed himself in order to help the rest of them make their way back to the ship. However, his sacrifice became much more important than just that. In fact, both sacrifices, by both Morpheus and Obi-Wan, became a much more impacting factor on the life of the disciple.

When Morpheus allowed himself to be captured by the Agents, it inspired Neo to take action. Previously, Neo had been somewhat reluctant to completely partake in the Matrix. However, once they learn that Morpheus is in trouble, and has allowed himself to be captured, Neo becomes more willing to help, and he decides that he is going to return and save Morpheus from the Agents, despite how dangerous it may be, and how much the others on the ship warn him not to. Just as Neo was inspired to rescue Morpheus, after Obi-Wan had sacrificed himself, we see Luke become more connected with the force. After the others escape and return to the Rebel Alliance, Luke agrees to join the assault team which is working to destroy the Death Star. While Luke is on his way to the center of the Death Star, it’s discovered that Darth Vader has sent out ships to destroy Luke on his way, some crash and some are destroyed. Seconds before the Death Star is about to destroy the Rebel base, Luke hears Obi-Wans voice telling him to “use the force”. Luke then fires the shot that destroys the death star and saves the Rebel base. In both situations, it is not until something bad happens to the prophet that the disciple begins to truly take action and pursue the message they were given in the revelation. It was not until Morpheus was about to be killed, that Neo began to truly fight back in the Matrix. In Star Wars, it was not until Obi-Wan was killed, that Luke truly listened to the force, which is the message Obi-Wan had been trying to send him the entire time. Something negative must happen to the Prophet that will then encourage the disciple to take action and pursure the revelation on their own without the guidance of the prophet (Grandits).

The message within Derrick Jensen's The Culture of Make Believe critiques the current state of humanity and says that it is time for people to speak up on it. "If we are to do that, [return to our humanity] the first thing we must do is to see the inhumanity of our current system for what it is, and we must speak about it" (page 602). Jensen wants to reveal to his readers how destructive we as a society have become.
This message is very similar to a revelation explained by Agent Smith in the Matrix. As Agent Smith sits and speaks to Morpheus as he keeps Morpheus chained up and connected to painful machines, he begins to describe a revelation he has had about humans. "Agent Smith: I'd like to share a revelation that I've had during my time here. It came to me when I tried to classify your species and I realized that you're not actually mammals. Every mammal on this planet instinctively develops a natural equilibrium with the surrounding environment but you humans do not. You move to an area and you multiply and multiply until every natural resource is consumed and the only way you can survive is to spread to another area. There is another organism on this planet that follows the same pattern. Do you know what it is? A virus. Human beings are a disease, a cancer of this planet. You're a plague and we are the cure". Agent Smith is describing how destructive humans are, just s Derrick Jensen is. They share a very similar message, that being that humans have become wasteful and take advantage of the world we live in. We live greedily, and as Jensen discussed, almost no longer what makes a human, a human. We are supposed to be mammals, and yet, as Agent Smith describes, we act nothing like other mammals on the planet. We do not treat our world and environment the way other species do. Jensen and Agent Smith have a very similar message they are attempting to share, however they are coming from two very opposite positions. Jensen is viewed as one of the prophets, one of the "good guys" who is trying to make our world a better place. When people hear what Jensen has to say, they agree and want to act upon it as well. Yet, Agent Smith, who is depicted as the "bad guy" in the Matrix, has an almost identical message, however no one would be willing to act on his message, for how he has been presented in the revelation trope. He is the bad guy, therefore what he says should not be taken into account.
It appears that in the revelation trope, there is a point in which the bad guy/villain gives a reason behind their "badness". It is then that they suddenly appear as if they may have a good point. There comes a time in which the villain seems to be wise, yet no one is willing enough to side with them. Jensen is a prophet, therefore his word is good. Agent Smith is a villain, and his message is almost identical, but he has been presented to the audience as the villain, so no matter how much truth his words may hold, we will never side with him. It appears there will always be a moment in which the "villain" appears to have a meaningful and understandable theory of the world, yet he will always be defeated.
Revelation tropes are probably the most common trope for the fact that revelations are one of the most common things that people share. A revelation is not limited to any certain kind of person, and is able to come in many different shapes and sizes. A revelation is necesarry in order to live a mature life.
The reason this trope may be so common among movies, literature and songs is because anyone can experience one, and not all revelations need to be huge dramatic events. Even the slightest change in ones outlook can be considered a revelation. Even the simple act of growing up and becoming and adult and realizing all of ones responsibilities can be considered a revelation. They are beneficial to how we life because they allow for a new view of life and the world around us. Even if the revelation may be something negative, it still allows us to become more aware of ourselves, lives, and realities. However, they also require us to give up our more naive views, and we may often miss those, for revelations require us to accept more responsibility for our life.
Because the revelation trope is so common within literature and film, the sacredness of the revelation may often lose value. It becomes more of a schtick as more and more people attempt to be viewed as masterful prophets.
The most important revelations are those that you are able to reveal to yourself. That way you can see how you have truly grown for you have helped yourself realize something new. To seek out a prophet may ophten lead to a false revelation, for you are anxious to discover something. It is often best to allow the prophet to come to you, for the best revelations occur without you realizing it is on its way.

