Silent Hill Hallucinations
May. 21st, 2018 01:15 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
isamerryjubeyThe Baby is a small red creature that appears in the bathroom sink in the never-ending hallway. The baby itself seems to be a bloody, very young human fetus writhing in agony and suffering. Its heart appears to be outside of its chest, similar to ectopia cordis. It lacks ears and a nose; its eyes are barely visible and never open (although the eyelids slightly flutter); and its limbs are short stubs, emphasizing its weakness and futility, unable to crawl out of the sink.
Its only behavior is to wriggle around in a bathroom sink and cry. At some point in gameplay, a crying or giggle emits out in the hallway; it's not beyond reason that this is emanating from the Baby. The player can also trigger an event that makes the Baby a vessel for actual speech.
Symbolism: The hallway in which the player traverses is haunted by a ghost named Lisa. Various demonic voices, along with multiple text pieces, radio dialog, and other clues, reveals that Lisa was shot in the belly by her husband while she was pregnant. It is highly likely that the Baby is a representation, if not an outright spectral creature, of the dead baby.
Credence is lent to this theory by Lisa's occasional presence in the bathroom. She will often appear in the mirror, where she approaches the sink containing the baby. Near the beginning of the demo, Lisa can be found in the bathroom, where she will shut the door and lock the player out when the door is approached. Eventually in one visit to the bathroom, the baby will begin to speak with the voice heard on the radio, talking about how the player character lost his job and his wife had to get a job in a grocery store, which she would not have even gotten if the manager hadn't "liked how she looked in a skirt". It's implied, through this, that the baby is the manager's, through an affair with Lisa. The Baby implies that the affair happened approximately 10 months prior to the events of P.T.
It seems to be just an average brown bag, placed on the table in the room where the player begins. The bottom of it appears to be soaked with blood. From the P.T. interactive teaser trailer, the bottom of the bag is swarmed with cockroaches.
The bag can speak and when it speaks something moves inside, so it might be possible that it has a human head which is about the size of Baby's head within the bag that is somehow still animated and alive, which may explain why the blood at the bottom of the bag is not soaked and leaking.
Symbolism: It is unknown what the Bloodied Bag actually represents. Its only known purpose is talking to the protagonist. It may represent the protagonist starting to losing their grip on reality and increasing insanity. The Bag appears to want to help the protagonist, warning him to "watch out".
The Bag mentions that "he" sees another "him" that isn't actually "himself". This could relate to the Silent Hills title and theme about multiple parallel universes. Evidence to this possibility is later shown in his next quote: "Watch out. The gap in the door... It's a separate reality. The only me is me. Are you sure the only you is you?" This raises the question of whether or not the Bloodied Bag is a being from another world.
The Bloodied Bag may be an aspect of Lisa's Husband. During the game, the player can find a message presumably written by the husband which says "Forgive me, Lisa. There's a monster inside of me." This hints that the husband may have suffered from a dissociative personality disorder. The bloodied bag asks, "The only me is me. Are you sure the only you is you?" which ties into this theme. It could be theorized that the bloodied bag represents the husband's possible denial of having this disorder, or a facet of this husband's psyche which he wants to lock away in a concrete room.
Delusions are simply ordinary men lacking faces, sometimes with a crudely-made stitched flap.
Symbolism: The Delusions may symbolize Heather's wariness of strangers or paranoia of society, or simply be an effect of the Otherworld. The homeless man delusion could symbolize Heather's fear of becoming homeless, especially considering how she and her father are in hiding. The security officer delusion could symbolize how Heather feels that she can't trust law and authoritative figures.
Larval Stalkers are partially visible, ghost-like entities in Silent Hill: Shattered Memories. They are harmless, but still, emit static and make high-pitched sounds almost identical to those of Raw Shocks. They are different than the original Larval Stalkers in Silent Hill as they are much taller, but they will still run away when Harry shines his light on them. Larval Stalkers in Silent Hill: Shattered Memories serve a purpose — they can be seen following Harry Mason and/or alerting him to different things.
