In Shattered Memories, Cheryl comes to the fact that Harry is dead, she doesn't live in the house on Levin street anymore, and that she could never have a perfect family. Towards the end of the game, Cheryl is giving herself more and more hints that she could never have a family like the Stewarts, pointing a telescope at the lighthouse causes static to emit, Cybil telling Harry that the real Harry Mason is actually dead, and so on.
Each character acts as a way to tell Cheryl that she needs to move on.
Lisa dies, probably because of the pill she asked from Harry was probably wrong, Harry sees Lisa dying, and when Cybil points the gun at Harry, Harry then proceeds to say that he didn't do it. ("No.. I didn't do this!") which brings us to Dr. K's theory about guilt. Cheryl is guilty for having Harry die, and blames herself.
The Stewarts seem to be a perfectly average family, protective of their daughter Katie, and assures Harry that Cheryl is not in their house. Instead of Dr. K brining in a character to Cheryl's delusion, Cheryl brings in her own-a perfect family protective of their daughter, one she never had, and one she never will. Cheryl may also "hint" to herself that she does not live in that house anymore, because The Stewarts and Cybil say that Harry does not live there anymore.
Cybil acts as a persona (specifically the "truth") to slowly drive Cheryl into accepting that fact that Harry will never be there. Notice how every time she reveals a part of the truth, the nightmare world takes over.
Michelle and Josh. It's pretty clear what these two characters represent. They represent the ending of a relationship, and how one person needs to move on (In this case, Michelle and Cheryl. But-Michelle moves on from the break-up in Annie's Bar, near the end of the game, and Cheryl follows).
Young Dahlia. The kind of person Cheryl sees her real mother, a young tramp/prostitute. At the car crash into the river, if you chose to swim away, Harry looks back and sees Young Dahlia rotting like a dead body.
Old Dahlia. The real version of Cheryl's mother, or at least how she wants her mother to be. ("Together forever", "Harry, you look great!")
The Echo messages and photos represent things that happened during Cheryl's life in Silent Hill, the choking game in Silent Hill, sleeping with her professor, and other things like that.
The soundtrack, presumably what I thought to have a Harry-to-Cheryl vibe before I played the game, is revealed to have a Cheryl to Harry, or Cheryl to Dahlia, vibe. "Acceptance" may be Dr. K telling Cheryl to move on, and more importantly, it is the theme song of one of the endings ("Cold faded photos-they lay by your side", "The Years, go by, where...").
In short, Cheryl gives herself hints to what really happened, and what type of person Cheryl and Harry really are. The characters are made up by Cheryl or Dr. K, and help Cheryl move on. Events throughout the game happened During Cheryl's 18 years, and the soundtrack has a Cheryl to her Parents vibe.
My Theory on the Characters and the Soundtrack
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My Theory on the Characters and the Soundtrack
Last edited by simeonalo on 18 Jan 2010, edited 2 times in total.
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AuraTwilight
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I'll give you one better. Lisa fell to sleep after having severe head trauma, which is usually a good way to die, and the pill was completely irrelevant. However, it creates the illusion of responsibility, which is Cheryl's problem: She is not responsible, but she believes she is.Lisa dies, probably because of the pill she asked from Harry was probably wrong, Harry sees Lisa dying, and when Cybil points the gun at Harry, Harry then proceeds to say that he didn't do it. ("No.. I didn't do this!") which brings us to Dr. K's theory about guilt. Cheryl is guilty for having Harry die, and blames herself.
Alternatively, she can be the part of Cheryl that knows the truth, and is pushing her to remember. I wouldn't try to speculate on Cybil's kind behavior, though, since she can also be a total bitch.Cybil acts as a persona to slowly tell Harry that he isn't who he really thinks he is, because the real Harry Mason died in a car crash 18 years ago, she "knows" he's not Harry Mason, and she tells Harry that he doesn't live in the Stewart's home. Maybe Dr. K introduced her to slowly re-enforce the fact that Harry isn't Harry in Cheryl's delusions. Cybil also acts kind and has manners no matter what throughout the game, pushing Harry through a wheelchair, giving him some clothes, a kind of "mother" figure that Cheryl never really had (or had, but never saw it)
Don't forget Michelle is an incarnation of Cheryl's clinging to the past. Wearing a prom dress to a reunion only she attended, hanging on to love for a person she made up in her head, continually making up excuses and reasonings for why John doesn't show up...Also, notice that John, in his "dark haired, green hoodie" costume, resembles a younger Harry Mason.Michelle and Josh. It's pretty clear what these two characters represent. They represent the ending of a relationship, and how one person needs to move on (In this case, Michelle and Cheryl. But-Michelle moves on from the break-up in Annie's Bar, near the end of the game, and Cheryl follows).
She's not rotting, she's just drowned. Though I disagree with your symbolism of Young Dahlia. She makes this Dahlia Not Harry's Wife, Not Cheryl's Mother. She's essentially telling herself, "Dahlia isn't someone else in my life." But Dahlia resembles her...and Dahlia knows things only Cheryl should. Infact, both versions of Dahlia look nothing like Cheryl's mother, but the young one is only physically different in hair, clothing, and voice actress. "Dahlia" is infact Cheryl's self-insert into the delusion. The manifestation of her Electra Complex.Young Dahlia. The kind of person Cheryl sees her real mother, a young tramp/prostitute. At the car crash into the river, if you chose to swim away, Harry looks back and sees Young Dahlia rotting like a dead body.
There's also things she was probably not a witness to, though, so it probably includes things she heard about, made up, whatever. She clearly remembers some of them wrong anyway.The Echo messages and photos represent things that happened during Cheryl's life in Silent Hill, the choking game in Silent Hill, sleeping with her professor, and other things like that.
LOL wut? There is no canon ending.The soundtrack, presumably what I thought to have a Harry-to-Cheryl vibe before I played the game, is revealed to have a Cheryl to Harry, or Cheryl to Dahlia, vibe. "Acceptance" may be Dr. K telling Cheryl to move on, and more importantly, it is the theme song of the canon ending ("Cold faded photos-they lay by your side", "The Years, go by, where...").
[quote="BlackFire2"]I thought he meant the special powers of her vagina.[/quote]
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AuraTwilight
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You have to unlock all the doors and roll down the windows and try and open them all, then everything freezes over. You gotta get your flashlight back when you see it, and when the radio starts glowing and wigging out, you got to turn it until it plays "Always on My Mind." Then everything unfreezes and you can get out.
[quote="BlackFire2"]I thought he meant the special powers of her vagina.[/quote]
You don't have to try and unlock all the doors and roll down the windows, you just need to get your flashlight and turn the radio till it plays the song.AuraTwilight wrote:You have to unlock all the doors and roll down the windows and try and open them all, then everything freezes over. You gotta get your flashlight back when you see it, and when the radio starts glowing and wigging out, you got to turn it until it plays "Always on My Mind." Then everything unfreezes and you can get out.
I freaked out and did all that stuff on my first playthrough, but on my second I just sat in the car till my flashlight showed up, watched the car freeze and the Raw Shocks do their thing, tuned the radio and got out by unlocking the front passenger side door.
Andi, the radio dial starts glowing all funky when you need to start messing with it. Just turn it until you can hear the song playing clearly, then sit back and the car will unfreeze. Then just get out through the front passenger door.
