Silent Hill 3 Analysis Guide This FAQ can be found on the following sites:- www.gamefaqs.com www.ign.com www.black-helix.com/cshx/ (otherwise known as Central Silent Hill, guide will be up on site ready for U.S release of SH3) www.biohazard-hq.co.nr (Silent Hill: Restless Dreams Site) http://www.cheats.de IF YOU HAVE FOUND THIS GUIDE TO BE INFORMATIVE AND USEFUL, PLEASE RATE IT. THANKYOU! ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Copyright 2003 Duncan Bunce. 14/6/03 Version 1.00 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ 14/6/03 Expect future updates concerning the Silent Hill Universe very soon. --------------------------- 16/6/03 - Version 2.00 --------------------------- A few corrections completed, couple new headings added. --------------------------- 18/6/03 - Version 3.00 --------------------------- Added to headings, included credits. Expect a Harry Mason profile soon. Also more to SH Cult's God section, and a history of SH town and more... --------------------------- 20/6/03 - Version 4.00 --------------------------- Added to headings, included credits. Also, added new headings and an introduction. Expect more soon! --------------------------- 2/7/03 - Version 5.00 --------------------------- Major Update! New headings to monster design section, new sections about the history of the town, the 'evil' in SH? and the cult's 'God'. Will finish Harry Mason heading soon. Credits added, Claudia and Valtiel section added to. Phew! --------------------------- 8/7/03 - Version 6.00 --------------------------- Major update! SH1 Character Analysis. Expect another huge update soon, especially on SH2... Thanks for all emails so far, great help and joy to read! Expect next update around the 14th/15th July. --------------------------- 19/7/03 - Version 7.00 --------------------------- Biggest Update Yet!! Sorry for the delay, but it's taken a long time to get this one just right. I have analysed the SH2 Game and added relevant sections for the first time, which has been a lot of depth and detail. Now this FAQ covers all three SH games and is near complete. SH2 is finished, as is SH1 analysis although I shall now be doubling my efforts back onto SH3 ready for U.S release. I have added an SH3 Stanley Coleman character analysis, and will be working on Leonard and Memory of Alessa next. Have also added Metatron section, SH3 Song Lyrics & OST listings, as well as credits/email corrections & theories. I am working on a site to host this FAQ to call home, in early stages but have sketched out plans. Thanks for all your emails, as ever they are really helpful. BIG THANKS TO DAMIEN JONES!! DUE TO A PROBLEM WITH EMAIL, ANYONE VIEWING THIS GUIDE ON IGN.COM BEFORE 19/7/03 AND WHO SENT ME AN EMAIL, I WOULD NOT HAVE RECEIVED IT. PLEASE SEND IT AGAIN. LIKEWISE, DUE TO AN ERROR A COUPLE OF EMAILS WITH PEOPLE I WAS CREDITING HAVE BEEN DELETED. IF YOU SEE YOUR POINT/THEORY AND NO CREDIT THOUGH YOU HAVE EMAILED ME, EMAIL ME AGAIN PLEASE. ---------------------------------------- Contents ---------------------------------------- Silent Hill 3 Analysis Guide Written by The Hellbound Heart Copyright 2003 Duncan Bunce. 1) Introduction 2) The History of the town Silent Hill 3) Silent Hill 1 Plot Guide 4) Silent Hill 1 Character Analysis A) Harry Mason B) Cheryl Mason (later to be known as Heather in SH3) C) Cybil Bennett D) Dahlia Gillespie E) Dr. Michael Kaufmann F) Lisa Garland G) Alessa 5) Silent Hill 2 Prologue Story 6) Silent Hill 2 Character Analysis A) James Sunderland B) Maria C) Angela Orosco D) Eddie Dombrowski E) Laura F) Mary 7) Silent Hill 2 Monster Design Analysis A) The 'Red' Pyramid Head B) Maria (see character analysis section) C) Leg Mannequins D) Patient Demon E) Giant Roaches F) Caged Prisoner Grille Demon G) Doorman Demons H) Hanging Closers 8) Silent Hill 2 Symbolic Environment (BRIEF COMMENTARY) A) Blue Creek Apt. Room (with mannequin wearing Mary's clothes) B) Blue Creek Apt. with graffitti & picture of James & Mary C) The Butterfly Theme in SH2 Discussed! D) Silent Hill monuments & Historical Society E) Toluca Prison F) Bar Neely's & the HOLES G) Blue Creek Apt. Room with dead man in front of TV 9) Silent Hill 3 Prologue Story 10) Silent Hill 3 Character Analysis A) Heather Mason B) Heather/God C) Douglas Cartland D) Claudia Wolf E) Vincent F) Harry Mason G) Stanley Coleman H) Leonard Wolf [coming soon] 11) The Alternate Realities & Their Monsters A) The alternate realities and their monsters B) Are there really monsters in Silent Hill? My Theories discussed! C) Are the dark powers of Silent Hill really evil? 12) Nightmarish Settings in Silent Hill 3 A) The Shopping Mall B) The Subway C) The Confessional Booth D) The 'Bloody Lips' adorned on the walls of the Otherworld. 13) Silent Hill 3 Monster Design Analysis A) The Split- Worm (Boss) B) Split- Faced Hounds C) Memory of Alessa (Boss) [coming soon] D) Valtiel? E) Numb Bodies F) Closer G) Insane Cancer H) Nurse 14) An Analysis of Satanism in Cults A) A cult's organisation B) Sammael C) Silent Hill 3's cult symbol D) The Silent Hill Cult's God? E) Metatron (Flauros) 15) Silent Hill OST Song Listings A) Silent Hill 1 OST B) Silent Hill 2 OST C) Silent Hill 3 OST 16) Silent Hill 3 Song Lyrics A) You're Not Here (Main SH3 Theme sung by Mellisa Williamson) B) Hometown (Ending Theme for Credits sung by Joe Romersa) C) You're Not Here (Studio Mix sung by Mellisa Wiliamson) D) Letter - from the lost days 17) Acknowledgment & Thanks 18) Legal Information 19) Contact Information ------------------------------------------------------------------------ 1) INTRODUCTION ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Welcome to the 'SILENT HILL 3 ANALYSIS' guide. I have long been a fan of survival horror games since Resident Evil way back in 1996, but it was the series of Silent Hill that really blew open the genre for horror games, with its dark, violent, adult and always disturbing story. Not forgetting great gameplay of course. While the series goes from leaps to bounds, Silent Hill 3 having the most precise and perfect gameplay yet, the story and setting has always been its best aspect for me. This guide, still in relevant infancy but nearing full completion, is designed to be the most comprehensive guide of Silent Hill 3 as possible. It explains Silent Hill 3 fully, with detailed analysis, but it also analyses the environments and the cult the main character of each title has come up against so far. In essence, it will explain almost everything you need to know (unless I can't think of it and you should email me!). Due to demand by email, this guide has been expanded to encompass both SH1 & SH2, allowing the reader a full history of the series and what has occurred. There are few guides out there that deal with Silent Hill so deeply, so I've designed this guide firstly as a fan, searching for the definitive analysis. Enjoy, ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 2) The History of the town Silent Hill ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ The town of Silent Hill is known foremost by reputation as a popular tourist resort, a 'quiet little lakeside resort town' as a brochure found in SH3 and information in SH2 describes in writing. Yet this is made perfectly clear in SH1 when Harry Mason's daughter Cheryl feels compelled to visit. For James Sunderland in SH2, it is a 'special' place of fond memories where he spent time with his wife at the Lakeside Hotel. Indeed, it is Toluca Lake which is the town's main tourist attraction, imbuing a sense of tranquillity and peacefulness, as well as relaxation to the welcomed visitor. Silent Hill is described by the tourist board as having row after row of quaint old houses, and a gorgeous mountain landscape as just many of its surroundings. Yet this superficial facade is nothing more than a shield from its dark history and the underbelly of evil that still pervaded right up to the time of Harry Mason's arrival. The earliest date for the town's founding is noted to be sometime in the year of 1820. A painting in SH2 at the History Society in town entitled 'Waterfront Landscape' by Allen Smith serves as the best primary evidence so far. It depicts few people, and a handful of buildings as expected. Silent Hill's prison is also of the same age period, with a prisoner note giving a more concrete date of September 11, 1820. The town was transformed into a prison camp during the American Civil War period, prisoners were given the choice of how to be executed. Hung or skewered? The sadistic executioners (physically maifestated as Pyramid Heads in SH2) still roam the town, and were specifically summoned to torture and deliver justice against James Sunderland for the sins against his dead wife, Mary Sunderland. However, Silent Hill's earliest origins are discussed in an article entitled 'Lost Memories', the name coming from a legend of the people whose land was stolen from them. The land was originally called 'The Place of the Silenced Spirits', a clear indication of how Silent Hill's name was eventually borne. 'Spirits' were said to be those of dead relatives, as well as the actual trees, rocks and the surrounding lake. According to legend, the holiest ceremonies took place here by its Native Americans and is clearly of very significant spiritual founding. Yet it was not the ancestors of those that reside in the town present day that 'stole' the land away from the natives, simply for some unknown reason its first residents abandoned their home, or vanished from existence. In 1880 Silent Hill's Brookhaven Hospital was built, in response to a great plague that followed a wave of immigration to the area. Originally little more than a shack for the injured and those dying from the plague, over time it gradually expanded. Immigration played a huge part in Silent Hill's evolution, developing it into a multi-cultural region where new visitors and tourists would be welcome, as well as the town's features making it particularly inviting. (SEE SILENT HILL CULT SECTION FOR HOW IMMIGRATION HAS AFFECTED RELIGION). Yet there has always been great tragedy surrounding its locals. One particular focal point is Toluca Lake and the infamous legend that has developed alongside it (most probably created and emphasised to further tourism trade). On a fogbound day in November 1918 (most probably the First World War had just reached its conclusion), the ship the 'Little Baroness' filled with tourists failed to return to port. An extensive police report and search found nothing, no trace of the ship nor its fourteen passengers and crew to this day. In 1939 an even stranger incident occurred, yet it is never revealed in the game. Suffice to say, most likely many more 'strange' unaccountable incidents have taken place at sporadic intervals of years gaining its reputation for tragedy. As the article in SH2 puts eloquently: 'Many corpses rest at the bottom of this lake. Their bony hands reach up towards the boats that pass overhead. Perhaps they reach for their comrades.' In the town's more modern history, at some point the cult of Silent Hill (seemingly led and orchestrated by Dahlia Gillespie) took its hold. This was accomplished by the manufacturing of a herbal plant indigenous to selected areas of Silent Hill. It appears that Dr. Kauffman who worked in the Alchemilla Hospital in Old Silent Hill was the person responsible for its manufacture and distribution. The herbal plant, 'White Claudia' as it was known served purposes as an hallucinogenic drug that was extrememly addictive and which could control and manipulate the town's folk into submitting to the cult's plans. Ancient records showed that this 'White Claudia' was used in ancient religious ceremonies, the hallucinogen in the seeds being key. There is no more devastating example of its addictive power than the evidence shown by Lisa Garland's diary, a nurse who worked in the Alchemilla hospital and took care of the injured and comatose Alessa. A police investigation was being conducted by the resident department, yet the identity of the manufacturer which could lead them straight to the dealer proved fruitless. Soon after, suspicious deaths started to occur, a narcotics officer and most high profile, the mayor of Silent Hill who unsurprisingly held an anti-drug stance. All deaths however were concluded by the medical examiner as being of 'natural causes', typically sudden heart failure although no victims had a history of heart problems or had complained of such before their untimely deaths. During this time, Dahlia Gillespie had her child Alessa Gillespie, the human vessel for Sammael's (the cult's God) soul. When the child reached 7yrs old, her mother (or at least by her order) burnt down the house they lived in while leaving her daughter trapped inside. The surviving comatose Alessa lay in her nightmare, and divided her dark soul in half which manifestated into a child. Harry Mason and his wife picked up this child, and for seven years the town remained in its relatively superficial 'normal' state. It was the return of the child, now called Cheryl that tore the fabric of reality in Silent Hill, awakening the old spiritual area and the Gods that lay forgotten. The town now existing in three alternate states of reality/dimensions, Silent Hill is a place that seems very much outside the spectrum of time, a town lost and forgotten where the power of the awakened Gods is all powerful. Powerful enough it seems, to call to people like James Sunderland who live outside the town yet is still in the sphere of its influence. By visiting Silent Hill just once or being in its proximity, a person is susceptible to it. In SH1, Cheryl feels compelled to visit. In SH2 James receives 'a letter' from his dead wife of 3yrs, yet the letter does not exist and the time passed since his wife died was in fact just barely a week. In SH3, Heather is drawn to visit by Claudia's malicious deeds, although it does appear that she is 'reliving' her father's past and the need to finish what he started. The town is a receptacle for human pain and suffering, illustrated by its dark and foreboding history. Yet it is also a place of significant power and the possibility of life after death, of rebirth although at what price is unclear. Like all evil demonstrated in the games so far, nothing is ever just black and white, outrightly evil or good. It seems very much as if it is the human element that decides its fate and use.... -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- SILENT HILL 1 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ----------------------------------------- IMPORTANT ----------------------------------------- Before reading the character analysis, it is strongly recommended that you have played Silent Hill 1, or understood the story surrounding the game’s events. This guide will include spoilers as it focusses on analysis of SH3, so be warned! This is because the events from that first title are continued in Silent Hill 3 (the first proper sequel to the original, unlike the stand alone Silent Hill 2 which has an unrelated story). It is important to understand one fundamental concept. The characters of Heather, Alessa and Cheryl are referring to one person. I would sincerely recommend reading President Evil's plot guide to SH1, as it is particularly detailed. Credit to the forementioned Evil as well for his take on the plot, which has at some points influenced this brief SH1 guide. Credit to John Anthony Mathewson for his appreciated input. His making of FAQ/ Transcript is well worth checking out as well! ------------------------------------------------------------------------ 3) Silent Hill 1 Plot Guide ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Dahlia Gillespie and the Silent Hill cult of Samael devised a plan to resurrect their God (Samael). Dahlia Gillespie who was the leader and one of the main people who orchestrated its running, planned to summon the dark soul of their God in a black arts ceremony, which would only be possible by bonding it with a human life. Dahlia had a child and named her Alessa Gillespie, the ceremony proving successful. The girl grew up in the cult of Silent Hill, most of the time being confined to the strict environment of the cult. She spent much of her time in her room where she would occasionally play and draw pictures with her best friend Claudia Wolf. She was generally isolated away from socializing personally with children of her own age in Silent Hill that weren't part of the cult's teachings. She longed for a normal existence, even more so when at the local Midwich School her classmates called her a witch and were fearful of her unknown power and its capabilities. Yet it seems that her mother either wanted her to tap into the ‘power’ the soul she possessed gave her, perhaps to bring the Paradise the cult had long expected the resurrection of their God to bring to them, or arguably, by placing the soul in an infant that she would rear she could hope to harness the power for herself and her own needs. This would account for one of Alessa's teachers at school, named K. Gordon, disclosing in a letter you find in SH3 that he feared her mother was abusing her with physical violence, perhaps in an attempt to 'persuade her'. It is clear at some point that Alessa 'chose' not to comply with the cult's wishes, and began her act of suppressing her power. Either intentions you interpret, the young Alessa refused and simply wanted to grow up as a normal girl of her age would do, as well as being uncomfortable in using her powers maliciously (an apparent downside of the human bonding process being humanity and a conscience). Consequently, Dahlia locked her daughter in her room and set fire to the house. Whether this was due to a fit of rage, deciding to destroy her failure, or whether it was a ploy to halt Alessa's sudden mental suppression to giving birth to Samael, is unclear, yet her plan worked. Fire in the cult is of particular significance as it is meant to purify. The young Alessa miraculously survived the ordeal, but was horribly scarred and burned, and left in a comatose state. The power of the sacred dark soul of Samael had prevented her from dying, perhaps as it needed a vessel to exist in the human plain of physical entities. Trapped with no hope for escape amongst the flames, Alessa in a last desperate bid for salvation split her dark soul in half so that it would escape Dahlia's clutches. The now hospitalised Alessa, unrecognisable by the degree of bandaging that covered her body resided in one of Silent Hill’s hospitals called Alchemilla Hospital (thanks Rich Lidster!), in an isolated room. She was monitored by the cult by a young nurse called Lisa at some stage, who was deeply loving to the unknown girl but at the same time horrified and repulsed by her will to survive. For seven long torturous years, the comatose Alessa endures a recurring nightmare of fear and hatred, trapped inside her body and anchored from death by the soul. Unfortunately for Dahlia, Alessa had disrupted their plans. In a last desperate attempt, she had split her soul in half to divide its power and hide it from Dahlia once and for all. This soul manifested itself as a child, which Harry Mason discovered, almost by fate or destiny, on the side of the road with his wife whilst on vacation. Harry and his wife raise the child as their own. They name her Cheryl. Tragically, his wife dies of a fatal illness four years later and he is left as the sole parent. When Cheryl reaches 7 yrs old, she is eager to return to the tourist resort of Silent Hill where Harry and his wife visited before, much to his puzzlement. As Harry drives towards their destination and with increasing proximity to the location of the comatose Alessa (and half soul of Samael), a chain reaction erupts. The two souls recognise their existence and Alessa creates a nightmarish alternate reality to hide Cheryl (essentially a clone of herself as they both possess the same soul) in, thus hoping to prevent their mother’s (Dahlia’s) plans for the cult. Harry in the quickly converging realities crashes his jeep, only to awake in the town of Silent Hill and his adopted daughter Cheryl nowhere to be seen. Thus begins a power struggle between Dahlia and the awakened Alessa, which Harry Mason is unaware of. The town completely empty except for a police officer named Cybil who has also been dragged into this alternate reality, as well as there now being marauding monsters populating the town. With heavy snow falling out of season in the town and with an air of unsettlement, he searches for his daughter that he named Cheryl, but unbeknown to him has really been Dahlia’s Alessa all along. Dahlia makes various appearances to Harry throughout the game when he is in trouble or begins to doubt finding his daughter, with the hidden agenda of using him as a pawn to locate Alessa and the complete soul of Samael. Alessa and her ‘power’ creates the alternate realities and uses them to hide in from Dahlia, filling them with abhorrent monsters that have come from her nightmarish imagination and childhood experiences which are now very much manifestly physical. After a while and with Harry’s determination and love for his daughter, he locates Alessa (the now completed soul inside the Mother of God). Yet by finding her, he has also highlighted her whereabouts to Dahlia like she hoped, and takes Alessa the Mother of God away to conduct a final ceremony whereby Samael can be born into the real world. Shocked and traumatised by the revelations of the truth, Harry decides to confront Dahlia and end her evil plans. He is too late, and the ceremony is all but completed yet a doctor by the name of Kaufmann manages to throw a red blood substance called ‘Aglaophotis’ which dispels the demon within Alessa and forces a weaker manifestation of Samael into the world. Harry defeats the God, but as it disappears Alessa the Mother of God returns before his eyes, and with her dying breaths gives a female child to Harry. Harry is aware that the child is a reincarnation, but spends most of the 17 yrs he raises her wondering of who? Is it Cheryl? But that was really Alessa all along, and if that really is the case wouldn’t that mean the nightmare could unfold all over again? But of course it does unfold once again, 17 yrs later to be precise where the child he raised, naming her Heather Mason (after the Portland incident) finds herself drawn into the nightmare reality of Samael once again! ------------------------------------------------------------------------ 4) Silent Hill 1 Character Analysis ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Please bear in mind, that unlike the later SH games, the characters in SH1 are not as 'deeply' defined by their personalities than SH2 & SH3, and are as such far simpler as the series has now been allowed to grow in detail. --------------------------------------- A) Harry Mason (what we know from SH1) --------------------------------------- Real name 'Harold Mason'(32 yrs old) he nevertheless prefers to be called Harry. His occupation is as a writer, (most probably detective novels as we learn in SH3 when examining his apartment). Whether this genre of novel choice was chosen after the events of SH1 which had a profound effect on him, where his adventure was very much based on his detecive skills of searching for evidence of the cult and his daughter is unclear. Perhaps he was always a crime novelist and it was his thinking ability to detect that made him able to stand against the horror that SH1 had to offer. Like James Sunderland in SH2, Harry too had a terminally ill wife who would later die before his fateful visit to the town of Silent Hill. It was perhaps during a vacation with his ill wife (not in Silent Hill but in the near proximity of) that he discovered an abandoned baby on the side of the highway. Unable to have children of their own and with his wife getting no better, they decided to take the infant in and name her Cheryl Mason, unbeknowns to them that the child was part of Alessa and a ploy to hide from the cult of Silent Hill. Three years later, Harry's idyllic and peaceful life with his partner is shattered when she succumbs to her fatal illness. Except for the