big paper!!

Bonnie Black
Revelation Trope

One often complains that we lack anything original when it comes to movies or books. We find ourselves watching or reading the same story lines over and over again. The same cliches appear in almost everything these days. Similarly, we are bombarded by tropes. A trope is an element in a story that tends to get repeated. A very common trope is that of the revelation trope. Elements of a revelation trope are the following; ignorant people are in an unnacceptable situation when a prophet shares a message of redefinition and redemption despite opposition and sometimes betrayl, people must choose to follow the status quo or the revelation, and lives are changed as a result. This trope can be seen within movies, plays, and literature.
From childhood, we have been presented with the revelation trope, as it was incorporated in some of the most basic childhood fables. In The Emperors New Clothes, by Hans Christian Anderson, two scoundrels choose to play a trick on the vain Emperor. They fool him into believing that they are tailors, who have developed this way of making clothes that are invisible to those who are too stupid and incompetent to appreciate it. When the scoundrels have finished “making” this piece for the Emperor, the Emperor is too afriad of being seen as stupid and incompetent, that he pretends to see a garment, that in actuality is not there. Because everyone else within the kingdom also fear being seen as stupid, they too pretend to see something that is not there. The people of the town had heard of the beautiful fabric and the amazing suit that was being made for the Emperor and they were anxious to see it. The Emperor agreed to show them, even though when he looked in the mirror, he only saw himself naked, not a beautiful suit. As the Emperor paraded down the main square, the people all pretended to see something, in fear of letting their Emperor know they were too stupid. However, a child came forward and said “The Emperor is naked,” and soon everyone else in the crowd realized it was true. The Emperor knew they were right, but refused to admit to it, so he simply stood there on his carriage continuing on with the parade.
The scoundrels in this story are the messengers, as they are trying to prove how vain the Emperor truly is. The unstable situation is the fact that the people are so ignorant and that the Emperor is so concerned with his clothes and how he looks. The ignorant masses are so afraid of being seen as something, that they try to ignore the truth, thus there is opposition to the message. In the end, the drama that occurs is the uproar of the crowd, and the Emperor as he continues to stand there naked before them.
In the movie Foxfire, the character Legs, arrives at the lead character, Maddy’s school. When the girls are in the bathroom and it is discovered that their science teacher has been sexually abusing some of them, Legs encourages the girls to stand up together. In this revelation, Legs is playing the role of the messenger/revealer. The unacceptable situation is the fact that the teacher has been taking advantage of the girls. The opposition during this revelation came from the cheerleaders at the school who were also in the bathroom, in on the conversation. They doubted the girls’ stories, and refused to believe that the teacher was doing such things. The drama that then occured was the way the girls chose to solve the situation; by catching the teacher during the act and beating him up.
The movie The Matrix is also a prime example of the revelation trope. In the matrix, Morpheus makes Neo realize that the world as he knows it, is not reality and just a lie. It is simply fragments of a computer program. Morpheus brings Neo into what is the real world, believing that Neo is “the one”. However, through to course of trying to show Neo the real world, the machines which are running this real world attempt to stop him. In this, Morpheus can be seen as the prophet. The message which he is attempting to reveal is that the world as Neo knows it is fake. The ignorant masses is almost the entirety of the human race, as they are simply living in a computer program with no idea that what they are living is not reality. The opposition occurs when the machines begin to fight against Neo.
Revelations occur all throughout The Gospel of Mark. The most obvious being that of when Jesus learns that he is the son of God. “10 Just as Jesus was coming up out of the water, he saw heaven being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove. 11 And a voice came from heaven: ‘You are my son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.’” Such a dramatic revelation is a typical trope. The heavens tear open and deliver a message. Through Jesus’ journey of delivering the message of God, he comes across the obstacle of the ignorant masses, who often doubt his ability to heal and help others.