Symbolism: Unlike in the original Silent Hill, the Larval Stalkers in Shattered Memories are not meant to represent the memories of Alessa Gillespie being teased during school. In Shattered Memories, they seem to represent the memories of Harry's daughter Cheryl, due to their appearance and the events that they are involved in.
As its name would imply, it is trapped inside a locker which, upon being opened, reveals that a layer of wire mesh stops it from escaping. The monster appears to be suspended by chains with hooks attached, as well as being held within a sack of some kind, obscuring its details from view. Regardless, it spends its time thrashing uselessly against its restraints and emitting gurgling noises as it does so, seemingly choking on blood constantly.
Its purpose or significance is unknown, as well as the reasons for its punishment, though it's likely that it is a sadistic warning to Heather as she travels the Otherworld. It is similar to the Prisoners and the Glutton, as they are both completely harmless and unable to fight. Unlike the Prisoner, this creature is impervious to any attack. There is also a strong possibility that this is Valtiel hanging upside down inside the locker, turning a valve hidden out of sight as he is usually seen doing.
Symbolism: The Monster in the Locker could point to Heather's childhood as Alessa Gillespie, immobile and helpless after the ritual immolation, without any relief from her pain. Nourishing God through her irrepressible hatred and despair to escape this vicious circle, Heather may unwillingly be being pushed into the role of her major caretaker, highly emphasized by Valtiel's presence.
Similarly, it could represent Heather, who feels trapped and hopeless in Silent Hill, feeling as if she had no choice but to travel down further into the painful Otherworld so she can avenge her father's death and destroy the God growing inside of her.
This could also be intended to warn the player about the possibility of receiving the Possessed Ending, which is determined by unleashing Heather's wrath through killing a crucially high amount of monsters.
Toadstools are tall, slender, and they bulge out at the top of their stems, often equaling Henry Townshend's height. The red-brown color of the fungus terminates in a fleshy patch and sometimes take the shape of a human head locked in a scream.
Another nearly-identical variety of the Toadstools are called Whitestools. They function in the same manner as the Toadstool, differing only in that Whitestools are usually in tighter groups. They are white and tentacle-like and terminate in snake-like heads or hands.
Symbolism: These fungi most likely represent what they are: fungi. Like fungi present in our own world, they are signs of spreading decay and death.
Their shape could also be viewed as similar to an umbilical cord, with a fetus perhaps growing at the terminus. Also like a fungus, umbilical cords leech nutrients from that to which they are attached.
The Tormented Souls resemble mangled, humanoid bodies that are ripped apart and suspended by their own flesh in grated crates. They writhe in torment and agony, but cannot escape by any means. They have a great deal of blood about themselves, which is most likely their own. The creature's face appears to be frozen in a look of terror and great pain.
Symbolism: While being chased by the Void, Murphy can knock over Tormented Souls to slow down the Void. In this respect, the Tormented Souls represent the innocent people who have indirectly suffered due to Murphy's actions and little regard for others after the death of his son, Charlie Pendleton. In pushing them into the path of the Void, he is essentially sacrificing the defenseless creatures at his own convenience.
The Tormented Souls may also be symbolic of Murphy himself. The creatures are confined within a cage, something that could represent how Murphy felt while incarcerated. Murphy shoving them into the Void could also be a metaphor for throwing his past behind, something he clearly holds remorse for (this is most directly touched on during his last meeting with a nun).
The Wheelchairs themselves look simplistic with aluminum frames and red padding; however, they move erratically and do a great deal of damage to Henry Townshend if they ram into him. Despite their mockable appearance, they can be quite dangerous to Henry. They have the same sort of supernatural damaging presence as Ghosts, including invulnerability, and often appear in large numbers.
They haven't attacked other characters in the games.
