Wednesday, June 18, 2008
Trinity
What can you find out online and through discussions with friends who remember the "buzz' about the Matrix about why Trinity is called "Trinity" and Neo is called "Neo"? What is the relationship between Trinity and Neo if Neo is considered a Christ-like saviour hero? What makes Trinity unlike common women and even unlike other women in the film? What is futuristic, idealistic, fantastic, ideological or utopian/dystopian in her representation of future femininity in your view?
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My own impression of the Matrix. It is an ultimate cyber-escapism for the generation X, generation W3, and the couch potatoes alike.
Trinity. Trinity is a reference to the Christian theological belief of Father, Son and the Holy Spirit, which make up God, the invincible force. Trinity is possibly called Trinity, because she represents the relationship of Neo, Morpheus and Trinity. Just like Trinity represents the Father, Son and the Holy God in Christianity, the trio – Neo, Morpheus and Trinity in the Matrix constantly fight the machines to save humanity. Trinity also acts as a mediator between Morpheus and those trying to join him. That completes a symbolic cycle representing Trinity as an agent of invincibility – or goddess of Matrix or Mary Magdalene.
If Jesus helped Mary Magdalene by fighting off the seven demons, Neo also saved Trinity from the machines. If Magdalene was the first to see resurrected Jesus, Trinity was the one to resurrect and witness Neo’s resurrection as foretold by the Oracle. Both of them stick together for a cause. Cypher, a lackey of the Matrix agents, is comparable to Judas, the traitor. All that completes the biblical allegory in the film.
Neo. Neo is an anagram of One. Neo is looked up as the One who can save – the savior, which is a reference to Christ. Neo has extraordinary powers to save mankind from the clutches of the machines. Neo dies trying to save others and rises from the dead like Christ.
The relationship. Conventionality has pervaded Hollywood so deep, that the moviemakers could not do without it despite a novel plot in the Matrix: they introduced Neo and Trinity as a pair who would sooner or later enter the realm of romance (as in mainstream movies). The androgynous female sometimes makes it non-conventional too. The relationship between Neo and Trinity is similar to the one that existed between Jesus and Mary Magdalene. Trinity stays with Neo when he dies just like Mary Magdalene stayed with Christ after the crucifixion. Trinity is by the side of Neo, which can be drawn parallel to Mary Magdalene being the first to witness the resurrection of Jesus.
Trinity unlike other women. Trinity is portrayed as an androgynous woman. Her love for Neo and her will to bring him back from the dead show both her soft and strong characteristics. She saves Neo by whispering in his ears that he is the One because she has fallen in love with him as predicted by the Oracle. By saving Neo, her masculine side comes into play. Men are associated with power, while women are expected to succumb to power. In this movie, Trinity is powerful like her male counterparts, and is part of the core group that fights the machines. She is not only tough but also looks tough.
Trinity’s representation of future femininity. The fact that Trinity is physically and mentally portrayed as a tough female with male powers makes her representation very idealistic, utopian and fantastic. In real life, men are physically stronger than women, but the fact that women can be as tough as men in reel life is what makes the character of Trinity fantastic and intriguing.
I agree with Dikshya's opinions at some points.
For me, this film is a little bit complicated one because the story includes ideas of the cyberpunk and the religion which I am not familiar with.
In my opinion, Trinity is called "Trinity" because she is the one who works with Morpheus and leads Neo to their world which is called the Matrix. In Christianity,the meaning of her name is the union of Father, Son and Holy Spirit as one God. Also, Trinity stands for a group of three people or things. As these meanings in Trinity shows, one of her important roles in this film is to let the three (Neo,Morpheus,and Trinity)get together and achieve their mission or goal, and she inherently plays this important role with her name.
Neo is called "Neo" because his role or fate in this film is to save the world as his name Neo stands for.
If Neo is deemed as a Christ-like hero, the role of Trinity can be Mary Magdalene who is described as a devoted disciple of Jesus. In Christianity, Mary Magdalene is also considered as the one who leads Christ to the world, just like Trinity does to Neo in the film. Therefore, both Mary Magdalene and Trinity are the ones who motiveted their "heroes" and raised and supported them just like the roles of mothers or lovers.