As Jesus is dealing with his own new found power, the people he comes in contact with also experience similar revelations, as they now realize they are in the presence of God’s literal Son. Many revelations such as this occur during the course of the story. When Jesus has now just forgiven all the signs of a paralyzed man, thinkers who have watched the miracle doubt the possibility of Jesus being powerful enough to do this.
"6 Now some teachers of the law were sitting there, thinking to themselves, 7 'Why does this fellow talk like that? He's blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?'
8 Immediately Jesus knew in his spirit that this was what they were thinking in their hearts, and he said to them, 'Why are you thinking these things? 9 Which is easier: to say to this paralyzed man, 'Your sins are forgiven,' or to say, 'Get up, take you mat and walk'? 10 But I want you to know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins.' So he said to the man, 11 'I tell you, get up, take your mat, and go home.' 12 He got up, took his mat and walked out in full view of them all. This amazed everyone and they praised God, saying 'We have never seen anything like this!' "
Here, the people have witnessed a true miracle by Jesus. This is a small revelation, had by those who doubted Jesus' powers and ability, however they came to their revelation as they saw Jesus heal the paralyzed man, as he got up and walked home.
The Gospel of Mark is very much an example of the revelation trope, and like many prophets within a revelation trope, Jesus is killed.
In the play, An Enemy of the People, by Henrik Ibsen, a Doctor discovers bacteria within his towns water supply. Dr. Stockmann is the messenger within this play, as he tries to get the news out about the infected water supply. However, his brother, the Mayor, wants to avoid the news getting out, in fear that in order to fix the problem they must close down the water supply, and risk losing their tourist population. When the Doctor first approaches the people at the paper, they are completely willing to help him develop a strong following from the people of the town and to publish his manuscript in the next issue of the paper. However, when the mayor comes to the paper, he convinces them to publish a piece he has written instead. As more and more people begin to turn on the Doctor, the possibility of him being able to reach the public before the Mayor does, becomes more and more slim.
In 1976, the movie Network displayed much of the revelation trope. It’s about a television network that is struggling with ratings, and when the news anchor, Howard Beale, is told he is going to be fired, he has a breakdown, proclaiming on the live evening news that he will be committing suicide on live television during next weeks broadcast. The unstable situation arises from this, as the network realizes that they can develop very high ratings if they use Beale’s outbursts to their advantage. They do not care about his mental health, they are only concerned with their public image and getting higher ratings. Beale’s revelation comes to him one night as he lays in bed and begins to hear a voice. The voice tells Howard that it is his job to tell the people the truth, because he is on television and has the ability to reach millions. During the next broadcast, Howard begins the famous speech, in which he tells the people that it is their job to get out of their own little worlds and acknowledge what is going on in the world. That they are being fooled by the government and the networks, being treated as though their lives have no real value. He tells them to get out of their chairs, open the window, stick their heads out the window and yell “I’m as mad as hell, and I’m not going to take it anymore!”. This is when the ignorant masses have their own revelations; they adhere to Howard’s instructions, and voices yelling those famous words begin to echoe everywhere.
The obstacle within this movie has to deal with the network, UBS, trying to turn Howard into a product. Diana, the woman who takes over the news, turns it into a circus, psychic and all. “T.V. is showbiz, and even the news needs some showmanship” Diana proclaims. Howard continues delivering his messages to the people, telling them that television is not the truth and that in order to find the truth, they must turn to themselves. As the network continues to keep a hold on their new found fame, they neglect to notice Howard falling deeper and deeper into an obvious mental illness. During one show, Howard begins to discuss the illegal ties the owners of UBS, CCA, have with Saudi Arabia. After this, the network decides to take advantage of Howards depleting mental health, and begin convincing him to change the message of the show. However, in the end, the network decides they no longer want to deal with Howard, and hire someone to assassinate Howard at the beginning of one of his broadcasts, because they believe it will be helpful for the ratings of the spin-off shows they plan to create.
The messager within this movie was clearly Howard, and many others within the movie have their own personal revelations thanks to the commotion that surrounds Howards new found fame. And like many other prophets, Howard can be viewed as mentally ill, and ends up killed.

