Glazarus wrote:(haven't read the whole thread so it might have been mentioned)
It has been mentioned, and I will address it. Besides, it's common courtesy to read other people's posts before you say something.
I think there's a misunderstanding in that some of you guys are thinking I said abstract daddy depicts a dead father. What I'm trying to say, however, is that abstract daddy represents Angela's want for an 'ideal father' which is a dead father. That's why I suggested that perhaps it's a depiction of Angela stabbing Thomas, sending her father to his death.
Obviously, if such an image comes back to haunt Angela and shows her what she's done along with perhaps a reminder of why she did it, then she's going to be repulsive of the monster. Just like James was when Maria was killed three times. It's not so much of the thought that Maria was killed is what's bothering him. It's a reminder of what he did to Mary.
Digging to much into translation "errors" and trying to prove something based on your interpretation of an abstract/surreal creature makes a truth for you, but not necessarily a truth for me. This is also because it has no impact on the story itself. She was abused, we are all agreeing on that part, but your monster theory is a bit of a long shot.
I wish I can take your word for it, but I don't believe you're applicable enough to tell me that I'm digging too much into translation errors. Finding translation discrepancies goes way back for me as early as 2001 and I've been doing that since. Also, I'm not simply going on "ideal father" in this case. I'm using the whole Japanese script. It's just that I didn't get into the details because I've noticed that it's a foreign concept to many people.
I agree that she's probably been abused; Angela makes that clear in any script. Yet, I don't necessarily believe she was
sexually abused.
Even for a creature designer I would believe that making the creature a representation of rape and abuse or the feeling of it, is more appealing and disturbing then making an ideal father.
Yes, I know fans like it and it is rather ironic.
All the monsters in James "mind" are based on both the nature of the sickness Mary had, the violence he caused her and on the desire for sex that he could never get satisfied.
I don't agree the monsters are representations of James' desire for sex. Sex and death, the core theme of Silent Hill 2 is based on the idea that subconsciously we're always thinking about sex and death. It does not mean that we are sexually deprived or that we seek to die in any way. You can call it "primal instinct." It's in our subconscious because we are human beings.
Actually, the idea of such theme is made clear if you saw a documentary on
Jacob's Ladder.
Surprisingly, Eddie wasn't an exception to this rule until the developers decided to can the sexual theme in Eddie's world. I'm talking about the butt-naked dead men that he probably shot to death. Would the existence of such dead men imply that Eddie is gay? And how come James can see them as well? Is he gay too?
You see, if you're going to try and apply sex to a character's past, you're going to get some really far-fetched suggestions.
I simply believe that the sexual theme in Angela's world is not about her past, but an indication that her world is a bi-product of her subconscious.
Why can James see it? Well, he didn't abuse Mary, but she could never satisfy him and that desire (also represented through PH:s rapings) together with his (mild) violence against Mary at her final moments and his understandings over Angelas past, could be what makes him able to see it as Angela sees it. It's pretty easy for James to understand a part of Angelas drama early on when you look at the ripped photo.
A ripped photo could imply a destroyed family, but it's a stretch to assume a girl was sexually abused by a photo alone. No, there's hardly anything to indicate to James that Angela was sexually abused at all before her famous lines in the labyrinth.
In my opinion, James can see the abstract daddy monster because he killed Mary, too. The two characters are tied through the concept of murder. Eddie, too. This is why James sometimes can cross over to Eddie's domain as well.
Granted, I'd like people to understand that this theory is a work-in-progress. While the "sexual abuse" theory had years worth of discussion to become substantialized, mine is relatively new. I welcome any sort of constructive criticisms.