Psychological Analysis Ep. 2: Edward Nygma

*Note: This is NOT a professional diagnosis and is NOT meant to reflect on sufferers of mental illness.

   
     Many people in our world and in cinema turn out to be geniuses. The problem is that the world sometimes doesn't recognize the intelligence of these people. And sometimes...the world faces the consequences. In film we encounter highly intelligent characters that are not recognized for their genius and as a result, they become unstable and resolve to make those who underestimated them see their brilliance. This episode of psychological analysis explores the mind and behavior of Edward Nygma, as portrayed by Jim Carry in Joel Schumacher's Batman Forever. Spoilers Ahead

      Once upon a time, one of Batman's well known villians, Two-Face, was on a crime spree through Gotham City, with Batman at his heels. Meanwhile, Bruce Wayne has been running Wayne Enterprises as usual when one of his employees presents his invention. Edward Nygma, an odd computer genius, has created a device that "beams any TV signal directly into the human brain. By stimulating the neurons, manipulating brainwaves if you will, this device makes the viewer feel like they're actually inside the show." Unfortunately for Nygma, Wayne declines his invention because manipulating brainwaves "just raises too many questions." After testing the device on his boss, (against his will), Edward discovers that he can use the device to absorb information from one person's brain into his own and become smarter. Now Nygma is out to beat Bruce Wayne, and in so doing becomes the Riddler. While Bruce Wayne falls in love with psychiatrist Dr. Chase Meridian, the Riddler and Two-Face form an alliance. With the help of an unexpected sidekick, will Batman be able to break the Riddler's grip on the minds of Gotham and stop Two-Face? 

       Edward Nygma's condition is ego syntonic, as he does not see any error in his mentality. Nygma's instability starts with his expectations on certain things. When Bruce Wayne rejects his project Nygma says to himself, "you were supposed to understand." Before Wayne meets Nygma we are shown upfront that he is already a great admirer of Mr. Wayne. He more than hopes, but rather expects, that Wayne will be impressed with him. While his invention is impressive, Nygma does not take rejection well at all. This could suggest a superiority complex, the delusion that one is better than others.

       During the film, Edward Nygma, as the Riddler, starts sending Bruce When strange riddles. Wayne doesn't know who they're from, so he seeks the advice of Dr. Chase Meridian. Judging from the riddles, Dr. Meridian concludes that "the patient may suffer from obsession... with potential homicidal tendencies." This rings true with Nygma as he is the one that is sending the riddles. He once held Bruce Wayne as his idol, and after testing his device on his boss, Nygma murders him. There is more to him than a mere superiority complex. By the end of Batman Forever, Nygma has taken in so much of other people's minds, including Bruce Wayne's, that he becomes delusional and is committed to Arkham Asylum. Before hand though, his personality and behavior in general tends to be wild and a little demented, introducing the idea that Nygma has a personality disorder. 
         
        If Edward Nygma does have a personality disorder, it is likely to be from cluster B of personality disorders. This cluster includes antisocial, borderline, histrionic, and narcissistic. Observing the behavior patterns of Nygma, we know that he certainly doesn't lack self-worth or a sense of self, which are characteristics of borderline and histrionic personality disorder. His ego is overinflated, but is not enough so to portray an air of narcissism. Overall, Nygma's general resistance to social norms, his ignorance of other's feelings, and his odd behavior and homicide, point more to a possible diagnosis of antisocial personality disorder. 

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Patient may suffer from obsession...
...with potential homicidal tendencies

Read more: https://www.springfieldspringfield.co.uk/movie_script.php?movie=batman-forever

Patient may suffer from obsession...
...with potential homicidal tendencies

Read more: https://www.springfieldspringfield.co.uk/movie_script.php?movie=batman-foreverPatient may suffer from obsession...
...with potential homicidal tendencies

Read more: https://www.springfieldspringfield.co.uk/movie_script.php?movie=batman-forever

Patient may suffer from obsession...
...with potential homicidal tendencies

Read more: https://www.springfieldspringfield.co.uk/movie_script.php?movie=batman-forever

Patient may suffer from obsession...
...with potential homicidal tendencies

Read more: https://www.springfieldspringfield.co.uk/movie_script.php?movie=batman-foreverPatient may suffer from obsession...
...with potential homicidal tendencies

Read more: https://www.springfieldspringfield.co.uk/movie_script.php?movie=batman-forever

       


     

Everything You Need to be Happy: Wall-E

     In today's world, more and more awareness is being raised about pollution and waste. More and more gadgets and devices are being made to do things for us. Needless to say, the 1st world lifestyle of the human race is concerning and sometimes sad. Numerous films have been made that depict dystopian societies, which often come to be after man's corrupt and harmful ways lead to their destruction. Not much of this is seen as far as Disney goes. But in 2008, Disney-Pixar presented Wall-E. 