Derrick Jensen, author of The Culture of Make Believe, can be seen as a prophet. His book is his message and those he hopes to spread his message to are the people who read his book. The unacceptable situation he wants to fix is the way we all currently live our lives. He discusses the way hatred has become embedded into our society. He begins with the most obvious of hatred within society by discussing hate groups. Jensen examines the way hatred has played a part in many different ways; through racism and the slave trade, South African apartheid, children sold into prostitution rings, police violence, consumerism, capitalism, the massacres of the Native Americans, and more. His goal is to reveal the patterns of hate within Western Civilization. He then goes even further, to proclaim that even relationships we have with others can be examples of hatred. He also disects how technology has even furthered our hate.
Jensen is a prophet because he takes every day aspects of our lives and dissects how they are fueled by hatred. He presents the way we live our daily lives in a new way, showing how destructive we are without even recognizing it. It is in this way that Jensen is a prophet, for he presents the way we live in a new and unusual way, in hopes of helping us all develop better lives.
Jensens message is that in order to solve our destructive world, is to return back to simplier times, back when men were hunters and gatherers, and that if we do not, it will be the end of the world as we know it. He believes that the way we have grown to live is not at all the way humans should. That we must return back to humanity, and must relearn what it means to be human.

The revelation trope is even visible in songs. The song No Surprises by Radiohead, is revealing how unhappy people are because everyone has become robotic due to the ways of the government. The prophet is the band itself, and they project their message through the song. The first two verses go as follows;

A heart that's full up like a landfill
A job that slowly kills you
Bruises that won't heal

You look so tired and unhappy
Bring down the government
They don't, they don't speak for us
I'll take a quiet life
A handshake of carbon monoxide

The band wants people to realize how numb they have become to life. The unacceptable situation is the way people have all become so resistant to how they are feeling because of how society has become just a machine that everyone is working to help run. The solution Radiohead calls for is for people to join together and take down the government, for they have no interest in whether or not people are happy and they have no clue what people truly want in life.
The case with this song and it's message is contradictory. The song is portraying how almost numb people have become due to the government and society and that the people must speak for themselves. They are attacking corporate America, however by producing this song and becoming the well known band that they are, they are part of corporate America. They are producing things that people want to buy and that people will sing a long to. It's another part of the media and pop culture that they seems to be warning us of. Situations such as these make believing and willing to follow a message difficult because it appears many of them may just be for show.

