Sophomore Thesis Outline

Art Piece: Inception

Filter: Philosophy (Existentialism)

Hook: A solitary figure navigates their way through a dense forest, relying on the path to liberate
them from the labyrinth. However, each path leads to another fork in the path . And again and
again there is no escape, whether there is a way out is no uncertain for this traveler. What is there
to do?

Main Thesis: In the feature film Inception, the philosophy of Existentialism is utilized by
Nolan to reveal humanity’s inherent responsibility in a world that is uncertain, however
the choice to follow through one’s responsibility leads to a liberating ending free of doubt.

Paragraph #1 (Absurd world):

ST: Nolan suggests that the world is uncertain and is also constantly unstable, which creates
aimlessness in its lack of understanding which reveals that one cannot rely on the world to find
genuine certainty and meaning.

CM21-- Cobb washes on beach — Uncertainty, Responsibility

PCM2: “The puzzle of Cobb’s diegetic reality is not solvable - no more than the philosophical
problem of external world skepticism is solvable” (Diehl 8).

PCM8: “Ambiguous; they focus on their concept and resist questioning social inequalities or the
morality of actions”

CM15 -- Black and white opening — Uncertainty

CM18 -- Mr. Charles — Absurdity

Paragraph #2 (Freedom of choice):

ST: Nolan demonstrates the extent of one’s agency in the world, and presents it as the key
element to utilize in our existence to find certainty and meaning in a world which cannot provide
it.
CD12 -- Mombasa — Freedom, responsibility

CD13 -- Paradox stairs in dream — uncertainty, choice, responsibility

CD9 -- 0 gravity — adaptability, urgency

Paragraph #3 (Individual responsibility):

ST: Nolan portrays that in a world that is by its own nature uncertain, to find certainty to create
meaning, it is one's responsibility to to actively create meaning, which consequently leads to a
life which is certain.

CD2 -- Dream layout — responsibility, individuality

CD1 -- Totem — responsibility

CD22 -- Cobbs kills Arthur — choice, control, subjectivity

PCM4: “I thought the dream space would be all about the visual, but it’s more about the feel of
it.” This is an astute point, for the entire ruse hinges not on the eye, but on the ear and bodily
sensation” (Horton 15).

CD24 -- Turning hallway — self definition, absurd world

CD7 -- Paris dream — self definition

CD4 -- Test dream — purpose, individuality

CD10 -- Elevator in dream — personal experience

Paragraph #4:

ST: Nolan depicts the effects of being trapped in the world's uncertainty, and the consequences
of not taking responsibility to define oneself as that opposes certainty which prevents one from a
meaningful existence.

PCM6: “Mal, by contrast, represents a psychoanalytic Real— a trauma that disrupts any attempt
to maintain a stable sense of reality; that which the subject cannot help bringing with him no
matter where he goes” (Fisher 7)
PCM9: “At the final level is the unconscious psyche of CObb. It is the majestic, crumbling
dominion of Cobb’s construct of his loving yet vengeful deceased wife Mal (Marion Cotillard), a
creature of Freudian aggression, guilt, and regret” (Koch 1).

PCM3: “Mal is at the centre of Cobb’s unknown trauma in which their children also play a
considerable role. They haunt Cobb as much as Mal does, appearing to be running in a recurrent
scene throughout the film” (Vukovic 1).

PCM5: “Mal becomes the mouth-piece for his anxiety, and instability of his handle over the
dream” (Blouin 14)

PCM1: “Cobb’s effectiveness as a dream is compromised by the “projection” of his dead wife
Mal (Marion Cotillard), the pathological stain he now brings with him into any dream caper”
(Fisher 2).

CD19 -- Freight train — harm, disruption

CD23 -- washing face — emptiness

Paragraph #5:

ST: The outcome of following through the individual responsibility to create meaning, Nolan
shows to be a beautiful and liberating triumph, and is the only way one can escape a world of
aimless uncertainty.

CD-- camera hotel scene — individuality

CD-- end of film — interpretation

PCM10: “Inception is a group venture involving the co-construction of the different inner
realities by the participants against the will of the target mind. This invest the relation idea of the
co-construction o f reality and the person construction of dreams by making dream a con-
construction and reality a person construct.