Free Essay About Free Will & Predestination In Stranger Than Fiction

Predestination, otherwise known as destiny or fate, is a timeless construct which consists of past, present, and future at once. However, free will exists in the present state and constitutes humanity’s actions as they transpire moment to moment in a chronological fashion. Whereas the manifestations of free will are tangible and constant, destiny and fate represent more abstract ideas that are subject to change based upon the conscious choices and decisions that individuals make. In other words, free will and predestination are constantly interacting with each other. The decisions that we make using our own free will have the power to change past, present, or future versions of our ultimate destiny or fate.
In the film Stranger Than Fiction, Harold Crick’s mechanical actions become infused with a raised consciousness after he begins to nurture feelings of love for a woman he meets by chance. When Harold learns that his death is imminent, this is a form of predestination or fate, however the manner in which Harold reacts to this news is a manifestation of his consciously exercised free will. His new motivations and subsequent actions completely override the predetermined fate that the author had initially scripted. Although it would seem that the author, Karen Eiffel, is in complete control, Harold’s impetus to perform a good deed and save the young boy crossing in front of Harold’s bus on his bicycle actually changes his fate. This proves that humanity’s destiny is not entirely predetermined. Although we cannot change every major event or circumstance in our lives, we still possess the power to be able to change our attitudes, behaviors, and reactions to the circumstances we encounter. Decisions that are born of our free will interact with our higher destiny, simultaneously changing its shape and nature in the past, present, and future.
Stranger Than Fiction proves the interchangeable nature of the relationship between free will and predestination. It reveals that there are myriad details and factors which produce an individual’s overarching destiny or fate, and these can be altered or changed according to the decisions and choices that an individual makes, moment to moment. More than anything, Stranger Than Fiction’s presentation of free will and predestination helps the viewer recognize the power of awareness and living consciously. The more conscious we are of our decisions, the more power we harness to change our evolving realities and achieve the outcome of our own choosing.