Symbolism: Much like the Patients, they may represent Walter's distaste for hospitals and helplessness in general. When Walter was an abandoned baby and child, he was essentially at the mercy of the world, unable to help himself. Additionally, they are simply a manifestation of the supernatural forces at hand.
Its only behavior is to wriggle around in a bathroom sink and cry. At some point in gameplay, a crying or giggle emits out in the hallway; it's not beyond reason that this is emanating from the Baby. The player can also trigger an event that makes the Baby a vessel for actual speech.
Symbolism: The hallway in which the player traverses is haunted by a ghost named Lisa. Various demonic voices, along with multiple text pieces, radio dialog, and other clues, reveals that Lisa was shot in the belly by her husband while she was pregnant. It is highly likely that the Baby is a representation, if not an outright spectral creature, of the dead baby.
Credence is lent to this theory by Lisa's occasional presence in the bathroom. She will often appear in the mirror, where she approaches the sink containing the baby. Near the beginning of the demo, Lisa can be found in the bathroom, where she will shut the door and lock the player out when the door is approached. Eventually in one visit to the bathroom, the baby will begin to speak with the voice heard on the radio, talking about how the player character lost his job and his wife had to get a job in a grocery store, which she would not have even gotten if the manager hadn't "liked how she looked in a skirt". It's implied, through this, that the baby is the manager's, through an affair with Lisa. The Baby implies that the affair happened approximately 10 months prior to the events of P.T.
It seems to be just an average brown bag, placed on the table in the room where the player begins. The bottom of it appears to be soaked with blood. From the P.T. interactive teaser trailer, the bottom of the bag is swarmed with cockroaches.
The bag can speak and when it speaks something moves inside, so it might be possible that it has a human head which is about the size of Baby's head within the bag that is somehow still animated and alive, which may explain why the blood at the bottom of the bag is not soaked and leaking.
Symbolism: It is unknown what the Bloodied Bag actually represents. Its only known purpose is talking to the protagonist. It may represent the protagonist starting to losing their grip on reality and increasing insanity. The Bag appears to want to help the protagonist, warning him to "watch out".
The Bag mentions that "he" sees another "him" that isn't actually "himself". This could relate to the Silent Hills title and theme about multiple parallel universes. Evidence to this possibility is later shown in his next quote: "Watch out. The gap in the door... It's a separate reality. The only me is me. Are you sure the only you is you?" This raises the question of whether or not the Bloodied Bag is a being from another world.
The Bloodied Bag may be an aspect of Lisa's Husband. During the game, the player can find a message presumably written by the husband which says "Forgive me, Lisa. There's a monster inside of me." This hints that the husband may have suffered from a dissociative personality disorder. The bloodied bag asks, "The only me is me. Are you sure the only you is you?" which ties into this theme. It could be theorized that the bloodied bag represents the husband's possible denial of having this disorder, or a facet of this husband's psyche which he wants to lock away in a concrete room.
Delusions are simply ordinary men lacking faces, sometimes with a crudely-made stitched flap.
Symbolism: The Delusions may symbolize Heather's wariness of strangers or paranoia of society, or simply be an effect of the Otherworld. The homeless man delusion could symbolize Heather's fear of becoming homeless, especially considering how she and her father are in hiding. The security officer delusion could symbolize how Heather feels that she can't trust law and authoritative figures.
Larval Stalkers are partially visible, ghost-like entities in Silent Hill: Shattered Memories. They are harmless, but still, emit static and make high-pitched sounds almost identical to those of Raw Shocks. They are different than the original Larval Stalkers in Silent Hill as they are much taller, but they will still run away when Harry shines his light on them. Larval Stalkers in Silent Hill: Shattered Memories serve a purpose — they can be seen following Harry Mason and/or alerting him to different things.
