10/21/2003
Observations about The Matrix - Symbolism of Names in the movie The Matrix
Anderson, Thomas
"Neo's name in his ordinary life inside the Matrix. Anderson, like Smith is symbolically a "generic" sounding name suggesting conformity. In the subway battle scene when Agent Smith is planning to hold Neo infront of the oncoming train he says something along the lines of "That, Mr. Anderson, is the sound of inevitability." Neo responds with "My name is Neo!" This represents a kind of struggle for Neo's identity, between conformity and individuality.
The choice of this name for Neo when he is working for a large corporation (Metacortex, in the movie) also may be a subtle joke based on the name of a certain large company in the real world. "
[material provided by Aaron Friedman]
Cyberdolphin(emmajcn@swipnet.se) created this analysis:
"The letters N, E, and O are found in "Anderson" in this order:
aNdErsOn
The letters N, E, O are found in "Thomas Anderson" in this order:
thOmas aNdErson
So this name conceals/contains the ideas that Thomas Anderson is both Neo and the One."
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Apoc
"This name might have references to:
Apocalypse - the book of Revelations
Apocrypha - books in the Bible that are not accepted by the church
Apocryphal - Of doubtful authenticity"
[material provided by Cyberdolphin: emmajcn@swipnet.se]
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Cypher
"One meaning for this word is "zero" (the symbol 0). This is funny, because if Neo is "the one" (1), then that makes Cypher "the zero" (0). So together, Cypher and Neo are 0 and 1, the two digits in the binary number system used by computers. The two of them are opposing "values" in the movie, because they are working towards opposite ends.
Another meaning of "cypher" is a cryptographic system in which symbols are transposed or substituted. Symbolically, this name shows that Cypher is concealing something.
Cyberdolphin adds that the number references continue with Trinity as the "3". Therefore there also ought to be a character who is symbolically the "2", but who is it?
jlbowers@blueriver.net adds: the obvious 2 is Thomas, which means twin. The movie is totally about dual existence, in reality and in the Matrix.
"Sebastian" adds that Cypher may be a reference to evil, from Lucifer. In the film Angel Heart, there was a character named Lou Cypher, meant to represent Lucifer. And since Cypher is the bad guy who was at first a part of the good guys, he is sort of a "Fallen one". "
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Matrix
"Besides the mathematical sense of the word, one of the other definitions of "matrix" is "the womb." The strange pods used by the machines to store humans in the movie, like the one Neo wakes up in, are kind of womblike. "
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Morpheus
"Name of the god of dreams in Ovid's Metamorphoses. In the movie, Morpheus refers to dreams and waking up several times. He asks Neo to imagine having a dream so real that he mistook it for the real world, and being unable to wake from that dream. The Matrix is the "dream" that most humans mistake for ultimate reality. "
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Mouse
"The name has at least two meanings: the computer tool and the animal. This name may relate to him because he is the smallest member of the group. It might also refer to Mouse's programming skills."
[material provided by Cyberdolphin: emmajcn@swipnet.se]
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Nebuchadnezzar
"This is the name of Morpheus' ship in the movie. Historically, it is also the name of a king of Babylonia, who captured and destroyed Jerusalem. This is kind of odd, given that the "last human city" is called "Zion."
From the Bible (RSV, Daniel, chapter 2):
In the second year of the reign of Nebuchadnez'zar, Nebuchadnez'zar had dreams; and his spirit was troubled, and his sleep left him.
The reference to dreams symbolically relates to Morpheus. Then God showed the prophet Daniel a vision of what Nebuchadnezzar had dreamt, and Daniel told him that the dream was about the rise and fall of kingdoms. But eventually there would come a kingdom that would crush all the others and last forever.
And in the days of those kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed, nor shall its sovereignty be left to another people. It shall break in pieces all these kingdoms and bring them to an end, and it shall stand for ever;
Perhaps this relates to the destruction of the "kingdom" of the AIs, and the liberation of humans from the Matrix."
[material provided by Cyberdolphin: emmajcn@swipnet.se]
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Neo
"Neo is a prefix meaning new -- in fact, in Greek it actually is the word for "new" (pointed out by nkast@fnet.gr) -- and Neo is the newest member of Morpheus' group. Neo is also an anagram of "one," and Neo is thought to be "The One."
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Smith, Agent
"The name of the main Agent in the movie. Like Anderson, this is a "generic" sounding name, representing conformity, and the faceless nature of the Agents. Morpheus asks the agent who he is. The agent replies "Agent Smith." Morpheus responds with "You all look the same to me."
[material for this entry was provided by Aaron Friedman]
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Trinity
"Means "a group of three". The character is part of the Neo-Trinity-Morpheus group, and also part of the Neo-Trinity-Cypher love triangle."
"The name could also refer to the Christian Trinity (the Father, Son and Holy Spirit).
mwhitake@brill.acomp.usf.edu says, "I prefer the pagan (or neo-pagan) symbolism of the Triple Goddess - woman represented in three forms - maiden, mother and crone."
"Tom replies:
Maiden: Trinity's role as love interest
Mother: can be seen in how Trinity takes care of Neo, especially after he exits the pod (which is symbolic of birth).
Crone: I don't think we've directly seen this yet. Maybe it will show up in the sequels.
Trinity Infinity has a good page just about Trinity."
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Zion
"This is the name of the "last human city," described by Tank as being deep underground. "Zion" also means an idealized, harmonious community. Another meaning is the historic land of Israel.
In the movie, Zion is a real city, since Tank and Dozer say they were born there, and that is why they don't have Matrix plugs in their bodies. However, a computer in Zion, the "Zion mainframe" must be connected to the Matrix, since the Agents want the codes to get into it."