love of his daughter, Harry Mason is very much alone in this world, struck with the hidden grief of losing his beloved. Cheryl is his only anchor in this world, his very reason for living and a symbol for his hope of a future where he can be happy again. So it is with this in mind, that when Cheryl begs for him to take her to the resort town of Silent Hill (which he has no idea why she would want to go), he has difficulty in going against her wishes and decides that it would be good for both of them, particularly Cheryl so soon after her mother's death. Yet his plans are destroyed when as they approach the outskirts of town, a chain reaction where both Alessa and Cheryl realize their existence and join togther once again, that Harry crashes the jeep. Upon awakening to find his daughter gone, presumably all alone, traumatised and vulnerable in a strange town which seems trapped in time, snowing out of season and with vicious monsters roaming the area, Harry sets out to find her. With Cheryl gone, Harry has lost his only remaining loved one and the reason for him to go on living in such a harsh world. It is because of this that he is not fearful of looking for his daughter despite the many dangers that appear, each more horrifying than the last. As he mentions to Cybil, if there is a chance that he may find Cheryl, he is willing to take it. Like any explorer or detective, Harry Mason is a practical man. His sole aim is to find his daughter and escape the madness around them. Whenever he examines anything in SH, he will categorize it in whether it is useful or nothing special. Other comments may be that there is 'no need to worry about it', which just serves as emphasising his tunneled determination and strong will. He rarely gives opinions about the evil surrounding him, although he is certainly a very moralistic person which is demonstrated in the Midwich Elementary School, examining a picture of a door and stating that "I don't know who drew it, but it is certainly in bad taste." This is no surprise, as generally speaking the role of a 'hero' as he is, would have to be of some moral good and distinguishing between good and evil, right and wrong as he so justly does when speaking to Dahlia at the climax of the game. Unlike other heroes in games, he is simply an ordinary man trapped in a world he can't understand. While he puts two and two together and acknowldeges Dr. Kaufmann's role in the towns drug trafficking, he is slow to understand the situation's full complexity which allows Dahlia to manipulate him to her whims. Rather than being a weakness, this simply shows his sometimes blind courage and desperation to find Cheryl. Even when he is given the child at the end of the game by 'The Mother of God' Alessa form, he does not fully understand what has happened nor who the child is. It is many years later, 17 yrs to be more precise and a lot of reflection that have allowed him to partially come to terms with his emotions and the facts surrounding his Silent Hill experience. -------------------------------- B) Cheryl Mason -------------------------------- Cheryl Mason is the adopted daughter of Harry Mason and his wife. Found abandoned by a highway as a baby by Harry Mason and his wife, she was raised by them and has lived a peaceful and happy life, doted upon constantly by her loving parents. The only sadness that has befallen her short life of 7 yrs was the sudden death of her mother from a fatal illness, which happened when she was 3 yrs old. To Harry her father, she didn't seem that affected by her death although this is most probably because she was too young to realise what had happened as well as its tragic implications that follow with grief. If anything, she has become more attached to her father than ever before, both living for one another and each other's happiness. A month after her seventh birthday, Cheryl suddenly decides that she wants to visit the resort town of Silent Hill, which her father duly takes her believing that it would do her some good. Unfortunately, this is the catalyst that starts the story of SH1 and the search for Harry. Cheryl is in fact Alessa but in a different form. When Alessa became injured in the fire, she decided to stall the wishes of her mother and her associates by literally tearing her soul in half, the dark soul of the cult's God Samael. By doing this, the power that Alessa contained would be weakened for any use the cult had and hidden away from their clutches. Alessa's mother Dahlia, would be unaware that her daughter and the other half of the soul, manifested as her infant daughter, would be living a life away from Silent Hill. Cheryl is extremely fond of drawing and colouring in, Harry having bought her a book for her to do her drawings in. This book is found both in SH1 and is the first clue of where his daughter might be, and again reappears in SH3 to remind Heather of who she really is, despite Claudia and her subconscious memories (Memory of Alessa) trying to sway her otherwise. The front cover of her book has a portrait picture of her 'father' Harry adorned on it, clearly showing the deep love she has for her father, despite the fact as Harry mentions to Cybil, she has most probably realised the truth about her parentage. Drawing is a refuge for her, a world of her own that she can escape into and protects her from the pain of the outside world. It is this aspect that is the most important feature about the town of Silent Hill. (SEE ALESSA SECTION). ------------------------------ C) Cybil Bennett ------------------------------ Little is known about Cybil Bennett (28 yrs old), except for the fact that she is Harry's only true ally in his fight against the evil of Silent Hill. She is also the very first person he sees before being sucked into the alternate reality of SH (on the road before the crash), and the first person in it (the cafe). She is a police officer from the next town over, called Brahms and has responded to uncomfirmed reports that Silent Hill's communications (phones, radios, televisions etc) have been cut off. How on earth anyone would be able to report the situation in Silent Hill is of great confusion? Yet she also appears to be fully knowledgable about the town's dark dealings with drugs and the local police department's failure to come up with any substantial leads. Maybe it was the cult that forced the town to halt any outside communication, in fear of their cult being revealed (SEE LISA SECTION). Yet, as in all SH games the phones do not work on request, as it is an alternate reality after all, I have always held the latter to be true. Other than this, little else is known about Cybil (I have not played the Silent Hill Play Novel for GBA, Japan only. Yet it appears to be of little relevance to the SH series because of this). Unlike Harry's arrival (which seems to be preordained by Dahlia), Cybil has entered Silent Hill purely by bad luck, as she was in the proximity of the town just as the alternate realities took hold with Cheryl's presence nearing, as well to her other self. Harry witnesses her discarded motorbike just before he has to swerve past a phantom Alessa and crashes his jeep. Near the end of Harry's search, as he nears the truth and his daughter, Alessa in a last ditch attempt possesses Cybil by means of a parasitc creature not too dissimilar to that found on puppet nurses and doctors in Alchemilla Hospital. Alessa preys on the fact that by confronting Harry with someone he cares for, he will hesitate and be killed or simply give up his search. Whatever the outcome the gamer chooses, Alessa's plan fails. However, why would Alessa (and also Cheryl for that matter) want to kill her adopted father? She does love him deeply after all. Shown at the beginning of SH1 when Harry is 'killed' in the alleyway and wakes up in the cafe unharmed, no one is truly dead in the cosmic battle between Alessa and Dahlia. Perhaps Dahlia saved him by plucking him out of the Otherworld dimension just in time? Maybe a human being from our reality cannot exist or die in the Otherworld dimensions, that Harry is simply a representation of himself who is sleeping back at the cafe (or the jeep for that matter, see bad ending in game). Even more extreme reasoning would be that maybe Harry has to 'die' before he can traverse the alternate realities and be of any use to Dahlia. Relate this to all the other SH games and the argument is weakened, but not extinguishable. As shown in the film Jacob's Ladder (a major influence), a person can continue with their lives for periods of many years (let's say 17 yrs hint!) yet still be dead in the first place. At the end of SH1 when Harry ran towards the light that Alessa guided for him to escape, did he really escape? Perhaps he simply wandered into another alternate reality.....SH4 WILL SHED LIGHT WHEN IT COMES!! ------------------------------------------------ D) Dahlia Gillespie (Antique Store Proprietor) ------------------------------------------------ Dahlia Gillespie (46 yrs old) is a long time resident of Silent Hill. To the residents of Silent Hill, after the fire which claimed her only daughter Alessa of 7 yrs, she has become crazy and disillusioned to the world. She is always dressed in mourning and as Lisa the nurse of Alchemilla comments, never sees anybody. Yet beneath the casual excuses of the towns people, she appears to be the sole leader of the cult and its workings. Just as Claudia Wolf, another younger cult member in SH3 comes to believe, Dahlia wants to raise the cult's God so that Paradise can be reborn and everyone's sorrows can be washed away. Yet just like in SH3, where Claudia symbolizes the cult and its faith yet still needs the input of Vincent to run it economically and for its development, Dahlia needs the input of three men to accomplish her aims. This becomes evident in a cut-scene in the Nowhere Basement area, where a representation of Alessa's hospital bed and a ghostly meeting is taking place about the future of the cult, yet it is like a memory of the past with Alessa showing Harry what happened all those years ago. Present at the meeting is of course Dahlia, who is evidently the leader of the pack whom the other members have made 'an agreement with'. One man is Dr. Kaufmann a senior doctor working at Alchemilla Hospital (most probably the director of the hospital as this is where Harry first meets him). It is clear from diaries found in the Indian Runner shop in the resort area of SH that he was either the manufacturer or dealer of the hallucinogenic drug 'White Claudia' that has allowed Dahlia and the cult to continue for many years, despite the intrusion of tourists (who were given the drug). His position has also given Dahlia the opportunity to hide the badly burned Alessa in the hospital's basement unbeknown to the towns people, to be constantly monitored. The identities of the others, one individual man being Japanese is never known. However, by the end of the game and Kaufmann's appearance it is clear that Dahlia had used the men so that the cult's God might awaken and bring 'Paradise', a world reborn, whereas the others had no such intentions and have had their greed of power manipulated against them. It is Dahlia's plan that by killing the 'human' element of Alessa, her young daughter would no longer be able to resist her mother's wishes to use the dark power of Samael as she chooses (the cut-scene in Nowhere, a representation of their house before the fire burnt it down). By leaving her trapped in the flames, the soul of Samael inside of her would mean Alessa could not die but her human will would be weakened, Indeed, as she comments to Harry at the end, her daughter is trapped in a nightmare that she cannot wake from, and which has nurtured the soul inside of her to speed the birth of Samael. Yet unforeseen by her, Alessa in a last desperate attempt divides the soul in half which limits the power available to them as a 'stalling' tactic. With her associates becoming impatient for power, Dahlia casts a magical spell which should force the other hidden soul (Cheryl) to be compelled to visit Silent Hill, the reasons for which would be unknown to the girl. Despite seven long years, with this achieved and the two halves of the soul reunited and wandering the town, all that would remain would be for someone to capture Alessa/Cheryl with the power of the flauros. This person, becomes Harry Mason. She seems to have some sort of spiritual or psychic power, undoubtedly gained with her dabbling in the black arts of the cult's origins. She tells Harry that he is the chosen one, and that his coming was preordained by gyromancy. She too, seems to have some power like that of her daughter Alessa with manipulating the alternate realities, although not to the same extent. It is beyond her power to end 'the nightmare' by finding Alessa directly as she is so well hidden in it, yet with Harry and his determination (as well as hoping his love for his daughter would allow him to get closer than anyone else and not be harmed) and the flauros, her plans succeed. She appears to Harry whenever he is unsure of where to search or go next, always directing him to where the source of the evil might be and his daughter. Despite her confusing cryptic talk, she gives him items such as keys and the flauros which allow him to enter and explore a previously sealed part of the town. Just like the agreement she had with those men, she is not afraid to manipulate those around her to get what she wants. With Harry, she preys on his worry for his daughter and the need to escape, as well as the fact that Harry recognises her as the only person who knows anything about the town's current state of affairs. In the Nowhere cut-scene with her 7 yr old daughter Alessa, she tempts the child to use her power by saying that everyone will be happy, and that it's for her own good. She is a vicious individual with no scrupples or morals, nor would she let anything get in her way for the awakening of Samael. At one point in the Nowhere cutscene where she tempts her daughter, she makes the admission that instead of using an occult ceremony to create 'The Mother of God' by binding a human with the soul of Samael as a vessel, she could have done it all herself. She says "Herein lies the mother's womb, the creation of life". She realizes that she could have birthed the God all by herself, much like Heather experiences in SH3. --------------------------------------- E) Dr. Michael Kaufmann (Physician) --------------------------------------- Dr. Kaufmann (age 50 yrs) is a doctor at the town's hospital Alchemilla, residing in Central Silent Hill (Shopping District). He is most likely the director of the hospital, as this is where Harry discovers the shattered vial of Aglaophotis which Dahlia has obviously frantically searched for and destroyed. This is because the red liquid can be used to exorcise demons and poses a threat to Dahlia's plans for the resurrection of 'God'. Evidence from diaries and Kaufmann's behaviour in SH1 suggest that he was a main player in the drug trafficking of the town, with the white claudia drug most probably being manufactured in the hospital and distributed by himself and other highly ranked individuals of the cult. Dr. Kaufmann is shown in the cut-scene of Nowhere (hospital basement) with four other people (including Dahlia) beside the comatose Alessa in a bed. He is one of the individuals who has made an agreement with Dahlia to sustain the cult and to resurrect Samael. Instead of being a key believer in the cult's faith, he is in 'an agreement' so that he might gain significant power for himself. He does not want to serve Samael, but freely tap into the power that Alessa has within her. His position also allows Dahlia to make sure the injured Alessa can be cared for in secret (when everyone in town thinks she died in the fire), until such times as the resurrection can be completed. Despite being impatient by Alessa'a stalling tactics, he agrees to Dahlia's magical spell which will reunite the two souls and restore Samael's awesome power. He is being used by Dahlia to serve her purposes, yet he also has a hold over her because of the rare liquid Aglaophotis that he possesses. Dahlia, thinking she has destroyed his only one in the hospital continues with her plans unworried by his presence, trapped in the alternate Silent Hill. However, while Dahlia and Harry are busy with one another, he retrieves a second vial of red liquid from a motel in the town, concealed in an empty motorbike's petrol tank and wrapped in plastic. He uses this at the end of the game to try to end the nightmare he awoke from in the hospital restroom, yet if anything it makes 'The Mother of God' give birth to Samael far quicker. Perhaps this is why, in its weakened state from the red liquid Harry Mason is able to stand against a God and defeat it on his own. When Harry confronts him, he is constantly evasive and uses deception to answer Harry's queries, such as "Do you know a girl called Alessa?". He makes a comment about not having time to dwindle about, perhaps making a subtle dig at Harry about his efforts so far. Or maybe, like Dahlia but for another reason he too wants Harry to find Alessa so that he can use the red liquid. If anything, his search is centred on finding the vial of red liquid and escaping the town of Silent Hill. Like Harry in some respect, he does not know why he has woken up in such a nightmarish world. Dr. Kaufmann may also be the last person that Lisa Garland the nurse at Alchemilla saw before her death. In the SH1 introduction scene 'the fear of blood tends to create fear for the flesh', we see Lisa arguing with him. From her diaries it is shown that she wanted to leave Silent Hill, her duty of looking after a badly burned Alessa and her dependency on the drug the cult gives her (which further degenerates her mental state). With this threatening the cult's plans as well as Kaufmann's, and the possibilty of exposing the cult one can only assume that he was the one who killed her or got her killed, as he was responsible for her to Dahlia and his associates. (This is why in the Good+ ending, we see a dead Lisa drag him away screaming to his death). ------------------------------- F) Lisa Garland ------------------------------- Lisa Garland (age 23 yrs) works in Silent Hill's Alchemilla Hospital (Central Silent Hill) under the guidance of Dr. Kaufmann. She has been given the duty of caring and monitoring the badly burned and comatose Alessa in the basement of the hospital, away from prying eyes. She is a victim of the cult. After the shifting realities of Silent Hill take hold, Harry finds her for the first time cowering in fear in a hospital room in Alchemilla. She claims to have been knocked out at some point and awoke into the nightmarish world. She requires constant comfort and reassuring by Harry Mason, and only seems satisfied when he is with her and not left on her own. She is also plagued by selective amnesia. Harry Mason never gets to meet the 'real' Lisa Garland in Silent Hill, merely a 'phantom' representation by Alessa based on her own memories. As revealed by the scene between herself and Kaufmann in the intro cut-scene and the melancholic cut-scene where she is revealed to be a monster like all the others roaming the town, the real Lisa was killed. I would logically point the responsibilty, indeed the culprit of her death to Dr. Kaufmann her superior. Put in charge of the comatose Alessa by Kaufmann so that his arrangement with Dahlia could continue, it is obvious by her diaries (the video, the journal) that she was fearful of the girl. She was also addicted to the drug 'White Claudia' that Kaufmann and the cult were distributing to control the populace, and despite wanting to leave the town and the drug behind, she could not do so. Lisa suffered from horrifying hallucinogenic visions of rooms full of insects and of tap faucets flowing of blood and pus which she could not turn off. This is clearly linked with her caring of Alessa in that isolated room which had a devastating effect on her, evident in the video when she describes the patient's bloody and pus skin which the bandages could not quell. From the scene in the intro where she is arguing with Kaufmann, perhaps about leaving the town, led to her murder. She cannot still be alive, as Samael's power of deception can only extend to the deceased (SH2 - Mary/Maria). So, who is the Lisa Garland Harry meets? As mentioned above, she is just like any other of Alessa's monstrous creations from her imagination and mind except she is the only one based on an actual person that she has met. The comatose Alessa could not wake from her nightmare sleep, but one assumes was able to register Lisa caring for her (this Heather proves by recalling Lisa from her memories in SH3 before Leonard Boss fight). Lisa would have been the only person that has shown any sort of genuine compassion and caring for the abused Alessa. Lisa'a presence for Harry is to try and make him focus on the well- being of Lisa who he doesn't need to search for, and to give up on his daughter. After all, Alessa/Cheryl does not want to be found, knowing Dahlia would be looking for her. She is also innocent in her ways and attractive, qualities which Alessa undoubtedly hoped would appeal to him. Yet even if he had given up, what then? Would Harry have been able to leave town? Lisa would most certainly not be allowed to leave, as like any of the other monsters who have been created by Samael's dark power, once the sphere of influence has been breached, namely the town of Silent Hill, she could no longer possibly exist. Even Lisa comments to Harry that she feels somehow connected to the hospital and should not leave. Indeed, Harry only meets her in 'The Otherworld' where all the hellish monsters dwell. When Harry transcends the alternate realities back and forth that Samael's power has created, Lisa comforts him and tells him that he was just having 'a bad dream'. If anything, this further confuses him and makes him wonder whether he is losing his sanity or not? Am I lying unconscious on a hospital bed after the crash? does go through his mind (ironically, the bad ending to the game depicts a dying? Harry still in the crashed jeep, as if his search had never taken place. This I like to call the 'Jacobs Ladder' effect). Lisa is, despite her memory loss very well versed in the town's general history, and informs Harry of it duly. Like all of Alessa's creations, they act independently on their own but are allowed to exist in the alternate realities by her. This would explain at certain times, why Lisa does not describe Dahlia and her evil ways to Harry more clearly with the knowledge Alessa possesses, and also helps him at times to find Alessa when it is clear that she doesn't want to be found. Lisa is the complete reconstruction from Alessa's memories of her, as the nice charming nurse and as such, exists with Lisa'a very own memories. That is why in her last confrontation with Harry, she comes to realize that she too is a monster and begs him to help her. Her fate however, is sealed. She resorts to her monstrous appearance when the veil of reality Alessa created is crippled, with Dahlia capturing her with the use of the flauros. Alessa can no longer maintain her appearance to Harry, (signified by her left eye twitching in a cut-scene when Harry wakes up in the 'Otherworld' hospital). In SH3, Heather recalls that she was a nice person, yet she acted a bit weird by the end. This simply refers to her behaviour with the drug addiction she had. A 'zombie' Lisa drags a screaming Kaufmann away to his death at the end of SH1, once again supporting the fact that he is her likely murderer (the personal touch!Vengeance!). ------------------------------- G) Alessa Gillespie ------------------------------- Alessa Gillespie is the daughter of Dahlia Gillespie, and is 14 yrs old when the events of SH1 begin with Harry. For seven long years, she has laid in a hospital bed badly burned and in bandages from the fire her mother caused.
Trapped in a nightmarish sleep that she cannot wake from, and which nurtures
the dark soul of Samael that she possesses since birth (by means of an occult
ceremony).