Unlike common women or even other women in the film, her personality of strongness is mainly emphasized in the film though she has feminine features such as warmth and sensitivity.
Since early times, the main role of women is to be a balm for people's spirits. I think this role of women will not be changed in the world of future femininity. However, women might be alternated with men and added more masculinity in the future as Trinity represents in the film.
I have only watched the Matrix (the first movie) and read short bios of the second and third films in this series. However, this film is an interesting story with elements "pirated" from many different stories and religions. However, the name Trinity brings to my mind the Christian belief that God is three in one: God, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit. Christians believe that God is all powerful and the giver of life and that it is because of His love of communion with others that He created mankind. It is interesting that Trinity "gives" Neo life when she is the one who provides the words which ultimately inspire him to overcome death within the first Matrix and she also gives him life when she kisses him. However, the Matrix difference strongly from Christian teaching when it brings into play Neo if Neo is supposed to represent Christ. Neo means "new" and, while Christ brought about a new world by overcoming the old laws which formerly governed the Hebrew chilrden and, Himself becoming the sacrifice which would save mankind, giving them eternal life and allowing them to dwell forever in Heaven, Neo's relationship with Trinity is what makes the Matrix different from this Christian teaching. The Christ is part of the Trinity. Neo, while in a relationship with Trinity and, in many ways representing a savior figure, is quite separate from Trinity. However, it is interesting that Neo undergoes a type of rebirth and "baptism" before he undertakes his mission to save mankind while the Christ figure, always pure, was symbolically baptised in order to demonstrate His submission to the Father and His desire for His followers to do as He did, putting on the new and taking of the old - a form of rebirth. Interesting parallels.
In the gnostic teaching, Trinity would represent Mary Magdalene who supposedly had an affair with Christ. However, in the Christian and Catholic teaching, Christ went to the grave without ever being involved with a woman and Mary Magdalene was simply a prostitute who recognized Christ's ability to forgive sin and give the gift of eternal life. In which case, Mary Magdalene (if I am remembering correctly) is one of the women who discovers the empty tomb and goes back to tell the other disciples that Jesus has risen from the dead.
The differences between Trinity and "normal" women are her amazing physical strengths and her ability to be a strong, almost male-like leader. Trinity has some emotions but they mostly stay beneath the surface. She thinks clearly and does what she is told by those in charge...interesting for such a strong woman, or for western women in general. I'm not sure what her other differences are. However, I do think that Trinity's ability to distance herself from her emotions and then bring them back into play at will and her ability to rival any man when fighting or seeking to accomplish a mission make her the "ideal" woman in a man's eyes. She is an equal in most ways, but a superior in some simply because, as a woman, she is something to be desired by men and someone who desires men (at least in this story). She has not lost the feminine qualities of caring and feeling but she able to set them aside...this may be true of some women today but I think it is more commonly associated with males and seen as something (at least by males) to be desired in the future women.
Last week, I spent about six hours watching the Matrix trilogy. The following day, at bible study, as I ignored the given topic, I made some close associations with the bible and Christianity (in terms on the western context) with the Matrix movies.
The “holy trinity” has long been talked about by religious scholars and followers of the faith [Christianity and Catholicism]. In the bible, the holy trinity is the Father, the Son (Jesus), and the Holy Ghost (Holy Sprit). The Trinity is the foundational doctrine of God; it’s been called the “three Persons in one Divine Nature.” I believe Trinity was given that name because she brings together the reality of “the one” and aids in his battle against the machines. Although she helps Neo, she is a warrior herself. Trinity knows her cause and what needs to be done to reach the ‘final destination.’ She fights as well, if not better, than most men; Neo is the only one stronger than her physically. She is a futuristic female because, on top of being a champion fighter, she has deep feelings and, by sharing her love with Neo, aids in bringing him to life [after he is shot by an agent]. Thus, like the Divine Nature, she brings hope and everything together for the future of the human race. There are women today like Trinity, and, although they can not jump from building to building, they can fight physically and have the capacity for real emotions. She differs from many women because she is able to have emotions without being “emotional” and letting those feelings cloud her judgments and actions.