Anderson, Thomas
"Neo's name in his ordinary life inside the Matrix. Anderson, like Smith is symbolically a "generic" sounding name suggesting conformity. In the subway battle scene when Agent Smith is planning to hold Neo infront of the oncoming train he says something along the lines of "That, Mr. Anderson, is the sound of inevitability." Neo responds with "My name is Neo!" This represents a kind of struggle for Neo's identity, between conformity and individuality.
The choice of this name for Neo when he is working for a large corporation (Metacortex, in the movie) also may be a subtle joke based on the name of a certain large company in the real world. "
[material provided by Aaron Friedman]
Cyberdolphin(emmajcn@swipnet.se) created this analysis:
"The letters N, E, and O are found in "Anderson" in this order:
aNdErsOn
The letters N, E, O are found in "Thomas Anderson" in this order:
thOmas aNdErson
So this name conceals/contains the ideas that Thomas Anderson is both Neo and the One."
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Apoc
"This name might have references to:
Apocalypse - the book of Revelations
Apocrypha - books in the Bible that are not accepted by the church
Apocryphal - Of doubtful authenticity"
[material provided by Cyberdolphin: emmajcn@swipnet.se]
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Cypher
"One meaning for this word is "zero" (the symbol 0). This is funny, because if Neo is "the one" (1), then that makes Cypher "the zero" (0). So together, Cypher and Neo are 0 and 1, the two digits in the binary number system used by computers. The two of them are opposing "values" in the movie, because they are working towards opposite ends.
Another meaning of "cypher" is a cryptographic system in which symbols are transposed or substituted. Symbolically, this name shows that Cypher is concealing something.
Cyberdolphin adds that the number references continue with Trinity as the "3". Therefore there also ought to be a character who is symbolically the "2", but who is it?
jlbowers@blueriver.net adds: the obvious 2 is Thomas, which means twin. The movie is totally about dual existence, in reality and in the Matrix.
"Sebastian" adds that Cypher may be a reference to evil, from Lucifer. In the film Angel Heart, there was a character named Lou Cypher, meant to represent Lucifer. And since Cypher is the bad guy who was at first a part of the good guys, he is sort of a "Fallen one". "
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Matrix
"Besides the mathematical sense of the word, one of the other definitions of "matrix" is "the womb." The strange pods used by the machines to store humans in the movie, like the one Neo wakes up in, are kind of womblike. "
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Morpheus
"Name of the god of dreams in Ovid's Metamorphoses. In the movie, Morpheus refers to dreams and waking up several times. He asks Neo to imagine having a dream so real that he mistook it for the real world, and being unable to wake from that dream. The Matrix is the "dream" that most humans mistake for ultimate reality. "
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Mouse
"The name has at least two meanings: the computer tool and the animal. This name may relate to him because he is the smallest member of the group. It might also refer to Mouse's programming skills."
[material provided by Cyberdolphin: emmajcn@swipnet.se]
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Nebuchadnezzar
"This is the name of Morpheus' ship in the movie. Historically, it is also the name of a king of Babylonia, who captured and destroyed Jerusalem. This is kind of odd, given that the "last human city" is called "Zion."
From the Bible (RSV, Daniel, chapter 2):
In the second year of the reign of Nebuchadnez'zar, Nebuchadnez'zar had dreams; and his spirit was troubled, and his sleep left him.
The reference to dreams symbolically relates to Morpheus. Then God showed the prophet Daniel a vision of what Nebuchadnezzar had dreamt, and Daniel told him that the dream was about the rise and fall of kingdoms. But eventually there would come a kingdom that would crush all the others and last forever.
And in the days of those kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed, nor shall its sovereignty be left to another people. It shall break in pieces all these kingdoms and bring them to an end, and it shall stand for ever;
Perhaps this relates to the destruction of the "kingdom" of the AIs, and the liberation of humans from the Matrix."
[material provided by Cyberdolphin: emmajcn@swipnet.se]
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Neo
"Neo is a prefix meaning new -- in fact, in Greek it actually is the word for "new" (pointed out by nkast@fnet.gr) -- and Neo is the newest member of Morpheus' group. Neo is also an anagram of "one," and Neo is thought to be "The One."
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Smith, Agent
"The name of the main Agent in the movie. Like Anderson, this is a "generic" sounding name, representing conformity, and the faceless nature of the Agents. Morpheus asks the agent who he is. The agent replies "Agent Smith." Morpheus responds with "You all look the same to me."
[material for this entry was provided by Aaron Friedman]
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Trinity
"Means "a group of three". The character is part of the Neo-Trinity-Morpheus group, and also part of the Neo-Trinity-Cypher love triangle."
"The name could also refer to the Christian Trinity (the Father, Son and Holy Spirit).
mwhitake@brill.acomp.usf.edu says, "I prefer the pagan (or neo-pagan) symbolism of the Triple Goddess - woman represented in three forms - maiden, mother and crone."
"Tom replies:
Maiden: Trinity's role as love interest
Mother: can be seen in how Trinity takes care of Neo, especially after he exits the pod (which is symbolic of birth).
Crone: I don't think we've directly seen this yet. Maybe it will show up in the sequels.
Trinity Infinity has a good page just about Trinity."
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Zion
"This is the name of the "last human city," described by Tank as being deep underground. "Zion" also means an idealized, harmonious community. Another meaning is the historic land of Israel.
In the movie, Zion is a real city, since Tank and Dozer say they were born there, and that is why they don't have Matrix plugs in their bodies. However, a computer in Zion, the "Zion mainframe" must be connected to the Matrix, since the Agents want the codes to get into it."
10/19/2003
Matrix Plots, Characters & Commentary