All that Alessa wanted was to grow up as a normal girl with her mother,
who would abuse her and try to deceive her into using the dark power she
possessed. When she refused, she was nearly killed in a fire at their house
which her mother hoped would allow her to tap into her power without the 
'human' element resisting. With her humanity effectively trapped in a coma,
and the soul preventing her death Dahlia could use it as she wished.
Yet in a desperate bid, she divided her soul into half, mainfesting the other
as a child which Harry and his wife would discover. With her power now 
weakened for the cult's use, this stalling tactic would last seven more years
until Cheryl's arrival by means of a magic spell, Alessa's pain calling out
to her other self.

Alessa creates all of the monsters Harry faces, and is responsible for the
alternate realities. By using her 'phantom' self which Harry chases throughout
SH1 and keeps arriving too late to meet (until the amusement park!) she spreads
the mark of Samael throughout the town of Silent Hill which gives her sphere
of influence and power greater depth. By creating an alternate reality,
albeit a nightmarish one due to the dark nature of her soul, she can hide from
Dahlia indefinitely. That is, until Harry gets used as a pawn for her bidding.

As a young child in the cult, she used to draw in her room and read fairy 
tales. This was her refuge from the outside world, and the source for her dark
imagination and the monsters she creates.

(SEE SH3 CHARACTER SECTIONS ABOUT HEATHER & HEATHER/GOD FOR OVERLAP) 


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                               SILENT HILL 2
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--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 5) Silent Hill 2 Prologue (copied from SH2 European Konami Game Manual)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Three years ago, James Sunderland's wife became seriously ill and passed away.
James tried to pull himself together and resume his life after the loss but
struggled to get back on his feet. The emotional pain and emptiness left
James in a constant state of mourning.
Then one day, a cryptic letter arrives signed by Mary, the same name as his 
late wife. In the letter, Mary writes "Silent Hill, our sanctuary of memories. 
I will be waiting for you there."

James is confused and disturbed by the letter. He questions if Mary is somehow
really alive or if someone is playing a hoax on him. "I still don't believe
it. The dead can't send letters, yet I came here to see my Mary..."