Neo, in Spanish, translates as ‘neon.’ More importantly, there is a phrase in Spanish [México]: “como neo” which means can mean ‘how bright’ or ‘bright light.’ Light is associated with goodness and help [Christ-like characteristics]. In Greek, Neo translates as ‘new’ (new can relate to purity and change). It is also an anagram of the word ‘one.’ In the Matrix, Neo is considered [by some] to be “the one” that Morpheus was meant to find. The agents refer to Neo ad “Mr. Anderson” because they do not believe in “the one.” Even after Neo believes [finds his faith] in himself as the one, he says to the agents, “my name is Neo” proclaiming that he, is, in fact, the one, who can and will defeat them. The name Anderson also has meaning; because Ander translates into ‘son’ in Greek, Anderson is the son of man- a common title given to Jesus [the one in the Christian belief that came to save]. Neo loves Trinity in a pure love, just as Jesus loved Mary [physically in the Gnostic belief and soulfully in the Christian belief]. Either way, his love for her gives him strength, even life, when he has none.
It states in Acts 13:22-24 in the bible: “From this man's descendants God has brought to Israel the Savior Jesus, as he promised.” The character Morpheus is promised by the Oracle that he will find “the one” (who will save Zion).
“But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ,” from Philippians 3:19-21. In the movie, Zion is the place of protection and peace for all human beings; it is like heaven. In the Hebrew sense, god dwells among his chosen people in Zion. In Isaiah 14:32 of the bible it states: “The Lord has established Zion, and in her his afflicted people will find refuge.” In the movie, the people of the world (not in the matrix) are afflicted by the machines and find sanctuary underground in Zion. In the Matrix, Neo is meant to save Zion. By Zion, it means he is meant to save the human race, just as Jesus did.
This movie could take me off on a variety of tangents but, in sticking to the topic (sort of), I see Trinity as futuristic femininity until the last movie. Her death in the last movie is absurd. How can someone who has done so much and has such strength and power within her die during a crash landing? I know that now all endings are glorious, in life and in film, but I believe that a true futuristic female would fight harder to live.
Why Trinity is called "Trinity" and Neo is called "Neo"?
Neo is an anagram for the word 'One'. Neo in Greek also means 'new' or 'recently come'. He is the new hero on the block and the 'One' who is destined to save the human race. He is the representative of the new wave within the Matrix who other fellow characters hope is destined to save the human race from virtual slavery to the machine intelligence and from the agents of the Matrix. Neo's full name in the matrix is Thomas A. Anderson. The last name means "Son of Man" or "Man's Son. In Christian theology, Jesus Christ is the Messiah (Son of God, Son of Man, "Light of The World") who saves mankind from its sins. In the Bible, Jesus dies on the cross, but later is resurrected and ascends up to heaven. Christ translates from Hebrew into "Anointed One. "The movie, Neo dies [is shot to death] but later comes back to life. At the end of the movie, a resurrected Neo flies up into the sky. The name Thomas is Hebrew and means "twin." As Agent Smith tells Neo, "You have been living two lives." As Thomas, he unknowingly lives inside the matrix and works for a software company while as Neo he is a computer hacker who eventually wakes up in the real world. Trinity comes from Latin trinitas or Middle English trinite meaning 'trio', 'group of three' or the 'state of being threefold or triple'. The word "trinity" is often used to represent the union of three people or things, such as: body, mind and spirit; birth, life and death; past, present and future. In Christian theology, "trinity" refers to the personality of one God-the union of the Father, the Son (Christ), and the Holy Spirit. In the movie there is Morpheus--"the Father," Neo--"the Son," and Trinity--"the Holy Spirit." This can be noted in the Tank’s statement to Morpheus: "You're more than a leader to us. You're a father." Her role as cool black leather goddess serves to unite the three main characters into one. Her name may also be a clue to her completed role in that she, with Neo and Morpheus, make up a trinity that combines Father (Morpheus), Son (Neo) and Holy Ghost (Trinity) - based on that Christian concept. The original energy of the 'Holy Ghost' was a female goddess energy, but the present Church disguised it in a 'male' personification. What is the relationship between Trinity and Neo