Neo, the main character of The Matrix, was perceptive and courageous. Neo was known as Thomas Anderson at the beginning of The Matrix (Wachowski). He was a computer programmer. Neo uses his computer programming abilities to search for Morpheus to find out the truth about the Matrix. Neo’s perceptiveness and courage allowed him to become the hero, and his computer knowledge helped him figure out the truth about the Matrix.
After Neo searched for Morpheus, he was contacted by one of Morpheus’ allies, Trinity (Wachowski). Trinity informs Neo that Morpheus has been watching him and gives Neo the chance to meet him. Morpheus gave Neo a choice of a red pill and a blue pill. The blue pill offered peaceful ignorance. The red pill offered a painful reality. Neo chose the red pill. “I want to know the truth.” (Wachowski). Neo was willing to go through the pain in order to know the truth. Neo choosing the red pill showed his courage. There were many times Neo showed courage. Neo choosing the red pill was one of his notorious moments. He also showed courage when he stood up to Agent Smith. Neo could have run away, but he chose to fight then even when the agents seemed invincible. Neo also rescues Morpheus. Neo and Trinity went after Morpheus to rescue him from the agents. He did this knowing he had a high chance of dying. He risked his life to save his mentor. Neo also enters the heart of the Matrix (Wachowski). He realized that he might be the one to save everyone, and he entered the building to face the agents. He found strength to reject his own death and was able to become the one to save everyone. In his final battle with Agent Smith, he let Smith assimilate him. This was an act of self-sacrifice that allowed him to defeat Smith and save humanity. All of these acts showed Neo’s courage.
Before Neo knew about the truth, he had a sense that something was wrong with the world. Once he found out the world he was living in was a lie, he adjusted quickly to the truth. He focused on reality and how it operates. He even went through a martial arts training simulation to increase his skills (Wachowski). Neo had the ability to retain new information easily. Neo began to see the world as rules, patterns, and manipulations. This allows him to see the code of the Matrix. Once he figures out the code, he is able to manipulate it. Throughout all of this, Neo showed his perceptiveness. “I know you’re out there. I can feel you now” (Wachowski). This characteristic allowed him to navigate the Matrix.
Neo shows his perceptiveness throughout the movie. Neo visits the Oracle. She speaks in riddles and offers vague guidance. Neo was able to grasp the deeper meaning behind her words. She tells him that he is not “the one” (Wachowski). Neo took this as a challenge. He realized that becoming “the one” is about self-belief and choice instead of destiny. Throughout the movie, Neo analyzes the agents. He is able to understand their nature and limitations. They have predictable patterns due to their programming (Wachowski). Gaining this understanding allowed him to confront them. Neo’s perception keeps getting stronger throughout the movie. He starts questioning the motivations of other characters. He also becomes aware of the nature of the prophecy and its control by the machines. This characteristic trait is essential for Neo to go through his journey and complete it.
Neo’s courage and perceptiveness allowed him to become the hero that took down the machines behind the Matrix. Neo was able to tell his world was a lie before having any hard facts to prove it. He used his computer programming skills to find Morpheus which began his journey to take down the Matrix. Morpheus was able to see Neo's courage and perceptiveness. This is why he was keeping an eye on him before meeting him.
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