Ethan Fenwick

I think that existentialism ties into this idea as well. Once Neo has mastered his understanding of the world, he is able to control it. The same is true for Inception as well. By re-entering the constructed world, they can affect indirect change on the real world. In existentialism, the individual can construct their own reality. This is seen here-people affecting direct change on their lives after having ‘woken up’ to the possibility of said change.

I think that, especially in mythology, benevolent forces clash against evil for eternity. In Norse mythology, you have the Aesir vs the giants. In Paradise Lost, you have the forces of heaven and the demons of hell. Some superheroes have an almost Jesus-like quality to them, in that the antagonists are constantly tempting them. Daredevil had the Black Hand. In Shadowland, a comic series published by Marvel, Daredevil gives in after a huge personal loss and joins the Black Hand, creating a ninja-themed authoritarian state on top of Hell’s Kitchen. This is a great example of the topic that you mention here.

Kevin Smith’s autobiography, Tough Sh*t, goes deeper into the idea of the “slob.” He talks a lot about how he tries to find motivation in life and thanks the people that helped him get there. Mallrats, as well as the sequels to the Clerks series, all go further into the idea of a pointless existence. I think that musicians such as Beck, with his album Mellow Gold serve as a generational illustration of the angst and confusion that generation X had in their search for meaning, and the end of a pointless existence.