if Neo is considered a Christ-like saviour hero? The biggest biblical parallel comes at the end of the movie when Neo is shot dead and then is resurrected to life again., which is a direct reference to the life of Jesus Christ. Trinity to a dead Neo: "The Oracle told me that I would fall in love, and that man, the man who I loved would be the One. So you see, you can't be dead. You can't be because I love you." What makes Trinity unlike common women and even unlike other women in the film? Trinity’s role in the films is as a committed revolutionary. Her part in the plot is that she is part of a team fighting literally and metaphorically to save the human race. Trinity does not conform to stereotypical Hollywood images of attractiveness, in that she does not have huge breasts, but instead she has short dark hair and looks a little more masculine than a sexy woman. One can clearly see that she is unique and different from the other women, as she is the only female wearing black as the men characters. Even the other female in her group is wearing white cloth when they enter the world. What is futuristic, idealistic, fantastic, ideological or utopian/dystopian in her representation of future femininity in your view? I think that the futuristic representation of Trinity is her ability to be as strong as the male characters, as all her powers stem from believing in them. Certainly that fact that she can bring Neo back to life with her love also represents her utopian representation. However, the most fantastic side of Trinity is in my opinion as a woman that she can keep up living in an almost entire men dominated ship, which isn’t very women like and therefore she seems to be presented more male like. If the idea of the future female is to have no difference between men and women when it comes to power, I guess that is the price Trinity needs to pay.
I haven’t had a chance to watch the Matrix.
Therefore, my opinion had to depend on mainly information from the Internet.
When I first read Dr. G’s question, it reminded me of Maria and Freder in the Metropolis which we saw at the last class.
Trinity is the theological concept of Christianity, the belief of
God the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit in one
Here also in Matrix, the relationship of the three symbolizes
the unity as in the Christian concept, and can be understood as
Trinity being Creator of All and Neo being the Son, a mediator like Freder.
If Neo is to be considered the Christ like savior, Trinity would
be the mother, the womb or fertility.
In the film, unlike common women, Trinity is pure representing
the mother of Christ the Savior where her femininity is fertility
Femininity is the inner power or the driving force which men look
up to. Men may be physically stronger but femininity is seen as the
power of the womb, the fertility of the land like mother earth and
the representation of life. The Oriental saying, "Women are Weak
but Mothers are Strong"
I have not seen any Matrix movies before. I actually came across some Matrix trailers on TV and some movie posters at theaters, but still I had no clue what the Matrix was about. Before working on the assignment, I did a little Google search and talked to some friends, and I figured that the Matrix is more than a sci-fi movie that it touches a lot of themes concerning religious like Christian, Muslim, Buddhism and so on.
Trinity. Trinity means three things. To link it with the Christian theme, the three things refer to the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Therefore, Trinity is called Trinity because she represents the three aspects of Christian divinity, which are the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
Neo. Neo means one. In the movie, Neo is ‘the One’ that Morpheus is looking for. He is the one who will a savior saving people. That is why Neo is called Neo.
Relationship between Trinity & Neo. Reading some online comments, I came across different points of view on this. Some say Trinity and Neo are the same person. Some say they are soul mate. Well, if we consider Neo as a Christ-like savior hero, Neo is a part of Trinity. Meaning Neo is Jesus, and Trinity is God. Trinity or God is a combination of the Father, the Son, which is Jesus, and the Holy Spirit. God revives Jesus after his death, which is same as when Trinity brings Neo back to life.
Trinity is unlike other women because she is a tough woman, both physically and mentally. She is a fighter and fights side by side with Neo. Her face does not show much of her sensitive emotion or feeling. Therefore, being strong both physically and mentally on the outside and, maybe, on the inside makes Trinity unlike any other women.