    Once upon a time, a small and curious robot named Wall-E (Waste Allocation Load Lifter Earth-class) was the last of his kind on Earth. For the last 700 years, Wall-E has been doing what the humans made him for: Clearing garbage off the earth's surface. The earth has been abandoned, as life has not been sustainable due to pollution and built up waste. One day, a ship from space arrives, and leaves a robot called Eve (Extraterrestrial Vegetation Evaluator). As seen from her name, Eve is one of the robots periodically sent to earth to find plant life, proof that life is once again sustainable. As Eve searches for life, Wall-E falls in love. Eventually, Wall-E finds a plant growing inside of a dirt-filled boot. Upon seeing it, Eve takes the plant into a chamber in her body and shuts down while sending out a signal. A ship returns to pick up Eve, and Wall-E stows away.  
       In outer space they arrive onboard the Axium, a colossal sized space cruise liner. Here, Wall-E encounters things he has never seen before, including a wide variety of robots, and humans. These humans live on hover chairs, are hardly mobile, and due to micro-gravity, have experienced some bone loss in their bodies. From here Eve and Wall-E embark on an adventure to present the plant, battle a rebellious autopilot, and convince the humans to return to earth. Can Eve and Wall-E be together? Will earth be recolonized, or will it be left a lifeless wasteland? 
 
       Artificial intelligence has been a fascinating subject for a long time, and is also depicted in many films. More often than not, artificial intelligence is considered dangerous. Robots could rebel violently, and complications could arise if they were to fall in love and have complex human feelings and ideas. In Wall-E however, the robots appears to be their own minority group in society, as if they were also human. When comparing Wall-E and Eve to our human characters, they seem more sincere and thoughtful. This makes their ability to think and feel all the more intriguing. This type of thought provocation is seldom seen in children and Disney movies. 

 
  Wall-E and the Axium were created by the same company: BnL, or Buy N Large. This company advertises itself as "Buy N Large, everything you need to be happy." The humans aboard the Axium live lives of pleasure and entertainment. They have never known work or physical exertion. Robots wait on their every need. Wall-E's future depiction of humanity is the sad extreme of how 1st world societies live today. Almost every human works for money. No one stops to think about what money is for: Gaining access to fine housing or materialistic and frivolous things of pleasure, as well as being able to live in comfort. 
      When the captain of the Axium sees Eve's memory footage of earth, he's nearly horrified at the state of the planet. He decides right then and there that the time has come to return home. During the end credit of the movie, we see the humans walking and with the help of the robots, planting crops, restoring old buildings, and just enjoying the beauty of nature that is growing around them everyday. We can only assume that they, as well as Wall-E and Eve, are happier than they ever were in space, or alone on an abandoned planet. 

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The Wonders of Animation: Fantasia

    When you're watching a Disney movie, you're not really concerned about the music. You might be familiar with interpretations of music, such as dance. When Disney animators heard pieces of music such as Beethoven's Fifth Symphony, Pines of Rome, and even Rhapsody in Blue, what did they do? They made animated shorts for them!

     Once upon a time, (in 1940,) Disney released what they had called, "The Concert Feature." But Leopold Stokowski, the musical conductor who had worked with Walt Disney on the project, suggested the name "Fantasia," and thus it was named. The film contained multiple animated shorts that had been made to interpret a certain piece. Fantasia was intended to be a constant continuation. "Every time you went to see it, you'd experience some new pieces, along with some old familiar favorites." As you can see, that didn't really happen until 1999, when Fantasia 2000 was released. Like the previous Fantasia, this film features musical, animated segments.  You watch both Fantasia and Fantasia 2000, and it's unlike any other Disney creation. Sure, there's a notable difference between the two because of the time periods when they were made, but they both encourage the same idea: Letting the imagination run wild!