"Our sanctaury of memories....What does that mean? This place is too full of
memories..."

Shrouded in mystery and driven by the desire to uncover the truth, James sets
off into the world of Silent Hill....As the fog grows thicker, James realizes
that the town is nearby.

"The only way to get to the centre of town is through this tunnel, but there
must have been an accident or something because the entrance is blocked.

But wait....

The map shows a single road through the forest that leads to the town. 
Looks like the only way to get to the town is to take this road on foot.

I can't see anyone in this thick fog, or should I say I don't feel anyone.

I see a run-down building nearby.

There's no one inside. I am alone in the mirror's reflection.

I look at the man in the mirror and mutter a question...

Mary...Could you really be in this town?"

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 6) Silent Hill 2 Character Analysis
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

-------------------------------
 A) James Sunderland
-------------------------------

James Sunderland is the main protagonist of Silent Hill 2 (his age is unknown).

Three years ago, James's beloved wife Mary died from a terminal illness, 
leaving him in a state of perpetual mourning, wasting away in empty lifeless
days of despair. It was during this difficult period of time in his life that 
he suddenly found that a strange letter had arrived. It was from Mary 
Shepherd-Sunderland, his late wife. Examining it more closely, beyond the
cryptic message which beckoned him to visit the town of Silent Hill with the 
words 'waiting for you', he found it to be written in his wife's handwriting.
James decides to visit the town which once held dear memories for both of them.

It is clear from the beginning of the game in the restroom by the roadside, and
throughout his dark search that he is doubtful that his wife is still alive.
Yet just like Harry Mason in SH1, his life has become a meaningless void 
without his closest companion, in this case lover and wife. He clings 
desperately onto the hope that there might be some possibilty of her still
being alive. This is shown so succinctly right at the beginning when he 
confronts Angela Orosco on the outskirts of the town (Churchyard). She warns 
him quite plainly that the town he is venturing to is dangerous, to which he 
replies flatly "I don't care if it's dangerous or not." Despite confronting
growing monstrosities and horrific scenes, he does not at any point halt his
search for his wife Mary. His courage and unswerving determination is best
depicted at the Silent Hill Historical Society and Toluca Prison, when he has
the choice of jumping into the dark abyss of the various HOLES in the rooms.
He has no way of knowing where the journey will take him or of his fate, yet
he continues. Is this through blindness perhaps? A memo James finds when 
obtaining a wrench to continue his quest questions whether or not he is 
'a fool?'. As it clearly says, 'the truth usually betrays people.' It also
appears to give guidance regarding the journey James must make, as well as all
who tread the damned streets of Silent Hill:-

'He who is not bold enough to be stared at from across the abyss is not 
bold enough to stare into it himself. The truth can only be learned by 
marching forward.'

Whether or not James is indeed a fool, is very much up to the gamer.

In Laura's eyes throughout the majority of the game, she hates James for his
behaviour towards Mary when she was ill. Laura became a friend when they stayed 
at the same hospital. It is her view that he didn't care much for his wife, and 
this is supported in the letter she possesses from Mary that James only gets to 
see once he is at the Lake View Hotel. In it she tells her to give him a 
chance, acknowledging that at times he may seem 'surly (bad tempered), and he 
doesn't laugh much. But underneath he's really a sweet person.' It would 
perhaps be harsh to judge James for his behaviour during what was evidently an
extrememly difficult and emotionally destroying time, yet this is what the town
of Silent Hill and to an extent, the gamer is doing.

It becomes increasingly apparent by the end of the game, that James is very 
much a hypocritical character. He has been particularly judgemental concerning
the purity of the morality of those he meets. On its own, this appears 
completely correct and even establishes himself as the rogue 'hero' of the 
story. yet accompanied by the startling revelation of room 312 it tranforms his
position into that of a different light. When confronting Eddie about his 
murderous spree he says without hesitation that "You can't just kill someone
because of the way they look at you!" Eddie does not attempt to hold back his
comment that "You and me are the same, we're not like other people", which
James immediately rebukes but is struck back with the words "Don't get all holy
with me James." Killing Eddie (albeit by self-defence) causes James to have a
break down of sorts, yet perversely it is not his first killing.

Throughout his time in Silent Hill, James has had the truth of his sinful act 
of killing his ill wife thrown in front of his face, albeit by slightly cryptic
symbolic characters or situations. Yet it is his desperation for the search 
that has made him blind from discovering the truth sooner. Maria is a prime
example of this. He meets up with a young woman who could almost be an 
identical twin for his wife because of the physical resemblance. However, 
despite her strange behaviour and appearance he is very accepting of her 
presence, even though she jokes about his wife which seems to hurt him.
Why then, does he allow her to join him? The traditionalist might argue that it
is because of his caring and protective nature, to help an innocent from a town
full of demons. There is no other purpose, as she admits she knows nothing 
about Mary. Alternatively, it could be said that he accepts her as he is 
lustful for her, to satisfy his own needs which might even be as simple but 
selfish as companionship. Why does he persist in dragging her along in search
of Mary when he knows of the dangers that will face them? Surely he should give
up his search and instead look for a way out for the both of them? This again
demonstrates his almost selfish or desperate hope for finding Mary.

This desperation, deep guilt and sorrow is shown vividly as the manifestations
that the town tortures his soul with. This is both physically with the 
monsters and characters that dwell there like himself, but also the subtle 
hints that are shown to him about his sin. Like Alessa in SH1, the environment
that the protagonist James experiences is of his own creation, the dark powers
of Samael that still lurk in the town from SH1 preying on his emotions and 
making them 'real'.

Yet at the same time, SH2 throws up the interesting issue of whether or not his
experiences are indeed hell, and whether or not they should be ended. In a 
doctor's journal found in Brookhaven Hospital, it details the mental illness 
that can occur (potentially in all individuals given the correct conditions) 
which drives that person to 'the other side.' This place is described as a 
point in time which intersects reality and unreality, a place both close and 
distant. In this 'place', the victim's imaginings are 'nothing but the 
inventions of a busy mind. But to him there is simply no other reality. 
Furthermore he is happy there.' The article ends questioning in the name of
healing, why an individual with this affliction should be dragged painfully
back into the realm of reality? While this journal is referring to the plight
of mental illnes, which James may or may not be suffering from, the town has
physically created his 'the other side.'

Anyone who has been a fan of the TV series 'Quantum Leap' starring Scott Bakula
and have seen its last ever episode will understand the puzzle. Trapped in 
various periods in time, seemingly controlled by an unknown force of omnipotent
power (which is regarded as God, by the protagonist) so that he can help 
people, each episode he pondered why his next 'leap' into a reality would not
bring him home. This he was desperate for. Upon meeting 'God', he asks the same
question and is told "you could have gone home whenever you wanted to."
Surely this is a contradiction, as why would a person governing his own fate
not be able to fulfill his greatest wish? For James Sunderland, it is to feel
the touch of his wife again. Yet like that TV series, strip away the main 
character's superficial desires and you are left with the truth. James WANTS
to be punished for his sin, by his own now corrupted moral standards he 
realizes that his desires should no longer matter. What is right, is ALL that
matters. James desires purgatory, and searching for his wife whilst being
plagued by demons and watching a 'carbon copy' of his wife 'Maria' be 
murdered over and over to remind him, is his wish. As James admits after 
witnessing Maria's 'last' death by the irrepressible Pyramid Heads, 
"I was weak...but now it's time to end this." Depending on your ending of 
course, he will either break away from his own personal hell and complete the
journey of self discovery that Angela and Eddie are not willing to finish, or
do not have the strength to confront their own evils and realize them for 
what they are.

It also raises the possibility that James may be one of those patients in
Brookhaven Hospital. SH2's most prominent theme amongst many is that of mental
illness/madness which the hospital's inclusion in the game is a symbol of.
Perhaps James is in one of those padded cells, suffering from a mental 
depression caused by his taking of Mary's life, trapped forever in an imagined
world inside his head manifested by himself. Either this explanation or the one
above of a personal purgatory (voluntary or forced by Samael) would account for
his ordeal, an ordeal that may be a forever continuing loop. If we look at the
pre-game intro of SH2, we see at one point what appears to be James carrying 
the dead corpse of Maria from within the cells of Toluca prison. This is not in
the game. This supports the view that James has perhaps been living his hell 
over and over again, watching Maria die continuously and acting occasionly
differently in his quest but always failing. As we play SH2, perhaps we 
experience the first real chance that James has had of escaping the nigtmare
and not giving up. Once again, at the beginning of SH2 and the first meeting
with Angela, James appears confused when asked about why he is going to Silent 
Hill. He replies slowly, "I'm looking for....someone." Obviously the gamer 
comes to understand that each individual's memory (shown more succinctly with
Angela and 'mama') in the town, is affected and distorted. The town beckons
them to visit and as soon as they arrive they forget the truth and began a 
journey of discovery again, centred on an individual but always with the aim of
revealing their true selves. In SH2, James forgets that he murdered his wife.
With this in mind, the theory of a continuously looped purgatory which James
would not be consciously aware of before becomes even more appealing.

Finally, an important question must be asked. Is James Sunderland a 'hero' in
SH2 or simply a 'protagonist' who reacts to events? Undoubtedly, like Harry
Mason his predecessor he is an ordinary man caught up in the nightmarish world
of Silent Hill. If we can find some proof with regard to James's motives for
killing his wife, his character might be redeemed. It is undisputable that like
Eddie, he has committed the oldest and most gravest sin of killing a human 
being. Much of his idea about morality can be seen in the aftermath of Eddie's 
death, when he is overcome by remorse and shame. Yet despite identifying his
action as sinful, like Mary he goes ahead with it anyway, worrying about its
implications only afterwards. Was it self-defence with Eddie? This would
certainly make James innocent. So we turn back to his motives towards Mary.
Did he do it out of mercy and love so that he could do the only thing left in
his power for her to show his love, by ending her suffering? There was no way
she was going to get better. Or do we look at the views of those around James
in Silent Hill and Laura's letter (effectively Mary's view, the most 
important)?  Did he kill her out of frustration and anger towards Mary's 
behaviour due to lack of understanding, and towards her illness which became 
the focal point and destruction of the relationship?

How can we categorize him as either 'hero', 'protagonist' or even a masked 
'villain'? This can only be answered by the gamer who has witnessed the 
evidence firsthand whilst playing. Yet can you trust the evidence of a 
videotape in Silent Hill when James cannot remember himself?

What is my personal view? I believe James deeply loved his wife before the 
illness and after her death, this cannot be disputed. It is with this in mind
that I use it to support the fact that he killed her out of 'love' to end
her suffering which distressed him, but more importantly Mary. His devotion
for finding her and confronting the 'abyss' in the SH Historical Society
despite the dangers to himself make him more than a 'protagonist'. He is the
consummate unconventional dark 'hero' of the story.

-------------------------------
 B) Maria
-------------------------------

Maria is the town's dark version of James wife, borne from the dark power of
Samael that has remained since SH1. Harry Mason may have defeated the God from
being reborn into its corporeal state which would have meant dominion over the
world, however, the mark of Samael that was spread around town has gained its
influence and power over the district of Silent Hill, while its brief 
resurrection has left its essence dwelling in the town. Needing to feed off
of the sins, hatred and despair of human entities to gain strength, it
beckons specific individuals to visit the town. As we see in SH1 and again in
SH3, for the cult's 'God' to be reborn it needs to be done so by feeding and
growing off of hatred, or with Alessa in SH1, nightmarish delusions and fear.
It may be that the individuals James meets in the town are part of that plan
to gain strength and be reborn by Samael's own incorporeal doing. By luring
Eddie and Angela, it is the 'God's' hope that they will remain in the alternate
town sinning further (Eddie) or wallowing in despair and guilt (Angela, James).
Why has the town called to those specific characters? It would appear that once
a person has visited Silent Hill, some kind of spiritual bond is forever 
formed. James had visited the town while his wife was still fairly healthy, and
was a place of special memories for them. Mary in her letter after all, wanted
to visit again as it was 'our special place'. Angela is looking for her mother
and is shocked when James comments that her mother must also be from Silent Hill.
"How did you know that?" she asks startled.

Maria is just like any of the monster's in town, a demon, yet she takes over 
the unique role left by Lisa Garland in SH1 as being the only monster in 
complete human form, and with an ulterior motive. This motive is to be a 
companion for James to further his torment as "a bad man", which Ernest 
remarks.

She is the physical embodiment of what James Sunderland would have wanted his
wife to be, or perhaps, what he liked about her in his own fantasies. As he
comments to her in Rosewater Park after meeting her for the first time,
"No...you're not her". Maria is a creature led by her sexuality, and on more
than one occasion if not most of her comminication to James, baits him with it
to frustrate and fuel his desire. She also uses it to mock him, most notably 
when he says the Lake View Hotel was his and Mary's 'special place', to which
she replies "I bet it was." In the alternate Brookhaven Hospital, when a heavy
refrigerator door has to be opened between them she says, "Come...you're
supposed to be the big man around here." which has obvious sexual connotations.

Maria is quick to emphasize her vulnerabilty to James, telling him how scared 
she feels and that "how is a little girl supposed to help?". This shifts the
focus onto James to be her protector, to resume a similar loving role that was
present with Mary. Unfortunately, just like Mary's demise he has no chance of
rectifying what is about to happen. and Maria's manipulation of his emotions
will only be successful in compounding his despair and question his place in
the real world. Maria is killed before James's eyes many times throughout SH2,
sybolizing the sin he committed by killing his ill wife. Yet, it is noticeable
that the same loving relationship between Mary and James is not present in
the same way. The town has created an almost exact duplicate of Mary, albeit
one that caters to James's taste yet he fails to embrace her in the same way.
This just goes to prove that to love someone, they have to be unique and their
own person. They have to have imperfections, and although Maria has them they 
are borne from the protagonist's confused mind of what he may have liked best 
or found alluring. James's memory of Mary may be slightly distorted, with the
illness gaining greater personification and notability. This is why Maria has
a personality that is a far cry from his wife's, cheerful and energetic.
Maria is a creation of James, representing hope that his wife may still be 
alive in the town.

Maria is very much a forgotten memory, just as the town of Silent Hill is a
'sanctuary of memories' for the characters in it. With respect to James, she is
a physical metaphor for the past which he must come to terms with if he is ever
to escape the madness of Silent Hill.