Trinity’s representation of futuristic is from the way she dresses, which she expresses a vision of the future women. Trinity represents idealistic, high moral or intellectual value, which she is on a good side fighting against evils for the right thing. However, at the same time Trinity represents fantastic as being highly unrealistic. It is hard to imagine there is a woman like Trinity, who is as strong as a man. Her representation is also concerned with ideological that she represents a set of belief or idea that she has good moral. Trinity, in addition, shows utopian or unrealistic perfection through the fact that she never dies and is safe after every fight she is in.
I believe that Trinity represents the third face of God or the Holy Spirit. Neo represents Jesus (the Messiah figure) and Morpheus the father (he guides Neo and is called a father in the first film). The following illustrates how Neo is seen as a “savior hero” and Trinity’s identity; To start, I would like to focus on the relationship between Neo and Trinity. In regards to Neo; when Neo chooses to save Trinity in Reloaded he chooses love. It is love that helps him find his way. Just like love can help us find our way. If we go against love we are most assuredly going against what is right. We also see that Christ chose this road as well ... the road of love is what lead him to the cross to die for humanitys' sins. For Neo choosing love meant staying true to the path he had chosen. To have chosen the other alternatives would have gone against everything he was called to do. He would have gone against love, his pursuit to save Zion, and his call to end the war. Love helped Neo to stay true to the path. We also must remember that love brought Neo back to life in Matrix 1 when Trinity whispered in his ear the truth. It was as if Trinity's kiss breathed life into him. Trinity with her words and bold kiss must have reminded Neo of the truth of who he was and breathed new life into him. Much like we can imagine the Holy Spirit breathed life into Jesus as he resurrected from the dead. The function of the Holy Spirit living in us is to reveal truth and guide us into it. Jesus describes the Holy Spirit in this way in John 16:13: "When he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come."
Trinity is a futuristic female due to the fact of her strong talented characteristics as well as playing multiple roles. She had a sexual appeal (tight black leather showing her feminine features) yet was extremely strong and was highly skilled in the martial arts. Trinity played the role of encourager, counselor, and helper to Neo (exactly what the Holy Spirit's role is described as in the Bible). She played a very important role in the films. Also, she was a femine side to God. Man and woman were created in His image. That means God has femine qualities. When Trinity dies in Revolutions I think it is consistent with Scripture. Jesus cried out on the cross, "Father why have you forsaken me." Because he took on the sins of the world God the Father and the Holy Spirit had to be separated from the Son. For he had to take on the sins of the world alone and pay the price alone. Neo had to finish the job alone just as Christ did. It was appropriate to allow Trinity to die in the end.
The name Neo is an anagram for the word One. In the first film, Trinity kisses neo and brings him back to life...she says that he cannot die because The Oracle indicated that she, Trinity, would fall in love and that person would be "The One"...indicating the Christ-like portion of the Holy Trinity from Christian theology of the father, son and holy ghost/spirit. Neo being the Christ figure, Morpheus being the Father/God who brings people out of the Matrix to fight against the machines, and Trinity being the holy spirit that helps Morpheus to extract those from the Matrix that he wants to save. I see the relationship between Neo and Trinity of that of Christ and Mary Magdalene...as a prostitute, Mary Magdalene was a rebel, much like the character of Trinity, but was befriended by Christ, just like Neo does, and has a relationship on a secondary sexual level, aside from the duties they are sworn to in fighting the machines in the matrix. Trinity is not the only female in the film, but she is unique. Her clothing is representative of the perfect future-female; the tight black clothing, the slick dark hair, and somehwat androgyny, separates her look from the other women in the film. The Oracle is overweight and matronly, and the other female crewmember of the Nebuchadnezzar, Switch, is wearing white clothes and yellow-colored sunglasses...both sharp contrasts to Trinity. I think that Trinity is most futuristic and utopian in that she knows she has a job to accomplish...the stop the machines, but she maintains a loyalty and love for Neo that will ultimately be her demise.
1. Why Trinity is called "Trinity"?
I could imagine it represented the Trinity. The name "Trinity" is associated with Christian doctrine, which states that one can receive eternal life through the Trinity: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Sprit. Foss (2004) described a symbol as “something that stands for or represents something else by virtue of relationship, association, or convention” (p. 4). For example, the Trinity is most commonly seen in Christian art. The Trinity may be represented by symbols, such as the triangle, shamrock or the triquetrum. Similarly, Neo, Trinity, and Morpheus were appeared in the movie. That is to say, the figure 3 must have a meaning for this movie. The Trinity not always means the figure 3. It is 3, but 1. It is 1, but not always 1. I know, it is difficult, but this is Christian doctorine, namely the Trinity!