     Fantasia is not only entertaining but educational. Most children are not familiar with famous pieces of music such as Rhapsody in Blues and Pines of Rome. Fantasia and Fantasia 2000 are the reason that I myself am able to recognize such music. That's when I heard them for the first time. Through these movies children can get to know classical music from a young age. They also have fun because they now have characters and stories to put with the music such as Mickey Mouse and the Steadfast Tin Soldier. 

       Keep in mind that the animations did not come instantly upon listening to the music. Even Disney artists have to try multiple ideas. Before finding The Steadfast Tin Soldier's match with Shostakovich's Piano Concerto No. 2, different ideas were on the drawing board. Some of them included a bug ballet, a baby ballet, and a segment from Shwanda the Bagpiper. Even Salvador Dali's artwork was considered. So it has been with every Disney film. The stories come together when the film makers explore ideas. That is how any story, whether filmed or written, comes to be: By exploring the imagination.

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You are a Block of Wood: Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporiun

    "I don't know why grown ups don't believe what they did when they were kids. I mean, aren't they supposed to be smarter?" The innocent thought provoking words of 9-year-old Eric Applebaum, who happens to be the narrator of the film Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium. This is a story that teaches that anyone can, and should, believe in themselves. Spoilers ahead.

    Once upon a time, a young, talented pianist named Molly Mahoney, was working on her first concerto. She is also working as the manager and apprentice of Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium, a magical toy store owned by the magical but eccentic, 243-year-old, avid shoe-wearing, Mr. Magorium. Also working at the emporium is a somewhat lonely boy named Eric, and the recently hired Henry Weston, an accountant (or as our other characters call him, "the mutant"), who doesn't believe in magic. 
       In recent days, Mahoney has become unsure of herself, struggling to find the right notes for her concerto. It is at this time that Mr. Magorium reveals to Mahoney that the emporium is being left to her in his will, and that he is going to die soon. However, Mahoney doesn't think she can run the store because she doesn't have the same magic Mr. Magorium has. After he dies, Mahoney must now choose whether to sell or keep the store. With the help of a block of wood and an accountant, will Molly Mahoney be able to find the magic that has always been in her, or will she choose to sell Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium?

       Henry Weston and Mahoney are in similar positions. They are both faced with a choice: For Henry, whether or not to believe in the magic of the store, and for Mahoney, whether or not to believe in herself. They both however, try to get coaxed out of their comfort zones by the same person: Eric. After Mr. Magorium passes, Eric knows that Mahoney can run the store. She doesn't think so, and says that "I cannot be a kid anymore." Eric simply responds with, "that's why Mr. Magorium gave you the store." As Eric becomes friends with Henry, he gets Henry to loosen up and do things such as play pretend. It is Eric that asks Henry to convince Mahoney that she should keep the store, even though he doesn't quite believe in it himself. 
       In a way, Mahoney and Henry challenge each other. Henry seems to embody Mahoney's self doubt in her ability to run the emporium, as he thinks that "there's no such thing a magical toy store." At the same time, Mahoney is able to remind herself of what she truly believes when she testifies of the store's magic to Henry, never showing any doubt. 

      Before Mr. Magorium reveals his plan to Mahoney, he gives her what he calls, "the congreve cube." To Mahoney and the audience, it looks like a simple block of wood. "Unlikely adventures," says Mr. Magorium, "require unlikely tools." Until Mahoney has to make her decision to sell the store, the congreve cube hasn't done anything. Only until Mahoney tries to explain to Henry Weston that it's magical, it starts to move and fly around the store, causing Henry to faint in disbelief. When Henry wakes up the next morning, the cube is nowhere to be found and Mahoney has no memory of it. But now Henry believes in the store and realizes that, as he tells Mahoney, "you are a block of wood." Throughout the movie, Mahoney believed in the cube. But in truth, Mr. Magorium gave it to her to teach her that she can do amazing things if she believes in herself the same way she believes in the block of wood. Now that Mahoney's belief in the cube has made it fly, she no longer remembers it and only needs to believe in herself. 

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Psychological Assessment Ep.1: Annie Wilkes

         *Note: This is NOT a professional diagnosis and is NOT meant to reflect on sufferers of mental illness.

    There are fangirls, but then there's Annie Wilkes, the notorious female antagonist of Stephen King's Misery. In 1990, Annie Wilkes came to life, portrayed by the Oscar-winning actress Kathy Bates. Co-starring with her is James Caan as Paul Sheldon. 