Despite being a demon, the gamer grows attached to her presence and even 
sympathizes with her 'existence'. Like James, she 'entered' the town searching
for answers and a compulsion to seek out James. Her 'birth' from 'Borne from a
Wish' is a vulnerable, traumatic and lonely one as is her realization at the 
end of SH2 that James 'killed' her real self, the template she was made from.
Her acts and existence could be interpreted as a metaphor for protecting and
serving Mary's memory, her judgement back from the grave.

PLEASE REFER TO E) LAURA SECTION FOR MARIA'S RELATIONSHIP TO LAURA.
SEE 'LEG MANNEQUINN' SECTION FOR FURTHER INFO. ON THE THEME OF SEX IN SH2.

-------------------------------
 C) Angela Orosco
-------------------------------

James first meets this teenager in a cemetary on the outskirts of the town.
He asks her what she is doing there and she replies that she is looking for
her 'mama'. Silent Hill has called to her as well, and just like James and
Eddie she is a damned soul, haunted by her past.

This past isn't revealed immediately, but her shadowy, unhinged and abrupt 
behaviour are a sign of her tormented history.

The meeting in the prison labyrinth reveals her ordeal, or at least one can
assume what it was by the words she uses to respond to James. It appears that
as a child she was sexually abused by her father, which is supported by the 
scene where James confronts a monster hovering over her, which she obviously
perceives in the twisted perceptions of Silent Hill as her father. As he draws
near she shouts "Please daddy...no". (James of course perceives it as just 
another monster, yet what is seen is dependent on the character experiencing
the town - see alternate realities section).

After James defeats the creature, Angela still remains in her catatonic fugue.
Like her fellow Silent Hill visitors, Eddie and James, she is suffering from
a form of mental illness. This illness portrays all the characteristics of
catatonic schizophrenia, typified by tendencies of periods of calm rationality 
and sudden outbursts of violence. This description typifies her personality 
throughout SH2. The trauma of her childhood molestation has forced her to 
retreat into the relative safety of another identity when she is faced by 
emotionally difficult situations. When James goes to see if she is alright,
she launches into a tirade of abuse against him, generalising his male gender
to rebuke his claim for 'help', and that James was "only after one thing. Or
you could just force me, like he always did, beat me..". This more than
anything else, conjures a vivid image of what she ran away from.

Ever since childhood, she was convinced she'd never be happy in her life and 
decided to run away at an early age after graduating from High School.
However, it was her father that came and forced her to return home, perhaps
fearing the truths she could reveal to others about her family experiences.
It was another incident though, that sparked her leave of her home to go to 
Silent Hill, this time the death of her father.

A newspaper article that is partially obscured in the labyrinth reports the 
death of a lumberjack by the name of Thomas Orosco (age 39 yrs). He had been 
stabbed multiple times by a sharp edged weapon, which was not present at the
crime scene. With no money touched at the scene but with signs of a struggle,
as well as his known history to the police of drunkeness and violence a murder
investigation was started. The Police believed this to fit all the hall marks
of a crime of passion. If anything, Angela's crime is revenge, or perhaps even
self-defence, a moment where she finally snapped from her years of cumulative 
torment. Newspapers strewn along a labyrinth corridor all have the same date,
"today's date" James comments. Angela has only just run away.

Angela comments that her mother said that she "deserved what happened", and she
asks not to be pitied. In her mind she is guilty, a common characteristic of
those who are sexually abused by a parent, that somehow she made her father
commit those acts. Many SH fans believe that the mother killed her husband
to protect her daughter from any more ordeal, and afterwards blamed her for
forcing her to kill. Hence, Angela looking for the rest of her family so she
can finally 'rest in peace'. It is my belief however, from her actions and her
possession of the murder weapon stained with blood (most likely her late 
father's, as I do not believe she would self mutilate), that she was forced to
murder him and ran away afterwards on the instruction of her mother, who 
witnessed her sinful act. Rejected by her closest parent, this is why in Silent
Hill she is seeking for some security and confort for what has happened, but 
will never receive any.

When James meets her for only the second time in Blue Creek Apartments, she is
laying stretched out on the floor in front of a long panel mirror, examining a
knife. She is confused and distant, much like she is when James last talks
to her on the fiery stairway. There is no hope for Angela, and unless she can
come to terms and forgive herself like James has done with the reality of what
she is running from, she will never escape her personal hell. It is with this
knife she holds and stares longingly at, in deep contemplation that makes James
fearful she will use it to commit suicide. Having come to the town to find her
mother and having no success, ending her life and the torment willingly is her
only exit from hell. Yet ironically, this is yet another sin that she will be
committing, and she willl have let the town win and claim her tormented soul.
A sin to punish a sin is an underlying theme with Angela and the town. Only
by facing evil with courage can it be defeated, and with respect to Pyramid 
Head and the gruesome way justice was achieved in Toluca Prison by sadistically
abusing and killing the prisoners, a committed sin in the name of punishment or
justice is certainly not the answer. Only the true God, the creator, has 
designs on when human lives should end. Ironically, Silent Hill is very much
a Godless town, where humans face evil by themselves. This raises many issues
concerning existentialism, and whether Angela is indeed right to have a choice
in the matter. I like to think God is very much with the characters, helping
them if they can help themselves. When James fought the two Pyramid Heads,
it may be divine intervention that finally shines through the darkness as James
as finally atoned and suffered enough for his sin.

Angela like Eddie and Laura in the game, is symbolic of James's journey.
James meets her when she is nearing the end of her search, and represents the
path James may take if he cannot find the courage to stare into the 'abyss'.
This is shown most depressingly by her finale on the fiery stairwell. 
Realizing she cannot live with herself, and James unable to tell her everything
is all right and to love her, to replace the dear family she has lost, she 
walks away to her fate (possibly her death). As she walks away, James is 
separated off from her on the stairs by a wall of flame that appears to engulf 
her. "It's as hot as hell in here" he remarks casually. "You see it too?" she
asks almost relieved but without a sense of importance. This has always been
her hell in Silent Hill, and it is only now that James knows he's a guilty man
that he can see the flames. The sentence he utters of course, is a metaphor for
the whole town, a fiery hell for the damned to wallow in their sin.

The painting on the stairway wall, a figure with a sheet pressed tightly around
their body is also reflective of Angela's past plight. Most if not all sexually
abused victims of a young age want to speak out about something that hurts them,
physically or emotionally, yet in the case with abusing fathers, they are
ordered to be silent and are threatened with worse violence if they do not 
comply. The painting is symbolic of Angela's inner pain and turmoil, the mouth
is covered from speaking out even though it looks as though it is a scream.
The position of the figure in the 3D painting, 3D as it emphasizes the 
intensity to cry out and be noticed (as if bursting from the canvas), is also
seemingly in a sexual position, perhaps the position she was forced to endure
when her father abused her.


-------------------------------
 D) Eddie Dombrowski
-------------------------------

Eddie is a clumsy, simple minded individual who has a gentle and friendly
nature, yet hides a dark and tyrannical identity when he becomes angered or
enraged.

His dark nature is a result of deep emotional scarring, buried deep in his 
past. He longs for acceptance from other people, but knows he will never get 
it. He has been taunted for most of his life, vicious comments concerning his
appearance, 'fat', 'ugly' as well as his intellect being challenged. It is in
no doubt that it is a harsh and uncaring world that has created the 'monster'
in Eddie, and corrupted his goodness. If anything, Eddie is a victim, but a
monster by choice.

Why doesn't he kill Laura when she calls him a 'guttless fatso' in the bowling
complex? Simply because Eddie realizes the difference in how adults should
behave and that of a child who's too young to know. His anger towards people 
comes from the need to be accepted by his own peer group, to be treated like a 
grown adult instead of being regarded a sub-human. 

He is a psychopath, who has developed his own twisted sense of what is right
and wrong, and what is deemed to be justice for the taunts he received.
However, more disturbingly his time in Silent Hill has turned him into a serial
killer of sorts, the town conjuring up ot showing him where people are so that
he can confront the. When they comment negatively about him, or when the town
makes it appear to Eddie like they are, he exacts his brutal response.
Before coming to Silent Hill, he killed a 'stupid dog' and watched it die in
agony, finding its suffering hilarious and exhilarating. He ran away because he
was scared of the consequences of his action in the 'normal social world'.
Yet in Silent Hill, he realizes after his second kill why the town has called
to him, a place where he can thrive and develop without fear of persecution.
When James first meets him in the toilet, there is a body near the kitchen
refrigerator. He denies killing him when asked by James, replying that he was
like that when he found him. It is also the apartment room in Blue Creek which
has a bedroom full of American Football posters. Later, Eddie makes the 
admission that he killed another person who's "gonna have a hard time playing
football on what's left of that knee." This is likely his first victim, Eddie
having just killed him before James arrived to meet him for the first time, his
'puking' in the toilet being due to the sudden exhilaration that his 'first 
kill' has produced. He is calm in subsequent later meetings.

Eddie Dombrowski represents James's dark sin, the man who is comparable to 
himself, and the man James could become. His purpose and death, is to make
James seem hypocritical about questioning the morality of his deeds when he has
in fact committed the same sin of killing a human being.  

-------------------------------
 E) Laura
-------------------------------

Laura is 8 yrs old (strangely in the SH2 manual her age is stated as unknown!).

She is a stubborn and bratty little girl who does whatever she wants, and it is
her decision like James, to search for Mary. She appears to be the only 
character that has not been becknoned supernaturally to the town of Silent 
Hill. 

Laura does not 'see' any of the monsters that James or the other characters
see. This presents us with the suggestion that Laura exists in the 'real' 
Silent Hill, or to be more precise, a reality where everything appears normal
but still is devoid of people (there seems to be no 'real' Silent Hill anymore
after the events of SH1 which made the residents vanish). Unfortunately,
James and the gamer can only experience Silent Hill the town, through the
protagonists perceptions. What does Laura really see?

It would suggest that because Laura is so young, we must look at a widely
held belief which is particularly relevant of the Christian faith. A young
child is held to be representative of pure innocence. A child is born free
from sin, it is the advancing years and worldly influences that corrupt the
soul. (Strangely enough, this belief by some theologians is held to be from the
age of birth up to 7 yrs old, not 8 yrs old, yet this is a trivial point).
It is for this reason alone that her presence in the town has not transported
her into the realms of the 'Otherworld', as the dark power of Samael has 
nothing to feed off of her. To James, she represents the untarnished soul,
free from the corruption of sin, reminding him of how all people are at one 
stage.

She shows open dislike and hatred towards James when she comes across him at 
various points in the game. The first meeting proves more of a hindrance to his
search than being helpful, by kicking a key away from his grasp which would
save time and unlock the next area for searching. She also steps on his hand
for good measure, placing no doubt about her feelings towards him. It appears
that she knows James has come to the town looking for Mary, and she tries
everything in her power to frustrate him. Ironically though, she is the only
character that makes it plain that she knows Mary, and holds the key to James's
understanding of what has happened to his wife and himself. She must overcome
the dislike she feels for him with regard to how she thought he acted towards
Mary when she was ill, thinking that he didn't like her or care for her.
It is typical that she should see the situation on face value and with the
self-centred view of a child, who is yet to really appreciate the viewpoint
of those around her. She doesn't take into account the emotional turmoil and
upset that his wife's illness caused them, and at times his behaviour to a wife
who was shutting him out of her life because she loved him.
Yet at the same time, Laura is like Pyramid Head in Toluca Prison as she passes
judgment on those around her. This is represented by her presence with the 
characters in the game that have committed the sin of murder (James & Eddie).
This is most symbolic when James meets her on the streets, and she is perched 
on the high stone wall, looking down upon James and making her observations. 
She calls Eddie a "guttless fatso". With James,as mentioned, she questions his 
love for Mary. Only Angela is free from her feelings, which is just as well as 
one wonders how Konami would have presented it, due to the circumstances of 
child abuse.

Perhaps the character of Laura is more pivotal to Silent Hill and far more 
sinister. This is a theory that has been bounded around the SH2 forums since 
the game's release. Is she somehow a demon or incarnate of Samael's power like
Maria? Throughout James's search for Mary, he spends most of the time looking
for Laura by plea of Maria. Each time he meets Laura, something else is 
revealed about Mary which draws him nearer the evil or to despair. There
certainly seems to be some special link between herself and the little girl.
James asks her whether she knows Laura, to which she replies "no", explaining
that she feels the need to protect her because she is "all alone".

This raises a few possibilities. Is Maria scared of Laura and the chance that
she might help James realize the truth and escape the nightmare? If this is the
case however, wouldn't she prefer the two never come in contact? This is solved
by looking back at SH1, and Dahlia helping Harry find his 'daughter'. Once he
does and Dahlia intervenes, she is back in full control. The same could be said
for Maria. On the other hand, encouraging James to find her brings him closer
to the truth, and hopefully for Maria and Samael, closer to endless despair.

Lastly, and definitely of significant relevance, is the influence of Mary's
thoughts which is shown more poignantly in the sub-chapter 'Borne from a Wish'.
From the real Mary's letter which Laura possesses, a deep bond of almost 
parental care and friendship is shown from the time they were together.
It appears in SH2, that Maria was borne from Jame's subconcious as soon as he 
entered the town by the dark power. In the first scene of her in Heavens Night,
she is confused about her presence there and purpose and is frightenend by the
monsters present (even though, perversely she is one). Maria, if we look at her
on face value throughout the main game, has no knowledge about herself and
only has the compulsion to be with James and seek him out. As James begins to
suspect what she actually is, and by the time he has realized the truth when 
seeing her die for the last time by the hands of two Pyramid Heads, Maria's
thoughts change. She realizes what she is as James does, which leads to the
climatic battle of her in demon form. With this in mind, her parental thoughts
for Laura are truly genuine as they are a reflection of the real Mary when she
was alive.

--------------------------------
 F) Mary Shepherd-Sunderland
--------------------------------

Mary is the late wife of James Sunderland, who died 3 yrs ago from a terminal
illness. This is in fact revealed to be false, and that when James arrives in
the town searching for her only a week has passed since her death by his hands.