Many of the previously mentioned films and literature can be compared to one another to learn more about the use of the revelation trope. In the movie Foxfire, the character Legs reveals the abuse some students are experiencing from the teacher, and she unveils the message that the women involved must join together and fight back. In Enemy of the people, the Doctor discovers bacteria in the baths and when he reveals it, those powerful, such as the mayor and those working at the newspaper, work to silence him for economic purposes. The doctor later on tries to speak to the people of the town himself, trying to convince them to help. In both the movie Foxfire and the play Enemy of The People, the revealer wants to help people join together and rise up against those in power. However, Legs is the only one that succeeds, while the Doctor becomes rejected by the society. Through these revelations, it becomes clear that people are more willing to accept a message or revelation that will empower them along with others, rather than one that requires them to change the comfortable lavvish life they are used to. Legs offered a message of empowerment and sisterhood, while the Doctor offered a message that required the town to give up their tourist appeal, which meant a loss of money, and money needed in order to save the water. Those that were offered the message of empowerment that would help them rise against those in power, chose to act on the revelation, while those who were offered the message that required a change in their lavish economic lifestyle, resisted the message.
People may resist revelations because they are essentially being told that the way they are living is unacceptable in some way. They are being told that the life their parents and grandparents helped create for them is somehow bad and wrong. They think "What right does this person have to tell me how I should be living? This person knows nothing about me and how I am living my life, so what makes them so qualified to judge me?" It is in this way that society has become so helpless. People refuse to change how they live because we have all become so selfish and comfortable with our lives that we either a) don't really have any desire to change and/or b) don't even think it would be really possible.


In the Matrix, Morpheus sees Neo as “the one”. Morpheus appears to be the one in power on the ship and when it comes to fighting the agents or the machines. However, once he finds Neo, he almost bows to him as he teaches him, knowing that Neo has the ability to have amazing power. Similarly, in the Book of Mark, John the Baptist is seen as very powerful, for he has the ability to baptize people, which will allow them the forgiveness of their sins. However, John the Baptist then reveals that there will be one more powerful that will come after him. John the Baptist then baptizes Jesus, which almost makes one view John the Baptist as in a more powerful position then Jesus. During his baptisim is when Jesus recieves his message from God, learning that he is the Son of God. Had John not given Jesus the baptism, he would not have received his message. However, John continues to explain how he is almost unworthy of Jesus, saying that “the thongs of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie”. Often the prophet, who has the ability to give the message to the disciple, can be seen as more powerful and with a more direct connection with what is considered all powerful, i.e. God or the Oracle. However, once the disciple comes into play, the much more stronger Prophet now acts weaker and praises the Disciple and their power.
Similarly, the Prophet will often be willing to sacrifice themself in order to save the disciple, for they see him as being much more powerful than they are. In the Matrix, Morpheus, who is the prophet and is teaching Neo, the disciple, tells the others to escape while he distracts the Agents by fighting them. He knows he will not be able to save himself, for the Agents are very powerful and they have police officers with them. Despite knowing that he will most likely die, he chooses it is more important to let Neo get away then to save himself. In Star Wars, when Obi-Wan, Luke, Han Solo, Chewbacca, R2-D2 and C3PO are aboard the enemies ship, trying to make their way back to their own ship, Obi-Wan makes it possible for them to return to their ship by beginning a fight. Obi-Wan begins a lightsaber duel between Darth Vader, which many on the ship stop to watch, which allows the rest of them try to get back to their ship. Obi-Wan then allows Darth Vader to kill him as he warns him that he will become “more powerful than you can possibly imagine.” Obi-Wan sacrficed himself in order to help the rest of them make their way back to the ship. However, his sacrifice became much more important than just that. In fact, both sacrifices, by both Morpheus and Obi-Wan, became a much more impacting factor on the life of the disciple.

When Morpheus allowed himself to be captured by the Agents, it inspired Neo to take action. Previously, Neo had been somewhat reluctant to completely partake in the Matrix. However, once they learn that Morpheus is in trouble, and has allowed himself to be captured, Neo becomes more willing to help, and he decides that he is going to return and save Morpheus from the Agents, despite how dangerous it may be, and how much the others on the ship warn him not to. Just as Neo was inspired to rescue Morpheus, after Obi-Wan had sacrificed himself, we see Luke become more connected with the force. After the others escape and return to the Rebel Alliance, Luke agrees to join the assault team which is working to destroy the Death Star. While Luke is on his way to the center of the Death Star, it’s discovered that Darth Vader has sent out ships to destroy Luke on his way, some crash and some are destroyed. Seconds before the Death Star is about to destroy the Rebel base, Luke hears Obi-Wans voice telling him to “use the force”. Luke then fires the shot that destroys the death star and saves the Rebel base. In both situations, it is not until something bad happens to the prophet that the disciple begins to truly take action and pursue the message they were given in the revelation. It was not until Morpheus was about to be killed, that Neo began to truly fight back in the Matrix. In Star Wars, it was not until Obi-Wan was killed, that Luke truly listened to the force, which is the message Obi-Wan had been trying to send him the entire time. Something negative must happen to the Prophet that will then encourage the disciple to take action and pursure the revelation on their own without the guidance of the prophet (Grandits).

