The element of choice is perhaps the most crucial part of a story. It elevates your narrative from a simple telling of events to something driven by human intervention. Each choice acts as a catalyst for change, propelling the action forward, leading to a pattern of cause and effect that ultimately results in transformation. This is how the power of choice reveals theme.
I know I’ve used The Matrix before as a case study, but the film is just too good not to include when studying the concept of choice. The movie is a masterclass on the nature of choice and how it propels action forward. It not only demonstrates how choice reveals theme, but also explores how our choices ultimately change us. So, let’s dive in and see how the power of choice reveals theme.
Four Ways The Power Of Choice Reveals Theme
What Makes Choice So Powerful?
Choice is effective because it’s relatable. Our lives are fundamentally shaped by our choices, which ultimately define who we are and how we present ourselves to the world. Choice also plays a vital role in change. Make enough poor choices, and you learn to approach things differently, leading to a shift in how you see and respond to situations. And since story is all about change, it makes sense that choice would be central to making it work.
While most people see The Matrix as just an action movie, the truth is that at its core, it highlights the deep and powerful influence of choice and how it can transform our world, our identity, and the outcomes of conflicts. Everything depends on the choices Neo makes throughout the film, leading to a climax that ultimately defines who he is and what he was meant to do.
Make It Uncomfortable
Let your protagonist’s lie or misbelief shape their initial choices to show how limited their thinking is. Then use your narrative to gradually push them to make decisions that are designed to take them beyond where willing to go.
Thomas Anderson leads a double life. By day, he works at a computer software company, but at night, he engages in questionable activities under his hacker alias: Neo. This reveals that he’s someone who questions authority and challenges the status quo. However, despite his rebellious side, he’s content to live without knowing the true nature of his existence. It’s his choice to “follow the white rabbit” that ultimately sets him on a path toward that truth.
Neo’s meeting with Trinity draws the attention of Agent Smith and his agents, immediately putting him in a very uncomfortable situation. And while Morpheus tries to help him escape, he is ultimately captured and subjected to a nightmare of interrogation.
Neo’s uncomfortable situation and his burning questions eventually lead him to decide to meet with Morpheus—a decision that will alter his view of his entire life. We see the pattern of choice already in motion, pushing him toward his destiny.
Make It Consequential
Move your story forward by creating a figurative point of no return that forces your protagonist to face the consequences of their choices, making it hard for them to go back to who they were before they started their journey.
The Matrix beautifully explores this concept by presenting its protagonist with a consequential choice. Morpheus offers Neo the red and blue pills, warning him that once he chooses, there’s no turning back. It’s a crucial moment that will forever alter Neo and his perception of himself and his world. Yet, Neo makes the decision without hesitation.
Later, after Neo learns the horrifying truth about the Matrix and how it is actually a virtual prison for humanity, he immediately regrets his decision. But there is no way back. With one choice, his life is forever changed, leaving him with no other option but to accept Morpheus’s wisdom and training.
Neo has accepted the path toward truth, but his inability to reconcile with that truth prevents him from fully accepting the notion that he is The One. At this stage, he’s still taking cues from others and not fully deciding how things will go. It’s an interesting dynamic that keeps us guessing about where he’ll end up on this journey.
Make It Inevitable
Guide your protagonist toward an unavoidable moment of truth that forces them to confront their lie or false belief, leading them toward a decision that will ultimately put their own lives at risk along with everyone they care about.
Neo’s visit with the Oracle is a pivotal moment that challenges his sense of identity and purpose. While Neo expects a clear answer about who he is and what he should do, the Oracle actually guides him to find the answers himself. She intentionally avoids confirming or denying that Neo is The One. Instead, she appeals to his inner moral sense by giving him a choice that will require him to sacrifice Morpheus or himself.
The entire movie and its theme revolve around Neo’s discovery of who he truly is and what he’s capable of. When Morpheus sacrifices himself so that Neo can escape, it actually prompts Neo to choose to save him. That choice ultimately sets him on the path of The One.
Although it’s never explicitly stated, it’s clear that The One’s role was never predetermined. Instead, it is the result of an inevitable choice—a decision to prioritize another’s life over one’s own. By saving Morpheus, Neo effectively chooses to die, which is where the path of the one will ultimately end.
Make It Definitive
Create a scenario where your protagonist’s decision not only influences the story’s outcome but also shapes their character going forward, helping them move beyond their lie or misbelief and allowing them to embrace the story’s thematic truth.
Up until now, Neo has allowed others to dictate his path, but by choosing to save Morpheus, he begins to actively decide who he is and what he is willing to do. This fundamental shift serves as the catalyst that prompts him to shed his old way of thinking, freeing his mind to accept that he may actually be capable of assuming the role of The One.
But to fully transition into the role, Neo must die to his old identity and be reborn. But it isn’t a choice he makes on his own. It’s a decision that is fueled by Trinity’s profession of her love for him. And it’s that love that causes him to let go of who he once was and transcend fully into the role of The One.
Thomas Anderson’s choices ultimately lead him to shed his old identity and fully embrace his life as Neo. He’s no longer blind to the lie. He recognizes the Matrix for what it truly is, seeing it in its coded form. He is no longer a prisoner to the system but is able to reshape it as he sees fit. His decisions have defined who he is and what he’s now willing to do as he sets out to free the minds of those still blinded to the truth.
Summing It Up
Using the power of choice to reveal theme is a smart way to craft a story that resonates with your audience. The nature of choice establishes a cause-and-effect dynamic that creates a strong framework, making your story structurally solid.
Although not as well-received as the first installment, the remaining films in The Matrix Trilogy continue to explore the different dimensions of choice in a deep and meaningful way. It’s a dynamic that isn’t fully appreciated unless you view all three as parts of a whole. So, next month, I’d like to explore the Problem of Choice using The Matrix Reloaded as my next case study.
What are your thoughts on The Matrix? How has it inspired you? What concepts has it led you to explore? I’d love to hear your thoughts. Keep letting your creative light shine! And above all, keep writing!
Until next time,