She deeply cared for Laura, whom she befriended while staying in hospital with
her. It was her wish that if she became better, she would adopt her as her very
own daughter, yet this was not to be. Just as Laura had turned 8 yrs old, she
received a letter from the Head Sister Rachael of their ward which was written
by Mary. She had left the letter to say goodbye, knowing that she would never
see Laura again because of her illness.

She is James's love and reason for living, as well as his hope and the reason 
he bothers entering the town of Silent Hill in the first place.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------
 7) Silent Hill 2 Monster Design Analysis
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

--------------------------------
 A) The 'Red' Pyramid Head
--------------------------------

The 'Red' Pyramid Head monsters are one of the most mysterious aspects of SH2,
simply because little is revealed about them. In SH3, the only comparable 
creature is Valtiel who shares similar characteristics, but more on that a 
little later.

He is very much James's nemesis throughout SH2 (if we discount James's own mind)
and stalks him at given points. He is also the source of his greatest misery,
acting as executioner to Maria. This he does in the presence of James whom he
deems his audience or to serve as a threat to the protagonist of the title.

The first concrete facts that we can be fairly certain of are from the Silent 
Hill Historical Society which houses a portrait of Pyramid Head amongst his 
judged and punished prisoners of Toluca Prison. James has in fact fought the 
spirit incarnations of these executed in the alternate hospital when Laura 
locks him in a room. They are seen as emancipated corpses encaged within a 
metal frame which the Maria Demon at the end of SH2 transforms into, as well as 
her 'human' Maria being executed in the same manner as the painted prisoners by 
two Pyramid Heads. These are most likely the prisoners that were held captive
as prisoners of war in the American Civil War during the 1880's. The 
executioner would give the condemned the choice of death by skewering or 
strangling (to be hung), this sadistic protocol the last freedom the 'guilty'
would have. Pyramid Head represents the dark, unsavoury and hostile history
of the town. James is literally fighting against what the town has stood for
in physical form, come to life. Most of the town's history is shaded in 
obscurity, reports about the deaths in Toluca in the game are missing making
Silent Hill even more sinister, as if the protagonist is only touching the tip
of the iceberg. The same can be said of the Pyramid Head figure. The title of
the painting is called 'Misty Day, Remains of the Judgement'. It appears the
'evil' that the executioners marked on the town has left their souls to wander
the town forever.

The painting serves the purpose of the monster perfectly. Pyramid Head has been
summoned once again by the dark power of Samael to judge James Sunderland.
Whether it is James psyche that ultimately decides their purpose and presence
is highly likely. When confronting them for the last time, James makes the
admission that he was 'weak' and needed 'someone to punish me for my sins'.
Has the demon been wakened from its slumber and created by the psyche of James?
This raises the critical question of who is actually 'controlling' his journey
into hell. James admits that he needed Maria and to witness her death so that
he might be in a state of purgatory to be punished for the murder of his wife,
to forever relive the moment he lost someone dear. We have already established
in the Maria character section, that she was borne from his presence in the
town and his 'needs'. Did he want this superior demon to cast judgement on
his crime, which the town manifested in this strange form? Journals in SH2 also
apparently show individuals fleeing a figure that is stalking them, and one can
logically assume that they have sinned as only sinners are beckoned to the town
in SH2.

The first confrontation with Pyramid Head is in Blue Creek Apartment, behind
the iron bars separating a corridor. The monster exudes a red glow, hence the
name. It is as if it is observing James and his actions (judging?), or at the 
very least making his presence felt. Not only does this instill a feeling of
terror for James (and the gamer for that matter!), it gives the distinct
impression that it could attack and kill James at any opportunity it chooses.
Unlike other monsters, it is vastly intelligent and bides its time.
Its superiority in stature is acknowledged by the pocket radio screaming with
static, sensing great evil and danger (louder than anything else encountered).
Yet still it waits, and one presumes, stares. It is also the only demon which
carries a great weapon that can cause lethal damage to James, there being two
varieties of Pyramid Head, one with a great knife, the other a huge spear.

Look also, to the boss fights with the demon and throughout the game. Pyramid 
Head cannot be maimed or killed like other monsters encountered. They are only
bypassed/defeated by the sound of a distant siren or in the case of the two
PH's at the end, commit suicide. Hence, James never truly defeats them, and it
is as if they were ordered by a higher power (Maria/Samael), or by James 
himself. The last battle is different as James has come to realize the truth of
Silent Hill, and is determined to put an end to his nightmare. For this reason
alone, the Pyramid Heads cannot stand in his way from facing the source of 
evil.

There is a theory that Pyramid Head to some extent, is a representation of
James Sunderland. Now, we already know James creates his hell, but this would
mean that he has caused a state of dualism in his hell. On the one hand, you
have the human and morally good side of James which the gamer controls, nothing
hideous there. On the other, the Pyramid demon is a graphic symbol of his
negative and sinful emotions, as well as the physical act of slaying his wife.
It has come back to haunt James, much the same way it has done in the real
world since Mary's death only a week ago. His darker alter-ego/memory then
proceeds to play out the death of Maria, albeit in a graphically emphasized
manner. Only by James confronting it with the truth as in the end of the game,
can he make a choice about his future (the five endings).
SEE 'LEG MANNEQUIN' SECTION FOR PYRAMID HEAD AND THE THEME OF SEXUALITY!!

Pyramid Head may also be the puppet of Maria, whose obvious purpose in the game
as mentioned earlier is to torment James by seeing a 'clone' of his wife
brutally killed. There is also the underlying message in the game, which to an
extent flows back to the main protagonist's choice with Mary, that any kind of
death that isn't natural serves no purpose and is abhorred. The biggest role
for PH is to show James the emotional effects of killing a human being from the
viewpoint other than the killer. Everytime Maria is killed, James falls back 
into deep despair, not knowing why the demon stalks their every move.

As mentioned in the SH3 Valtiel section, the distinct presence and character
of this demon leads me to suspect that it is a demon of Samael's highest 
hierarchy. Both Valtiel and Pyramid Head serve a distinct purpose in SH2 & SH3,
focussed specifically on the plight of the protagonist. Both cannot be harmed.
Like Valtiel, he may be a guardian or sentinel of the Otherworld, a warrior or
foot soldier as it were. In the labyrinth where Maria appears behind bars,
there is an underground tunnel that leads to a room which seems to be the
residence of the wandering Pyramid Head down there. It is also where James can
acquire a Great Knife, which is heavy and cumbersome, highlighting the demon's
great strength.

-------------------------------
 B) Maria
-------------------------------
SEE 'MARIA' IN THE SH2 CHARACTER ANALYSIS SECTION EARLIER.

-------------------------------
 C) Leg Mannequin
-------------------------------
These seemingly lifeless female forms are first discovered in Blue Creek Apt.
in the room with a mannequin wearing Mary's familiar clothes.

They represent Mary's body when she became ill and diseased, becoming bed 
ridden and lifeless, especially in the eyes of James her husband.
It is also a potent symbol of sexuality, a recurring theme in SH2. 

In SH2, there is a lot of sexual tension and frustration present in scenes, 
particularly those involving Mary or Pyramid Head. This presence relates back
to the main protagonist, whose creation of his own hell has incorporated these
elements. James is a sexually repressed individual, this being a consequence
of his wife's death. As his days after his wife's death were empty and full of
mourning and deep guilt, he has retreated into himself and obviously even feels
guilty about looking at another woman in a sexual way. Perhaps he wants to stay
true to his late wife, which further reinforces his notion that what he did
to Mary was because he loved her, and not because she repelled him near the end
when he was worried and yearning for affection and the love of his wife. 
This is also why we have Maria as a companion for James, although he does not 
make a move sexually towards her despite her temptation. 

Pyramid Head and the rape scene of these 'Leg Mannequin' monsters is symbolic 
of James sexual repression and frustration as I have already mentioned above. 
This also reinforces the section in this FAQ about Pyramid Head, and that he 
is an extension of the James persona.

-------------------------------
 D) Demon Patient
-------------------------------

These demon patients are the first monsters that James encounters in Silent 
Hill, first mistaking it in the fog as  person wandering in the distance.

They resemble patients from the resident Brookhaven Hospital, which dealt with
the metally ill and was an asylum of sorts, although an abused one. They move
with a shuffle as if drugged, which would account for their faceless features 
as a diary found on the hospital roof questions "If I'm only better when I'm 
drugged, then who am I anyway?". This highlights another theme prevalent in
SH2, IDENTITY, and this is fought out across the duration of the game with
James coming to terms with his 'real' self, and discovering those of others 
such as Eddie Dombrowski. But the faceless 'Demon Patients' found all the way
through the game emphasize this.

It also appears that they have bodies resembling a mental patient with a 
strait-jacket, linking it once again with the themes of madness and Brookhaven.
This is also a cunning metaphor for James's own bloodstained hands, which his 
deep subconscious and conscience wishes had not acted (killing his wife). 

-------------------------------
 E) Giant Cockroaches
-------------------------------
These giant cockroaches accentuate the decay that fills the Otherworld and 
alternate dimension, a place where goodness has all but been drained away.

Decay and rot seem to have a greater symbolic meaning in SH2. In the store room
basement at the Lake View Hotel, all the food is rotten and bad, while the
canned goods have expired. The roaches are in abundance in the dank and 
desolate surroundings of Blue Creek Apartment, scurrying in swarms along the
flooring. They are symbolic of the evil that has infested the very core of the
town, and will not leave. This theme has some reference to Maria who portrays
James dying wife, who once again appears in a gangrenous form at the end of the
game, sadistically mirroring the effect the illness had on the real Mary.  

-------------------------------
 F) Caged Prisoner Grille Demon
-------------------------------
This demon is the haunted spirit of the Pyramid Head executed prisoners from
Toluca prison, this can be seen in the PH painting found in the historical 
society.

It is really just the metal torturous contraption that PH used to skewer his
victims that James fights and continues to see, at the last death of Maria by
two PH's and the form the last boss (demon Maria) transforms into.
The cage is a symbol for pain, torture and suffering which the occupant bound 
in it cannot escape from, the harsh cold metal prison. This is also a clear 
metaphor for what James and Mary and all the characters in the game are 
experiencing. James is unable to escape from the emotional prison he has 
created around himself, and like the prisoners is at the mercy (if indeed he 
has any) of Pyramid Head.

The frame also looks like a twisted and sadistic interpretation for Mary's
death bed, her inescapable prison. When the demon Maria boss is finally 
defeated, the metal frame she is contained in falls to the ground and we see
a sick replay of Maria assuming Mary's role and asking for James to release her
through death. One could say that the frame that encompasses the revealed Maria
demon is symbolic of the town, which self-contains and supports Maria's 
existence, as outside of it she would be weak or have no existence at all.

I also heard an interesting theory from a fellow SH fan, who told me of an 
article he read which said that the frame was a perverse representation of 
Mary's picture which James has in his inventory, and can look at throughout his
adventure. In the picture we see Mary's healthy smiling image forever caught 
in time, a dear memory for the couple. With the alternate demon at the end,
Mary's/Maria's pain is trapped in her own torturous frame.
   
-------------------------------
 G) Doorman Demons
-------------------------------
This demon makes its first appearance to James when he confronts it as 
Angela's 'father' in the labyrinth. Yet it becomes only a frequent adversary
when James enters the Lake View Hotel.

These demons may very well be representative of the doorman that once worked
at the Hotel, which James visited with his wife. Although in my view, they 
appear like a stretcher with a body molded into the base with legs, a portrayal
of Mary lying on her sick bed perhaps?


-------------------------------
 H) Hanging Closers
-------------------------------

SEE 'CLOSER' IN SH3 MONSTER ANALYSIS SECTION FOR DESCRIPTION.

-------------------------------
 I) Demon Nurses
-------------------------------

These demons make another welcome return in SH2, this time in Silent Hill's
other hospital Brookhaven. (AS WELL AS IN SH3)

Unlike the nurses of SH1, these nurses are far more feminine and sexually
revealing, with their mini-skirts and open neck tops.

As discussed in the 'LEG MANNEQUIN' section, James has created his own hell
which is full of overt sexual themes, like Pyramid Head raping the female 
formed monsters and Maria's presence in the town. James is a sexually
repressed and frustrated character after the death of his wife, and these
nurses are a prime example of his innermost thoughts. While Maria is the 
opposite in personality of the dying Mary, happy & energetic, sexually alluring
and tempting, this is clearly what James misses or desires about his wife.
Maria's comment at Rosewater Park that the Lake View Hotel was their 'special
place' implying their sexual promiscuity. Love has no place in Silent Hill,
and is distorted if mentioned. Hence the nurses, long regarded by many men as
sexual 'objects'. James innermost desires are not spared nor covered.
Many of the monsters in SH2 are in female form, and all as such are reinforced
by the theme of lust and wanton pleasure.

------------------------------------------------------------------------
 8) Silent Hill 2 Symbolic Environment (BRIEF COMMENTARY)
------------------------------------------------------------------------

-----------------------------------------------------------------
 A) Blue Creek Apt. Room (with mannequin wearing Mary's clothes)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
This is perhaps the most significant room in the whole of SH2.
James enters it and finds a torch attached to the mannequin, yet as he enters 
the room the full beam of the light is cast upon him, and the back wall.
This very camera angle is a metaphor for James's search in the town.
He has killed his wife, which he no longer remembers but continues to search
for her believing she is alive, or at the very least what has really happened
to her. The light cast on him so brightly is a metaphor which tells the gamer
that his journey in Silent Hill, and the answers he is looking for is himself.
He is in the spotlight, yet he does not realize this and nor does the gamer.
Most significantly, it is as if his wife Mary is showing him the answer from
beyond the grave, casting a 'finger' of guilt upon the sinner.

Of course, the clothes are the very same seen in the (past) Hotel cut-scenes 
featuring Mary as well as the photo of Mary in James's inventory which he can 
view. This is one of the first scene's where it is revealed to us that the hell
the protagonist is venturing through is a direct manifestation of his psyche
(as I like to call it, the 'Jacobs Ladder' effect).

The torch is James symbol of hope, to search and cut through the darkness
devouring the town and find his dear Mary. Ironically, it has come his 'wife',
albeit her clothes.

A mannequin as well, like the Leg Mannequin monster present in the room is a 
metaphor for Mary's lifeless and diseased body when she was dying, and she
could no longer move properly anymore. To James, she became an object rather
than a living thing. Perhaps his hatred for what she had become, has created 
and personified the Leg Mannequin monster, which he can destroy throughout the 
game which reflects some of his darker feelings towards Mary and her illness. 