     Once upon a time, author Paul Sheldon was driving a snowy road after completing a new book for his Misery series. He doesn't reach his destination, however, and crashes his car in the snow, leaving his legs broken. 
      Paul finds himself rescued by and in the home of Annie Wilkes, a former nurse and his "number one fan." She assures him that he will be taken to the hospital, but all of that changes for the worst after Annie reads his latest book. Misery has been killed off in the series, and Annie has no intention of letting Paul go anywhere. Now he has to write a new book and bring Misery back to life. But even then, Annie may be too obsessed with Paul and his books to let him go. Will Paul Sheldon escape, or will he spend the rest of his life in misery with Annie Wilkes?

       From the time when we meet Annie Wilkes up to when her fury is unleashed after Misery's death, we are given a hint pertaining to her mentality. She criticizes the swearing in Sheldon's books, but her criticism escalates into what almost looks like anger. After her insanity is revealed when Misery dies, the audience and Paul anticipate whatever may put Annie in a rage once again. This is how we get to know Annie's point of view. Annie is religious, but it isn't obvious other than Annie's refusal to swear. Annie's problem is that some things that are not meant to be real become all too real for her, (or she at least takes them far too seriously,) such as Misery's death in Paul's book, and when the ending from one week's chapter play changed the following week. These types of things make Annie violently upset, and she is often left feeling cheated and sees these things as very unfair.

       After watching the majority of Misery we know that Annie's condition is ego-syntonic, meaning that Annie doesn't think seem to think or acknowledge she has mental problems, and acts as though other people, (such as Paul and the people that make the chapter plays,) are the problem instead of her. She does have some self-awareness when she says that she "gets so worked up," and "I don't think I'd better be around you for a while," and "I'd better go now. I might put bullets in it." But that isn't enough to keep the rest of Annie's psychological problems at bay. When Misery died in the book, Annie thinks that Paul murdered her. Annie's referring to Misery as "my Misery," is a continuous reminder of Misery's reality to Annie and that something in Annie's mind is not quite right. We know from her scrapbook that Annie killed her father, a college roommate, and patients when she was a maternity nurse in a hospital. Whether genetic, environmental, or both, the causes of Annie's unstableness are unknown. 

       Annie Wilkes is not a psychopath, neither is she a sociopath. She would be able to sympathize as well as empathize with certain people or when given the opportunity. Despite killing people as a nurse, the fact that she even was one confirms that she can sympathize in some way. Annie, however, suffers from some delusions: "God came to me last night and told me your purpose for being here. I am going to help you write a new book." She does not have multiple delusions. The few that Annie has involve God and/or her love of Paul and Misery: "You see I've known for some time why I was chosen to save you. You and I were meant to be together forever. Now our time in this world must end." 
       Annie does not quite fit the characteristics of a personality disorder. Her moods can change quickly and intensely, but they are consistent with her thought patterns. She has depression to some degree, since at one point in the film she expressed thoughts of suicide to Paul. We don't why but Annie Wilkes is somehow broken, and one would pity her for that. Other than that, a possible but not definite diagnosis: A sad and simple case of psychosis. 

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Saying Goodbye: Life of Pi

     We have heard many survival stories: People getting stranded in a dessert, fighting for life deep in the jungle, or being lost at sea. Some do it alone, some have to use team work in order to survive. In 2012, Yann Martel's novel, Life of Pi, came to life as a film of the same name. The film portrays Martel's story in a way that makes one "believe the unbelievable." It shows what happens when two creatures, one prey and one predator, have to use each other to survive in a situation that will prove to bend nature itself.

      Once upon a time, young Pi Patel was born and raised in India with his mother, father, and brother Ravi. In Pondicherry, Pi's father owns a zoo. Pi does well in school, knowing many digits of the number Pi, even though his peers call him "Pissing Patel," because his first name is Piscine. 
       Around 12 years old, Pi starts exploring the world around him. Raised in Hinduism, Pi comes to learn about Christianity and Islam, eventually following all three religions. 
       Now Pi is a teenager, and looking to put more meaning into his life. Just when he falls in love with a beautiful girl named Anandi, his parents decide to close the zoo and move to Canada. Taking a few of the zoo animals with them, Pi's father plans to sell them, using the money to start a new life and secure a good future for Pi and Ravi. But tragedy strikes as a storm arrives while Pi is on deck. Before he knows it, Pi finds himself unable to find his family before he is put on a lifeboat by himself. In the rough sea, Pi discovers that the storm has sunk the ship, taking his family and everyone on the ship down with it. Now he is alone...with the zoo's Bengal Tiger named Richard Parker, the ship's only other survivor.  Will Pi and the tiger survive the Pacific Ocean? Or is Pi Patel going to be Richard Parker's last meal? 

