Junior Rasmussen
The 2010 film *Inception*, written and directed by Christopher Nolan, concludes with a sequence that has sparked much discussion about the reality of the events depicted in the film. Cobb, the protagonist, is shown to be wearing a wedding ring when he is in a dream and not wearing it when he is in reality. This has led to speculation that Cobb's totem—an object used by characters in the film to distinguish dreams from reality—is his wedding ring, and not the spinning top that he is shown using in the film. This interpretation suggests that Cobb had stopped using his ring as a totem after his wife Mal's death and had started using hers, as he was the only other person to have touched it and known its properties.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Cobb's totem | A spinning top |
| Cobb's wedding ring | Worn when Cobb is dreaming, not worn when he's awake |
| Cobb's wife's totem | A spinning top |
| Cobb's use of the spinning top | Cobb spins the top when he wakes up from dreams and sees his wife, Mal |
| The spinning top as a totem | The top is a poor totem as it is too easy for the behaviour to be replicated in dreams |
| The wedding ring as a totem | The ring is a better totem as it has specific characteristics (weight, shape, etc.) that only Cobb would know |
| The ending of Inception | Cobb gets back to his kids, and that's enough for him, whether it's real or just a dream |
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What You'll Learn
Cobb's wedding ring is worn only in dreams
The theory that the ring is Cobb's totem is supported by the fact that it is a personal item with specific characteristics (such as weight and shape) that only Cobb would know, as it is never seen in the real world. This would help explain the ending of the film, as Cobb is not wearing the ring in the final scenes, suggesting that he is not dreaming and has reunited with his children.
However, some viewers argue against the ring theory, pointing out that the presence or non-presence of a ring is not a particularly odd behaviour and could be easily replicated, making it useless as a personal totem. They also argue that Cobb's wedding ring cannot be his totem because his wife, Mal, would have touched it when placing it on his finger, which breaks the rule that no one else can touch or know the properties of your totem.
Another theory suggests that Cobb had two totems: his wedding ring and his wife's spinning top. After Mal's death, he could have used her totem as he was the only other person to have touched it and known its properties. This could explain why Cobb spins the top after every bad dream interaction with Mal, to remind himself that she is dead and that it was all a dream.
Ultimately, the true nature of Cobb's totem remains a mystery, with the film's writer-director, Christopher Nolan, deliberately sabotaging the concept of the totem to create a purposely cryptic ending.
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The spinning top is a poor totem
Additionally, Cobb violates the rules of totem-ology by telling others how his totem works, and by using someone else's totem (Mal's top). This suggests that the top may not be his real totem, and that he may have another totem, such as his wedding ring. Cobb wears his wedding ring only when he is dreaming and not when he is in reality, which supports the theory that the ring is his actual totem. The ring theory is also supported by the fact that Cobb's character is known for obsessively questioning his reality, and the ring is a unique object that only Cobb would touch.
Furthermore, the presence or absence of a ring could be a manifestation of Cobb's subconscious rather than an accurate indicator of reality. The ring theory also helps to clarify the ending of the film, as Cobb is not wearing the ring in the final scenes, suggesting that he is not dreaming and has reunited with his children. This interpretation is supported by Michael Caine's character, who states that his character never appeared in dreams and he shows up at the end.
While the spinning top may be a poor totem, it serves a different purpose for Cobb. The top helps Cobb keep Mal locked away by reminding him that she is dead and that his interactions with her are dreams. Ultimately, the most important emotional aspect of the spinning top at the end of the film is that Cobb is not looking at it, indicating that he does not care whether he is in a dream or reality, as he is reunited with his children.
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Cobb's totem is never revealed
However, others have argued that the wedding ring theory is unlikely. One argument against this theory is that Cobb's wife, Mal, would have touched the ring when placing it on his finger, thus breaking the rule that no one else should have touched the totem. Additionally, some viewers have pointed out that the presence or non-presence of a ring is not a particularly odd behaviour, and could easily be replicated by another dreamer, making it a useless personal totem.
Another theory suggests that Cobb had two totems: his wedding ring and his wife's spinning top. This theory proposes that the ring was Cobb's original totem, but after Mal's death, he began using her spinning top as he was the only other person to have touched it and known its properties. However, some viewers have countered that the spinning top is a poor totem as it is too obvious and easily replicable by another dreamer.
The ambiguity surrounding Cobb's totem has led some to argue that the movie rejects the concept of totems as a valid test of reality. Writer-director Christopher Nolan has been noted to deliberately sabotage the idea of totems, rendering Cobb's totem a defective test of reality. Ultimately, the ending of Inception remains a mystery, with viewers left to draw their own conclusions about the nature of Cobb's totem and the reality of the world he inhabits.