-------------------------------------------------------------------
 B) Blue Creek Apt. with graffitti & picture of James & Mary
-------------------------------------------------------------------

These are very subtle and interpretive examples, but are once again integral
to the protagonists plight by revealing seemingly helpful hints or statements
concerning his fate.

1) In the room adjacent to where James first meets Eddie in the toilet, which
has American football posters adorned on the walls (a bedroom), there is a 
copious amount of graffitti scrawled on the four walls. Examine it and it says
as much. Yet by looking manually with the camera in a clockwise manner, the
distinct large words of 'RIP GET BARE' can be seen.

This refers to what James and all the others tormented in Silent Hill must do,
they must shed themselves of their torment and grief, or in Eddie's case his
darker nature. Like Angela says to James on the fiery stairway at the end of 
the game, "maybe now...maybe now I can rest in peace"
(THE GRAVESTONE SCENE AFTER LABYRINTH SYMBOLIZES THIS).

2) There is a picture of what appears to be James and Mary in an apartment room
(Room 303), hanging askew on the right wall next to the door that opens up into
the lounge. The female is wearing Mary's clothes (seen in mannequin room).
It is the only prominent photo in the whole of Blue Creek Apts. but it cannot
be examined.

3) A message scrawled on one of the walls near where Eddie is first encountered
says 'Worf Killin Shat' or something of that ilk. This is clearly meant to mean
'Wife Killing Sh*t' and is directed at James, who has murdered his wife but 
does not realize it until the end of SH2. (HUGE Thanks to J.A. Mathewson!)

4) In the corridor prior to meeting Eddie in the Apt. room, the words 'To Hell'
are scrawled on the walls at three specific points with arrows pointing at 
doors. Two of the three doors the gamer cannot open. This is symbolic, as 
whatever door James does enter, it will lead him to his own Hell and with
monsters to face.

-----------------------------------------------------
 C)  The Butterfly Theme in SH2 Discussed!
-----------------------------------------------------

This is one of the most perplexing themes evident in SH2, and I still get many
emails asking me what in fact its symbolic presence actually is. The truth of
the matter is, the analytical solution is multi-layered, predominantly into
two main explanations. Here they are:-

1) The Butterfly and its short lifespan is symbolic of change and development,
a beginning and an end. Change is depicted by metamorphosis.

Maria in SH2 has a butterfly tattooed just below her navel, and is visible with
her short top and tight trousers. At the end when James fights Demon Maria, her
primary attack is to launch a swarm of butterflies at him.

The butterfly association with Maria signifies the change that is Maria when
compared to Mary. Their personalities are practically opposite to one another,
as our their true feelings and intentions towards James.

2) In Blue Creek Apts, there is a room where James encounters loads of 
butterflies swarming in the room. There are also cages where they were grown 
and kept, but have broken free. When he goes into the bedroom, if you examine
the bed the only thing he will say is "Body of a dead butterfly on the bed."
and that is all. 

This scene is symbolic of his wife Mary, and the lifeless dead body (Mary, as 
her husband seemed to view her) that lay in bed when she was ill. A butterfly 
is a creature of beauty and freedom, much like how James viewed his wife, yet 
the illness has destroyed these qualities (at least superficially, but 
gradually with time depression destroys a person's inner beauty. Not the soul, 
the essence of the person though). Thus, the butterfly depicts the death of a 
beautiful creature. One as well, which shouldn't remain caged but should be
free to fly as it wished (the empty cages).

------------------------------------------------------
 D) Silent Hill monuments & Historical Society
------------------------------------------------------

The monuments placed throughout the town are symbolic of the town's dark and
disturbing history. Most of the monuments are faded and unreadable, leaving
them and the town a mystery as a consequence.

--------------------------------------------
 E) Toluca Prison & Gravestone Scene
--------------------------------------------

Toluca prison is particularly poignant as it is where Eddie's true purpose and
presence in Silent Hill is revealed. It is rather apt that it is a place where
two sinners (James and Eddie, both murderers) confront one another.
It is where Eddie receives his punishment, and James gets a stay of 
'execution'. As one of the prison keys has written on a joining tag, 
'Tis' doubt which leadeth thee to purgatory'. This refers to James doubting
his motives over why he killed his wife (shown in the [in water] ending),
which consumed him with guilt and allowed the town of Silent Hill to call him
to his own purgatory. Yet ironically, it is also doubt that makes him strive
to reveal the truth about the letter, and gives him courage to continue past 
the horrors he faces in the town.
 
The gravestone scene is one of the most symbolic scenes in SH2. It is with 
protagonist's headstone whilst being accompanied by Angela Orosco, Eddie
Dombrowski and most revealingly Walter Sullivan, the serial killer reported
in a newspaper article that the protagonist has somehow justified his 'company'
amongst the damned.

Eddie is there as he is a cold blooded killer who enjoys preying and torturing
those he feels antagonize him. Most of all, he enjoys the pleasure of the kill
and does not feel any remorse, simply moral justification.

Angela is there, and the gamer already suspects that she was involved or the
suspect wanted for her father's death.

There is obviously no Laura, which makes the scene even more significant for
James as the stones do not just account the people he has met in the town.
They do however, show the people present in the hellish alternate reality.

James sees his own stone, which brandishes him a sinner (Toluca Prison 
Graveyard with the executed), and is forced to fall into the prison's last
remaining HOLE, his very own abyss. The corridor below quickly resembles a
corridor from Hell, with the glowing red (Flames of Hell?) walls. This is
because he is confronting Eddie, who still revels in his 'personal hell' 
killing spree, and the surroundingd represent his pure evil. Only James can 
stop him.

-----------------------------------------------------
 F) Bar Neely's & the HOLES
-----------------------------------------------------

This had me stumped for ages, and as I am retreading all the games again for 
this guide and looking at them in far greater depth, the answer is revealed to
me and is quite simple if cryptic.

Visiting the Bar early on, James sees a message scrawled on the inside window
which says 'There was a HOLE here. It's gone now.' It is only when we visit the
Historical Society that the link is revealed. A letter with a wrench that 
allowed access to the Society's entrance key said that James must march forward
to discover the truth. He must also be bold enough to be stared at from the 
abyss and be bold enough to stare into himself as a consequence. This is shown
by James voluntarily jumping into the huge black HOLES in the society and 
prison, not knowing where it will take him or what lurks once he is there.
By jumping into these HOLES, he eventually enters the Labyrinth which is an
alternate reality and outside the veil of time. In it, he meets Maria and the
path to the truth he seeks is revealed finally (the videotape).

So, in Bar Neely's there was obviously a HOLE leading to the alternate 
dimensions of Silent Hill and the source of the individuals personal hell.
These could very well appear all over town depending on who is looking for 
them, as a map is found near the counter and so are corpses with notes/maps
throughout the outskirts of town. Perhaps like James, they sought an answer to
what was happening to them. Each map found has circled the same path as James
discovers and has to take, and which Eddie and Angela have taken for 
themselves to get to their 'End'. For James, his path was in the Society, for
the others, other HOLES awaited them....

The second message in Bar Neely's is the most obvious hinting at James's hidden
sinful deed: 'If you really want to SEE Mary, you should just DIE. But you 
might be heading to a different place than MARY, James.'

If you were wondering, besides Blue Creek Apt, this is my favourite scene in 
SH2, and very scary...

------------------------------------------------------------
 G) Blue Creek Apt. Room with dead man in front of TV
------------------------------------------------------------

The dead corpse is in fact James Sunderland! He doesn't comment on it, as 
obviously it seems he 'blew his brains out' and is featureless (hence obscure
camera angle) or was the work of Pyramid Head. I think the former due to the
typical 'suicide' set up of the scene.

Once again it makes James question why someone would do such a thing, which 
once again makes him a hypocrite although unknowingly at the time.
Angela at the fiery staircase asks for her knife back, and he refuses leaving
her to ask him whether he was 'saving it for himself'. He finds this idea 
abhorrent and unthinkable, but we as the gamer are not totally convinced.
The 'In Water' suicide ending is evidence enough.
There is the distinct theme in SH2 of 'SUICIDE', where it appears that the
dark powers of Samael want him to commit suicide (like Angela appears to do
in the flames). This would prevent his soul from being saved and damned 
forever, forever in torment. Perhaps the town tries to create an extension of
Hell on Earth to trick the tormented into visiting, hoping to claim souls to
go to the Hell in the afterlife. Look at the messages in Bar Neely for a clear
indication.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                               SILENT HILL 3
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------------------------
 9) Silent Hill 3 Prologue Story (Copied from SH3 European Manual)
------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Okay, I will. I love you too, dad."

Heather smiled to herself. It was just a nice little chat on the phone. 
Just another everyday occurrence in her tranquil life. She was unware that this
tranquil world was about to be torn asunder.

It happened suddenly, without warning, and seemingly without reason. The simple
happiness she had known was gone. Her entire world was transformed into a 
grotesque and bizarre nightmare.

She was caught in the middle.

The cheerful weekend bustle of the shopping mall was replaced by a deep, dank
silence. The only sounds now were the footsteps of unspeakable creatures, 
lurking in the darkness.

What had happened? She needed to know. But there was no one left to tell her.

Heather was trapped alone in a deranged world, with nothing to do but escape.
Not knowing where to turn, her only thought was of survival. She clutched 
her pistol tightly, ready to shoot anything that tried to attack...

"THEY'VE COME TO WITNESS THE BEGINNING. THE REBIRTH OF PARADISE, DESPOILED BY
MANKIND."

------------------------------------------------------------------------
 10) Silent Hill 3 Character Analysis
------------------------------------------------------------------------


-------------------------------
 A)   Heather Mason
-------------------------------

Heather Mason is the lead character of Silent Hill 3, and the persona you 
assume whilst playing. She is seventeen years old. Unlike Harry Mason and James 
Sunderland in the previous titles, she is the first to be more concerned with 
escaping the alternate reality and monsters, whereas those before her have been 
more preoccupied by a search for a person (a daughter, a wife).

Heather is your typical teenager, if there is such a definition, who loves 
shopping, buying clothes and eating cookies and candy and has recently managed 
to give up the temptation of smoking (all evident when examining Silent Hill‘s 
environment). She also has a sharp tongue towards people. Her world revolves 
around her father, Harry Mason who took the child (who we know as Heather) 
in Silent Hill 1 and raised her as his own all by himself. It is obvious that 
she loves and cares deeply for her father by the phone conversation at the 
start of the game, when she says ‘I love you.’ and is almost stereotyped as 
being ‘daddy's little girl’. She is also very protective of her father and his 
image, shown by her rebuke 'Don’t talk about my father that way!’ to Vincent’s 
claim that he was a sneaky man for not telling her the truth about her birth. 
Yet there is also resentment there when it is put to a test of faith. After 
discovering him dead, she reminisces how he said he was the strongest man in 
the world. She simply and powerfully remarks ‘Liar’. The role of avenger is 
also put to the test when she contemplates what her father would say to her if 
he knew what she was about to do in the name of revenge. 

The baby Harry Mason took at the end of SH1 was named Cheryl by him (after
his lost daughter), yet five years after the ordeal Harry was involved in
a murder case (see Douglas' Notebook) in Portland. He shot the suspect. 
The victim was reported to be a member of the occult, any connection to Silent 
Hill on this aspect is unclear. Deemed to be in self-defence, he moved away 
with his adopted daughter where they started to use an alias. Cheryl was now to 
be known as Heather. Their new neighbours knew nothing of their past or real 
identities, and life resumed some sense of normality for them until her fateful
outing at the mall.

He is her strength throughout her Silent Hill journey, and her motivation for 
escaping from the nightmare until the cataclysmic revelation when she returns 
home, to find him murdered by a missionary on the order of Claudia. From that 
point onwards her motivation reverts to that of pure unadulterated hatred and 
revenge at any cost against Claudia, and her willingness to return to the 
nightmare she had only just fled from. At that point, she no longer has any 
mortal ties to the ‘real’ world, her father being the last substantial reason 
to flee. Her love for him is again demonstrated by her quest to face Claudia, 
despite the knowledge that it will not be safe (her safety is quickly dismissed 
by herself when Douglas asks). Although logically she should pursue Claudia as 
if she does not the darkness shall never be defeated nor the nightmare 
dispelled, her thoughts are anything but altruistic until the very end.

Like many assumptions of teenagers that they can sometimes be naïve and lack 
any real knowledge of the world around them, Heather is not by any means slow 
to accept her ordeal. Her first reaction is to question the validity of the 
reality presented before her eyes, determining whether it is in fact all a 
dream. Yet this is quickly refuted by her statement that even ‘a child would 
have trouble believing in this.’ When examining the wine rack in the restaurant 
at the mall, she decides that she doesn’t want to be eating or drinking 
anything from an ‘alternate reality’. Unlike previous leads Harry Mason and 
James Sunderland, she quickly accepts the world she finds herself thrown into.

In the ladies'bathroom at the beginning of the game, if you examine the mirrors 
Heather will say "I don't like mirrors. It's almost like there's an unknown 
world right on the other side. And the person staring at me isn't really me, 
just an imitator. I know how stupid that sounds, but that's how I feel. But if 
I keep thinking about it, it just makes me feel sick." This is a very early 
hint at the crisis of dualism that Heather faces in the game, the realization
in her life that something was not at ease with herself, a secret or another
person hiding under her skin. This of course is her forgotten persona Alessa
Gillespie. The incident with the storeroom in Brookhaven, with the imposter
in the mirror and the bleeding room may very well be the foetus mainipulating
her greatest fears to further nurture itself in the womb. (HUGE THANKS TO
ALLAN McRORIE FOR THIS OBSERVATION).

Like many of her tender age, she is very judgemental of her surroundings and 
the people she meets. Upon meeting Douglas for the very first time, she finds 
him strange and creepy and repels his friendship at various points until 
finally accepting his presence. She believes at first that his appearance and 
involvement is the cause or catalyst for the alternate reality she finds 
herself thrust into, as he is the last strange person she meets before the 
alternate reality first makes its appearance. Heather’s apparent selfishness is 
also shown when she says in reply to Douglas at the mall after her encounters 
with the monsters, that she can’t be bothered to worry about him. 
She effectively leaves him to fend for himself. Yet strangely, the first 
appearance of Claudia proves to be a more relaxing affair, despite her cryptic 
responses. Douglas offers her the truth that she is searching for, yet she 
chooses voluntarily to not have it revealed to her at the start. 
Claudia on the other hand, who she seeks for answers, arguably offers the 
least source of information to her at the start.