Symbolism: Unlike in the original Silent Hill, the Larval Stalkers in Shattered Memories are not meant to represent the memories of Alessa Gillespie being teased during school. In Shattered Memories, they seem to represent the memories of Harry's daughter Cheryl, due to their appearance and the events that they are involved in.
As its name would imply, it is trapped inside a locker which, upon being opened, reveals that a layer of wire mesh stops it from escaping. The monster appears to be suspended by chains with hooks attached, as well as being held within a sack of some kind, obscuring its details from view. Regardless, it spends its time thrashing uselessly against its restraints and emitting gurgling noises as it does so, seemingly choking on blood constantly.
Its purpose or significance is unknown, as well as the reasons for its punishment, though it's likely that it is a sadistic warning to Heather as she travels the Otherworld. It is similar to the Prisoners and the Glutton, as they are both completely harmless and unable to fight. Unlike the Prisoner, this creature is impervious to any attack. There is also a strong possibility that this is Valtiel hanging upside down inside the locker, turning a valve hidden out of sight as he is usually seen doing.
Symbolism: The Monster in the Locker could point to Heather's childhood as Alessa Gillespie, immobile and helpless after the ritual immolation, without any relief from her pain. Nourishing God through her irrepressible hatred and despair to escape this vicious circle, Heather may unwillingly be being pushed into the role of her major caretaker, highly emphasized by Valtiel's presence.
Similarly, it could represent Heather, who feels trapped and hopeless in Silent Hill, feeling as if she had no choice but to travel down further into the painful Otherworld so she can avenge her father's death and destroy the God growing inside of her.
This could also be intended to warn the player about the possibility of receiving the Possessed Ending, which is determined by unleashing Heather's wrath through killing a crucially high amount of monsters.
Toadstools are tall, slender, and they bulge out at the top of their stems, often equaling Henry Townshend's height. The red-brown color of the fungus terminates in a fleshy patch and sometimes take the shape of a human head locked in a scream.
Another nearly-identical variety of the Toadstools are called Whitestools. They function in the same manner as the Toadstool, differing only in that Whitestools are usually in tighter groups. They are white and tentacle-like and terminate in snake-like heads or hands.
Symbolism: These fungi most likely represent what they are: fungi. Like fungi present in our own world, they are signs of spreading decay and death.
Their shape could also be viewed as similar to an umbilical cord, with a fetus perhaps growing at the terminus. Also like a fungus, umbilical cords leech nutrients from that to which they are attached.
The Tormented Souls resemble mangled, humanoid bodies that are ripped apart and suspended by their own flesh in grated crates. They writhe in torment and agony, but cannot escape by any means. They have a great deal of blood about themselves, which is most likely their own. The creature's face appears to be frozen in a look of terror and great pain.
Symbolism: While being chased by the Void, Murphy can knock over Tormented Souls to slow down the Void. In this respect, the Tormented Souls represent the innocent people who have indirectly suffered due to Murphy's actions and little regard for others after the death of his son, Charlie Pendleton. In pushing them into the path of the Void, he is essentially sacrificing the defenseless creatures at his own convenience.
The Tormented Souls may also be symbolic of Murphy himself. The creatures are confined within a cage, something that could represent how Murphy felt while incarcerated. Murphy shoving them into the Void could also be a metaphor for throwing his past behind, something he clearly holds remorse for (this is most directly touched on during his last meeting with a nun).
The Wheelchairs themselves look simplistic with aluminum frames and red padding; however, they move erratically and do a great deal of damage to Henry Townshend if they ram into him. Despite their mockable appearance, they can be quite dangerous to Henry. They have the same sort of supernatural damaging presence as Ghosts, including invulnerability, and often appear in large numbers.
They haven't attacked other characters in the games.
Symbolism: Much like the Patients, they may represent Walter's distaste for hospitals and helplessness in general. When Walter was an abandoned baby and child, he was essentially at the mercy of the world, unable to help himself. Additionally, they are simply a manifestation of the supernatural forces at hand.
