How does psychology work? Silent Hill? First, it must be considered that Silent Hill is a franchise relatively forgotten by the general public of games, being relegated to the niche of horror fans. That status It is not surprising, especially when considering that the Konami, the game's producer, doesn't seem too interested in revitalizing the franchise. It's curious to think that, in a way, this oblivion is part of one of the fundamental points of the series: psychological terror. 12131q
I won't go into detail about differentiating between horror and horror because, well, this is not a college assignment. What matters here is the analysis of the horror raised by the interior of the mind – traumas, situations, events, phenomena and all kinds of events responsible for marking our life experience. Silent Hill capitalizes – in the good sense of the word – on these fears, creating a spectacular experience.
Since the first title in the franchise, released in 1999, one of the fundamental concepts of the narrative is that of ambiguity. We don't know to what extent what the protagonists face is real, a result of the paranormal, or a hallucination potentiated by the trauma suffered. Harry Mason, from the first game, seems to go crazy with each revelation; James sunderland, of the second, is already mad even before reaching Silent Hill; Heather ( Cheryl) Mason follows in the father's footsteps; and so on.
All the characters mentioned above are, to a greater or lesser extent, traumatized. And, ultimately, it is this trait that leads them to the town of Silent Hill, responsible for pitting these people against their pasts. The apex of this occurs in Silent Hill 2, which is a narrative masterpiece. James he faces symbols from his subconscious at every turn, as well as encountering secondary characters who fight their own terrors.
Each of these characters is incapable of vocalizing their sufferings, taking away the impact of what we have both heard recently and place of speech, a concept linked to the Lacanian field of psychoanalysis. Himself James sunderland faces this problem of not being able to face its mistakes, which creates a whole resignification of the enemies encountered along the journey of Silent Hill 2.
The sexual repression that affects both James and Harry after the death of their respective wives is outlined through the apparition or the nurses, or the mannequins, enemies that represent this inert suffering to the two protagonists – and, of course, that refers to the father of psychoanalysis. , Freud. In case of Heather, the disfigured world is a little more complex to explain without spoilers, considering its overall role in the plot; suffice it to say that their anxieties are materialized considering the cult responsible for the events of the first game and that they collaborate a lot for the psychology in Silent Hill.
Protagonists and sufferings 5k213i
resuming a little Freud, it is possible to analyze part of the work using an interesting idea proposed by the psychoanalyst: the pulse, divided into death and life drive. Although they are antagonistic concepts, the two aspects collaborate to balance the existence of humans – when one of them is unbalanced, we have problems of the psychic order. To illustrate this, I take again the character James, from Silent Hill 2.
Upon losing his wife to an illness - we discover the real severity of the illness and its impacts on the man's life throughout the narrative -, James faces a great wave of self-destruction and guilt, culminating in his arrival at Silent Hill. This self-imposed journey, the result of a letter from his recently deceased wife, becomes a battle to find the balance of life and death drives. No wonder, one of the main antagonists of the game commits suicide as soon as its purpose is fulfilled.
Meanwhile, in the first game, Harry Mason faces both the death of his wife and the sudden disappearance of his daughter, when both go on vacation in the cursed city. The dark fog of what should be a tourist attraction place drives man to the doors of madness, even more so when we discover what is really happening. But is this fact, when we look at the game individually, really… a fact? As mentioned at the beginning of the text, the franchise bets on ambiguity and confusion to play with the players' minds and does it very well - this is where the use of the term came from horror psychological.
Perhaps it is precisely this lack of clarity that makes us, the players, so interested in the narratives with the psychology in Silent Hill. After all, how many situations have hurt us and that, after years, have become blurry, as if a fog worthy of the franchise populated our minds, leaving only a spark of pain? The melancholy purgatory materialized in the form of a quiet and queer city can be, at the end of the day, an allegory for all of us; a reminder that our minds are complex, fragile and, above all, alive.
A city or an allegory for psychology in Silent Hill? 24l5m
One of the concepts most accepted by the fan base of the franchise is that the protagonist is in fact the city of Silent Hill itself, the only feature present in all games. The city can be considered a kind of purgatory, but, on the other hand, it can also be imagined as the manifestation of our unconscious, which would explain all the symbolism developed by the creative team, which connects directly to the insane works of the British artist. Francis Bacon and other modern/contemporary artworks.
This protagonism arises from the fact that the city, despite having “normal” moments, for lack of a better expression, actually transforms itself into what it has always been: a sinister, haunted place – ominous ou eerie, in English, are perhaps words that better communicate with her state. We can take this concept further by exploring traditional Gothic narratives, where ruined castles, abandoned monasteries and ghost towns are the stage for uninviting, but very interesting adventures – not for nothing, they emerged in the late XNUMXth century and their influences last until today.
The shine – or shadow, depending on the desired style – of Silent Hill it is in the union of these concepts to a story that guarantees depth for the characters and for the plot itself. Yes, the second game was the pinnacle of this engine, but the others, to a greater or lesser degree, also collaborated to solidify the experience and legacy of the game. TeamSilent. Furthermore, I find it unlikely that those who played 2 will be able to forget about the Mary's letter, reads tearfully in the credits. After everything we've been through and discovered, this letter was literally the nail in the coffin for the protagonist and the player.
The difference is that all these concepts of psychology in Silent Hill they are internalized and placed as a panorama for the conflicts of the characters with whom we play and, of course, we identify with. Harry was a father looking for his daughter, James a man tormented by guilt, Heather a woman tempted by revenge, Travis a good-hearted truck driver. All the feelings that the protagonists feel, we, who are after control, already feel, or at least know of their existence. Even so, they are used against characters constantly by the city, which goes from a ive observer to a very active and dangerous agent.
Have you ever stopped to think about what your Silent Hill? Could it be filled with bits of rusty metal, dried blood, and a humanoid creature with a pyramid head? Or would it be a place eternally on fire, with few spaces for sighs and rest? Outlining your own purgatory can be painful, but it is critically important for you to be able to face your demons, whatever they may be.
Don't forget to check out a review about The Medium, a horror game that has some inspirations from the psychology of Silent Hill.
Sources: The Guardian | Bear Den Gaming | Psychology Today