2.Why Neo is called "Neo"?
The word 'Neo' is an anagram of the word 'one'. Neo is also Greek for 'new' suggesting messianic overtones for his mission in the Matrix. Moreover, neo means resurrections, may be a symbol of the son or a saviour…
3.What is the relationship between Trinity and Neo if Neo is considered a Christ-like saviour hero?
Actually, the word matrix means a mother’s body or womb. Women become pregnant. That is to say, women must be a symbol of resurrections because the female body recreates life. As I mentioned above, Neo meant resurrections. Equally, the woman, namely Trinity stands for resurrections too! You may get very confused trying to make sense of this idea, but that is the Trinity. They are three, but one… One, but three.
Additionally, (these are not my original idea though…) “Trinity is also the force who revives Neo after his death in the first film, implying a further parallel between her character and the Christian God. With her death, Neo gains the courage to make the final sacrifice for humanity, giving his life to defeat Smith and thus negotiate a truce with the Machines.”
4.What makes Trinity unlike common women and even unlike other women in the film?
These 3 main characters are not the Father, the Son and the spirits. Yes, Morpheus's role could be the Father; also Neo could be the saviour. However, Trinity was not the spirits. Trinity is a not only the symbol of Christian socialism but also the world. She must be the Omnipotent. Trinity, she came first. On the other hand, the Bible declares that everybody is equal before the Father, but women in general are subordinate to male leaders in the church. At this point, Trinity and other women are totally different. Trinity came first of ALL.
5.What is futuristic, idealistic, fantastic, ideological or utopian/dystopian in her representation of future femininity in your view?
Does trinity represent a future female? She could be a future female, but her role must be the eternal verities because Trinity came first of all. Always woman comes first. Woman represents resurrections, namely Matrix! This is Eternal truth.
Every one of these 'responses' (dare I say, excellent cut and pastes? --hey its ok to acknowledge your sources, y'all) is EXCELLENT... each contains a part of the 'lesson' I want to get across for the Matrix session -- and serve as an excellent introduction to basic Christian symbolism.
Rather than 'debate' these posts, since they seem to be from authorities, and I find them to be an accurate summary of what's "OUT THERE" in terms of christian symbolism in the Matrix... I suggest that you post your own personal reactions to these themes... do they really work to describe the drama in The Matrix series? Anybody want to tackle the question of The Architect and The Oracle in Matrix 2 and 3???
Another area you could make your second post on is the article on Gnosticism and Buddhism in The Matrix that I emailed each of you. Here is the link:
http://www.unomaha.edu/jrf/gnostic.htm
i know i know, i the worst one in the class right now... sorry everyone for being this late...
In all honesty I never really heard any buzz about why Trinity or Neo had the names they did, I took the whole thing as a Wachowski brothers film that supposedly had some religious influences. I never really paid attention to the relationship between The Matrix and Christianity. It never crossed my mind.
In the movie, The Matrix, Trinity is named Trinity because she, in reference to Christianity is the union of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Being that she is the one who ultimately is the reason for Neo (the son) and Morpheus (the father) uniting to fight against the machines and the agents.
Neo being an anagram for the word 'One' is a suiting name for the Christ like savior in The Matrix. He is the one who gives hope to everyone. You can see how much of a relationship between Neo and Christ there is when Neo is killed at the end, and eventually is resurrected.
The relationship between Neo and Trinity is unquestionably like that of Christ and Mary Magdalene. The savior and the rebel.
What makes Trinity unlike common women or the other women in this film is that from the beginning scene of the film you know her importance. She is the one who ultimately guides the savior to the “light.” Trinity is an ass kicking, leather clad, all around tough woman who is the one who will fall in love with the hero. Her look itself looks more like that of a super hero than an ordinary woman.
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