     There is an ongoing question of religion throughout Life of Pi: During Pi's childhood he experiences conflict in his life when it comes to religion. His father is not very religious, saying that "religion is darkness" because he had polio as a child. In turn Pi's mother tells him and his brother Ravi stories about the Hindu gods. When a priest tells Pi about Christ, Pi has difficulty understanding why God would send His only son to suffer for the guilty. But the more he hears, the more he comes to "like this Son of God." Then Pi observes Islamic people practicing their religion. Pi's father does not of approve of Pi following three religions, saying that, "believing in everything at once is the same thing as believing in nothing at all."  The writer that Pi is telling the story to throughout the movie, has been told that the story of Pi's ordeal would make him believe in God. As for Pi, it is his belief in God, (besides Richard Parker,) that helps him survive. 

          In telling his story, Pi speaks many wise words. Life of Pi also has a specific theme of regret in not to saying proper goodbyes. Pi regrets never being able to thank his father for everything he taught him. On the other hand he was also heartbroken when Richard Parker left him "unceremoniously," by simply going into the jungle without looking back.
"I suppose in the end, the whole of life becomes an act of letting go. But what always hurts the most is not taking a moment to say goodbye."- Pi Patel. When we are moving on to something new in life, sometimes we need to pay homage to what we're leaving behind. 

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To Not Be Afraid: Sing

    Singing. Sometimes to sing is to bring ourselves joy as we use it express ourselves. Voices come from all walks of life, and in the 2016 movie Sing, voices come from all kinds of species. Sing may not be as popular as Disney's Zootopia, but it still has a message that is just as good.

      Once upon a time, a Koala named Buster Moon fell in love with the theater when he was a child. With the help of his father, Moon opened the Moon Theater years later. 
       Mr. Moon has put on many shows in the Moon Theater, but none of them have been successful. Now in an effort to save the theater from being foreclosed on by the bank, Moon decides to hold a singing contest with a grand prize of 1,000 dollars. But a mistake occurs, and the flyers Moon sends out advertise a prize of 100,000 dollars!
        Now the auditions are over, and Mr. Moon has selected the performers: A teenage Gorilla named Johnny, a young porcupine called Ash, housewife sow Rosita, a dancing pig named Gunter, and a narcissistic mouse known as Mike. But there is also another. A very young elephant named Meena wants to be in the show, but she is prone to severe stage fright. Moon has given her a job backstage, but there still may be a second chance for Meena to be in the show. Will Moon be able to save his theater, and will all our characters get their time to sing? (Spoilers Ahead..)

      Why Sing is different from Zootopia: The society depicted in Sing more resembles that of human society. The inhabitants of Zootopia are more separated. Zootopia has specific living spaces for specific animals, such as Tundra Town, Sahara Square, and the Rain forest District. Although citizens are not required to take residence in these places, there is still the social clash between prey and predator, similar to the racial conflict in our world today. Considering these kind of details, it might seem that Sing is flawed because it doesn't address these issues, and makes us wonder about things in Sing that are shown in Zootopia, such as how their food chain works. But Zootopia is a film about social unfairness, and Sing is not. (Not to mention that Sing includes sea animals while Zootopia doesn't.)

      Each of the performers in Sing has something that prevents them from singing to the world. Some are underestimated, some are blocked by the expectations of others, and some are simply afraid.  When Meena's turn comes to sing, Moon reassures her that she won't feel afraid once she starts singing. This is one of the best parts of the movie. At the microphone, Meena looks back nervously at Mr. Moon. He says only one word to her: Sing. There is no simpler way to encourage someone who loves to sing; no matter what it is that wants to stop them. Just as the use of speech is important, so is the use of song and performing when it comes to showing the world who you are, how you feel, and what you love. If everyone could have the courage of Meena and encouragement from those like Buster Moon, it would change the world.

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