The message within Derrick Jensen's The Culture of Make Believe critiques the current state of humanity and says that it is time for people to speak up on it. "If we are to do that, [return to our humanity] the first thing we must do is to see the inhumanity of our current system for what it is, and we must speak about it" (page 602). Jensen wants to reveal to his readers how destructive we as a society have become.
This message is very similar to a revelation explained by Agent Smith in the Matrix. As Agent Smith sits and speaks to Morpheus as he keeps Morpheus chained up and connected to painful machines, he begins to describe a revelation he has had about humans. "Agent Smith: I'd like to share a revelation that I've had during my time here. It came to me when I tried to classify your species and I realized that you're not actually mammals. Every mammal on this planet instinctively develops a natural equilibrium with the surrounding environment but you humans do not. You move to an area and you multiply and multiply until every natural resource is consumed and the only way you can survive is to spread to another area. There is another organism on this planet that follows the same pattern. Do you know what it is? A virus. Human beings are a disease, a cancer of this planet. You're a plague and we are the cure". Agent Smith is describing how destructive humans are, just s Derrick Jensen is. They share a very similar message, that being that humans have become wasteful and take advantage of the world we live in. We live greedily, and as Jensen discussed, almost no longer what makes a human, a human. We are supposed to be mammals, and yet, as Agent Smith describes, we act nothing like other mammals on the planet. We do not treat our world and environment the way other species do. Jensen and Agent Smith have a very similar message they are attempting to share, however they are coming from two very opposite positions. Jensen is viewed as one of the prophets, one of the "good guys" who is trying to make our world a better place. When people hear what Jensen has to say, they agree and want to act upon it as well. Yet, Agent Smith, who is depicted as the "bad guy" in the Matrix, has an almost identical message, however no one would be willing to act on his message, for how he has been presented in the revelation trope. He is the bad guy, therefore what he says should not be taken into account.
It appears that in the revelation trope, there is a point in which the bad guy/villain gives a reason behind their "badness". It is then that they suddenly appear as if they may have a good point. There comes a time in which the villain seems to be wise, yet no one is willing enough to side with them. Jensen is a prophet, therefore his word is good. Agent Smith is a villain, and his message is almost identical, but he has been presented to the audience as the villain, so no matter how much truth his words may hold, we will never side with him. It appears there will always be a moment in which the "villain" appears to have a meaningful and understandable theory of the world, yet he will always be defeated.
Revelation tropes are probably the most common trope for the fact that revelations are one of the most common things that people share. A revelation is not limited to any certain kind of person, and is able to come in many different shapes and sizes. A revelation is necesarry in order to live a mature life.
The reason this trope may be so common among movies, literature and songs is because anyone can experience one, and not all revelations need to be huge dramatic events. Even the slightest change in ones outlook can be considered a revelation. Even the simple act of growing up and becoming and adult and realizing all of ones responsibilities can be considered a revelation. They are beneficial to how we life because they allow for a new view of life and the world around us. Even if the revelation may be something negative, it still allows us to become more aware of ourselves, lives, and realities. However, they also require us to give up our more naive views, and we may often miss those, for revelations require us to accept more responsibility for our life.
The most important revelations are those that you are able to reveal to yourself. That way you can see how you have truly grown for you have helped yourself realize something new. To seek out a prophet may ophten lead to a false revelation, for you are anxious to discover something. It is often best to allow the prophet to come to you, for the best revelations occur without you realizing it is on its way.