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The ring is a manifestation of Cobb's subconscious
The ring theory is a popular interpretation of the ambiguous ending of the movie "Inception". The theory posits that Cobb's wedding ring, not the spinning top, is a manifestation of his subconscious and the key to understanding whether he is dreaming or in the real world. This theory is based on the observation that Cobb wears his wedding ring only when he is dreaming and not when he is in reality. This detail suggests that the ring could be Cobb's original totem, an object with unique characteristics that only he would know, thus helping to distinguish his dreams from reality.
The ring theory provides an interesting perspective on Cobb's character and his relationship with his deceased wife, Mal. It suggests that Cobb's obsession with questioning his reality is tied to his guilt over Mal's death and his inability to see his children. The ring may represent his subconscious attempt to keep Mal's memory alive, as he only wears it in his dreams, where he encounters her.
Additionally, the ring theory addresses some of the criticisms of the spinning top as a totem. The top has been deemed ineffective because it is too obvious and easily replicable in dreams, as any dreamer would naturally rule that tops eventually fall due to gravity and friction. On the other hand, the ring, as a totem, would be more personal and unique to Cobb, as it had specific characteristics such as weight and shape that only he would know.
However, there are conflicting opinions about the ring theory. Some argue that the presence or absence of a ring is not particularly odd behaviour and would be easy to replicate, thus making it a poor totem. Additionally, by the rules of totem acquisition, the ring could not be Cobb's totem, as Mal would have touched it when placing it on his finger. Nevertheless, supporters of the theory suggest that Cobb could have altered the ring to make it his own, such as by adding an inscription known only to him.
The ring theory adds another layer of complexity to the interpretation of "Inception" and provides insight into Cobb's character and his struggle with reality and guilt. Whether or not the ring is Cobb's totem, its presence in the film supports the cryptic nature of the narrative, deceiving and explaining the occurrence of events and objects in multiple ways.
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Cobb's totem is a test of reality
Cobb's wedding ring is a subject of much discussion in the movie Inception. The film's ambiguous ending has led to several fan theories about Cobb's totem. While the spinning top is often regarded as Cobb's totem, some viewers have pointed out that Cobb wears his wedding ring when he's in a dream and doesn't when he's in reality. This has led to speculation that the ring, not the top, is Cobb's actual totem.
The idea that Cobb's wedding ring is his totem is supported by the fact that it is a personal and unique item that only Cobb would touch, as totems are meant to be. Additionally, the ring could have specific characteristics, such as weight and shape, that only Cobb would know, making it a reliable test of reality. This theory also adds clarity to the ending, as Cobb is not wearing the ring in the final scenes, suggesting that he was not dreaming and had reunited with his children.
However, there are also arguments against the ring being Cobb's totem. Some viewers find it hard to believe that the ring is Cobb's totem because its presence or absence is not a particularly odd behaviour and could be easily replicated, rendering it useless as a personal totem. Furthermore, by the rules of how one acquires a wedding ring, it couldn't be his totem, as his wife, Mal, would have touched it, going against the principle that no one else should touch one's totem.
The spinning top itself has been criticised as a poor totem, as its behaviour (spinning indefinitely in a dream and falling in reality) is too obvious and easily replicable in someone else's dream. This has led to the theory that the top is a decoy, and Cobb actually uses two totems: the ring and his wife's spinning top. Cobb's character in the movie is known for obsessively questioning his reality, so it would make sense for him to have multiple totems and be secretive about them.
Ultimately, the ambiguity surrounding Cobb's totem and the true nature of the ending is intentional, as writer-director Christopher Nolan deliberately sabotages the concept of the totem, rendering it a defective test of reality. This adds to the cryptic nature of the film, leaving the interpretation of the ending open to the viewer.
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Frequently asked questions
It is theorised that Cobb's wedding ring was his original totem, and that he stopped using it after his wife Mal's death, opting to use hers instead. This is supported by the fact that Cobb wears his wedding ring when he's in a dream but not when he's in the real world.
A totem is a personal object used by a dreamer to determine whether they are in a dream or reality.
Cobb's totem in Inception is a spinning top.
Cobb's wedding ring is thought to be his totem because it is a unique object that only Cobb would have touched, and it would have had specific characteristics such as weight and shape.
Other examples of totems in Inception include Arthur's loaded die, Ariadne's chess piece, and Eames' poker chip with a spelling defect.