By the end of her journey and her final meeting with Claudia, Heather still 
harbours the need for revenge. This is still an overpowering feeling for her, 
which she feels is the only form of justice that is right. In the bizarre 
alternate reality where social norms and legal authority and order no longer 
apply, she is left to decide her fate (an eye for an eye etc).

Yet it is when she is finally face to face with Claudia that she begins to feel 
significant compassion towards her, as well as pity. These are very human 
features, which Claudia did have at one stage (demonstrated by her diary) but 
is now completely blind to. Heather still has her humanity, which despite its 
continual degradation and erosion throughout by Claudia has failed to eradicate 
it. If it were not for the strength and memory of her father, Douglas as a 
companion and her own memories of the pain of being Alessa, Claudia may very 
well have won. Claudia’s diary as well as the confessional box scenario 
reinforce these humanistic values. However, there still remains an overwhelming 
sense of loss both before the battle with the newly born God and afterwards. 
Heather’s only real power and control that was left throughout her ordeal 
(after all, her fate was out of her hands since the start) was the choice 
between life and death. This is demonstrated by her attitude towards the 
monsters. To Heather, Claudia is just another one of them in a different guise. 
That Claudia has her basis in humanistic emotions, morals and values as well as 
choice by way of a conscience, makes her the most despicable of all in 
Heather’s eyes.

With Claudia sacrificing herself in an attempt to revive God, although she 
feels horror by her attempt she still comments at the end when she jumps in the 
hole that she wanted to kill her which she has now been deprived of. 
The God creation is still a part of Claudia in its merging process, yet it has 
taken away the focal hatred Heather had towards her humanity. She is no longer 
just Claudia as she has effectively died. Heather does not view Claudia as a 
victim. 

Heather ‘wins’ in the end because of her human qualities, which were the very 
target for the evil in the first place and the requirement for Samael to be 
reborn through hatred. It is her father Harry Mason that has effectively given 
her the ‘tools’ to stand against the evil, namely her bravery, courage, choice 
between right and wrong, empathy and compassion.




-------------------------------
 B)   Heather/God
-------------------------------

At the end of Silent Hill, Harry Mason received a child from the defeated 
Alessa/Cheryl entity that had combined and transformed their dark halves of the 
soul of Sammael into the cult’s God. After fighting and thwarting the God’s 
attempts at resurrection because of his love for his adopted daughter Cheryl, 
the woman (Alessa/Cheryl combined entity) reappeared dying, and gave him the 
child. This child came to be named as Heather by Harry, and is the main 
character we control in Silent Hill 3.

Heather carries inside her womb, the foetus of the cult’s God, which after the 
failed attempt at full manifest resurrection has lain dormant in her body. 
There it has remained for 17 yrs of Heather’s life, inactivated and not growing. 
Yet with Claudia’s realisation that the key to its awakening is through cruelty 
and hatred which it seems to thrive and feed on, her appearance acts as its 
catalyst. Although the first change into the alternate reality at the shopping 
mall is triggered by their first meeting, and with no apparent hatred present 
between the two unlike all the subsequent interactions, the presence of Claudia 
has begun to reawaken the seed in Heather. 

Heather cannot understand, justifiably, how a God that is meant to bring 
salvation to mankind, can be borne from such hatred and suffering.
Yet Claudia's response is that a God whose purpose is to accomplish that,
must also experience the ills of humanity. From such suffering, sympathy can
form. Perhaps it is necessary for the God's 'education' before alighning itself
in our reality? Or indeed, maybe this is just part of Claudia's belief system
and increasing psychosis about the world? (See Claudia Wolf analysis, 
particularly her choice of literature and her central aim throughout the game).

Vincent confesses later in the game that both Heather and Claudia possess 
‘powers’. This is most likely the explanation why Claudia can give orders to 
missionaries and generally manipulate the nightmarish plain.

Presumably having been under the teaching, confidence and wing of Dahlia 
Gillespie (Silent Hill’s assumed cult leader) during her time with the cult, 
who in the first game could to some degree control the nightmarish plain by her 
knowledge of the black arts, she has learned her skills and knowledge.

As Claudia keeps reminding Heather, she must come to remember her true self, 
what she must become. This person she must become, is Alessa, who shall with 
her power be the Mother of God. This is clearly depicted by a portrait painting 
at the Church, which shows Alessa Mother of God, and Alessa Daughter of God. 
Alessa’s/Heather’s purpose for existing is simply to provide the cult with a 
vessel for the God to be born.

That is why during the game, the ringing telephone that wishes her ‘Happy 
Birthday’ is so ambiguous, and gives various ages. They are all correct and 
referring to Heather, but each takes in account her various identities 
(adding some ages, omitting some entirely, or adding them all up together to 
38 yrs!) 

The Heather persona is 17 yrs old.
The Cheryl persona was 7 yrs old before merging with.
The Alessa persona which was 14 yrs old before it merged with Cheryl’s dark 
soul.

As Vincent exclaims to her, ‘Heather, that’s what you call yourself now isn’t 
it?’.


----------------------------------------
 C)    Douglas Cartland
----------------------------------------

Douglas is an old man who has a hint of vainess about his nature, his swept
back hair a futile attempt at hiding the onset of age and a bald patch.
(See Making of DVD from PSW magazine).

Is he really there to find Heather for Claudia? It seems as if this amiable 
detective has unwittingly been sucked into the world of Silent Hill by his mere 
proximity to Heather. He has entered a missing person's investigation without 
fully being accessible to the facts surrounding what Heather and her purpose is, 
as well as her power as the 'Mother of God'.

Yet, there is evidence to the contrary. A photo of Heather is found which has 
the words 'Find the Holy One. Kill her?'. If Douglas is indeed working for 
Claudia in her quest to find the girl who was stolen from the cult by Harry 
Mason in Silent Hill 1, then the question has to be asked why she would in fact 
want the 'Mother of God' dead? 

Perhaps it was her early belief that the foetus of God Heather was carrying 
could only be released by death. Yet logically, this would seem preposterous. 
It is clearly Claudia's intent to manifestly harvest and manipulate Heather's 
hatred which will aid the God's birth, this being clear from an early stage in 
the game (Heather and Claudia’s first meeting). To end Heather’s life would not 
allow the opportunity for rebirth, and the foetus would surely die as it is 
Heather’s/Alessa’s body that was prepared by magic and ceremony to accomplish 
this.

One such explanation for the words ‘kill her?’ might be that Douglas has been 
caught up in the nightmarish world of Silent Hill before. It is his admission 
in the car cut-scene to Heather that he has visited the town of Silent Hill 
before on a missing person’s case, and that the town has become weird. 
Maybe Claudia saw him and offered him a way out of Silent Hill’s torment if he 
could find the girl (albeit by deceit). It may be Douglas’s belief that by 
killing Heather he could end the nightmarish alternate reality and monsters, 
yet his conscience prevented him from doing so. 

Near the end of the game at the Amusement park, he points his gun towards her 
and questions whether or not killing her would end everything. Yet he does 
nothing, most probably because his conscience and bonding relationship with 
Heather (he’s gotten to know her, and judged for himself that she is not 
personally responsible for such a sick reality) has made him decide against it.

Indeed, a far more prima facie (on face value) explanation, would be that the
photo and their words are the property of Vincent, as it's found on the sofa
in the Otherworld just before the first encounter with Vincent in the office.
He certainly didn't want Heather to give birth to the God, and by the evidence
of the tape cassette recording with him and a follower, he was unaware of the
persona Alessa the reincarnation now adopted (Heather!). Upon discovering that 
Claudia had found the Holy One through Douglas, he must have investigated 
Claudia by himself and found the photo and correspondence between them.
This explains the question of 'Find the Holy One?' and his contemplation of 
killing her. Instead, he decides to deceive her and use her to destroy Claudia 
face to face with the seal of Metatron. (credit to Shaun Maynard).

Little is revealed about Douglas's past in the game, but for the fact that like 
Heather ‘no one will be mourning me’ if he dies. He admits to having a son, yet
he got shot and killed in a bank heist. This is his shame, his guilty burden. 
He is somewhat of a father figure throughout the game, taking a more direct 
effect after the car cut-scene which is an important scene as it unifies and 
strengthens the bond between them. It is from this point onwards that Heather 
starts to trust him and confide in him about her greatest secret. He becomes 
her strength and motivation alongside her father’s memory.


------------------------------------------
 D)    Claudia Wolf
------------------------------------------

Claudia Wolf is very much alone in her quest to resurrect God, but like a 
devout disciple of her religion it is a path that she has self imposed upon 
herself. She is completely and utterly consumed by her faith, and it is this 
component of her personality that allows her to dismiss the more ‘difficult’ 
tasks that she has decided will bring about the birth of God (such as killing 
Harry Mason). There is also an element of revenge/punishment for ruining the 
cult’s original plans 17 yrs ago. Her one sole goal throughout the whole game 
is simply that. She is resound to the fact, either from the very start of her 
deeds or by the end that she does not expect to be able to enter ‘Paradise’ 
when it is created by God, although perhaps a small part of her feels she will 
be rewarded for her hardship and faith. She was also physically abused as a 
child by her father Leonard Wolf, which has perhaps influenced her future
need for security and a 'Paradise' as well as her mentally disturbed 
personality. (credit to JA Mathewson).

At the end of the game in Alessa's room there are playing cards scattered all 
over the floor, and when Heather examines them she says "There are playing 
cards on the floor. I used to play a lot. I remember little Claudia always had 
a hard time winning. That made her cry." This is another indication that 
Claudia and Alessa were really close in the cult. It is also sad as this is a 
memory of Claudia, an innocent little girl who cried when she lost at a game of 
cards, and then to look ahead at how she ended up, being 'brainwashed' and 
turned into a person who is blinded and consumed by her religion. (HUGE THANKS
TO ALLAN McRORIE FOR THIS OBSERVATION!)

In her diary there are various passages that show her own introspection and 
doubts and insecurities, as well as providing a hint of life in a cult. She 
describes the book entitled ‘The Book of Praise’ which her father Leonard lent 
which was ‘invaluable’. She ‘finds what I’d been searching for in there -- how 
to awaken God. But it’s much too cruel.’ Claudia doubts whether she can pull 
off such a torturous task when she comes face to face with Heather/Alessa. 
This is because Alessa was Claudia’s dear friend when they were in the cult 
growing up together, before she was ‘stolen away’ by Harry. This is shown near 
the end of the game in Claudia’s room, where she has kept a Birthday card, 
presumably from Alessa wishing her a happy 6th Birthday. In it, it says that 
she loves her as if she were her real sister. It is clear that Alessa’s 
well-being as well as the mission has been clear in her thoughts for many years. 
Her faith may blind her to the reality of her mission (but ironically she knows 
the truth and Heather does not until the end), however, she is not ignorant of 
the world around her. As revealed in her diary, she writes ‘I was free all day’ 
yet she chooses to learn not about her scriptures but the world she is a party 
to, that surrounds her.

There is also the hint of self-actualization in her personality (Maslow’s model 
in psychology). Claudia has a greater perception of reality and is more 
problem centred than self-centred regarding the world. 

She doesn’t want to be a ‘mere bystander in this world’ but she ‘can’t do 
anything now,and that’s what’s hard.’The choice of reading articles ‘A Modern 
History of Refugees’ and ‘Young Slaves: Child Exploitation’ is perhaps the 
cult‘s way of reinforcing their ideals and beliefs concerning the need for 
Paradise and how sinful the world actually is. It would be expected that a cult 
would monitor and control such literary information of the outside world to 
their own benefits, yet if this is not the case and the cult is less organized 
then this gives her a ‘martyr’ like image for her cause. Is she really evil, or 
just misguided? In her opinion, do the means justify the ends?
As always, the line between good and evil is a matter of degrees.
 
Whilst both Leonard Wolf her father and Vincent have grown up with the cult’s 
beliefs and faith, they shun Claudia’s version of ‘Paradise.’ 
Whereas Leonard vehemently does so for its contemplation of rewarding mankind 
and non-believers who should not be worthy, Vincent’s is more due to the 
material factors and carnal sins of the world that he enjoys experiencing and 
possessing and would not want to be seen to be ended by the birth of God.

Her strong faith as well as how brittle it is, is manifestly available to see 
by the end of the game, when she ingests the foetus in front of Heather. 
It is her final and only act of desperation, to preserve all that she has 
sacrificed for as well as her faith. To her, it is a test of her faith towards 
the cause. She is stunned when she witnesses the ‘God’ the Silent Hill cult has 
been worshipping, particularly its physical weakness in the real world. 
She cannot understand why Heather/Alessa, the supposed ‘Mother of God’ would 
want to destroy her purpose, the very meaning of her existence and the hopes of 
her followers. In contrast, to do so with Claudia would be the final 
destruction for her both physically and mentally.

The God creature at the end appears physically weaker than it was meant to be. 
This is because Claudia was never meant to be the vessel that nurtured and gave 
birth to it. As such, Claudia’s human weaknesses are bestowed upon it, as well 
as the aborted foetus not receiving its full duration of maturation due to the 
Aglaophotis being used.

----------------------------------
 E)    Vincent
----------------------------------


Father Vincent as he was known by the cult, was a main benefactor of the cults 
day to day running and operation for its followers. His position of power, 
wealth and status amongst his beloved followers of the faith have corrupted 
him. Yet unlike Claudia or Leonard or those more ‘devout’ to their faith, he is 
perhaps the most sane of them all in terms of realism. This he admits to 
Heather himself.

He recognises the fact that in the real world, structure and stability as well 
as survival can only be maintained  by the factors he so craves. He tells 
Claudia as much, that all that has been possible for her and the faith has come 
from the money she perceives to be so sinful.

He adores power and wealth, and is deceitful, selfish and vain.
He is a hypocrite, pretending to hold to moral values when confronting 
Heather, but revealing his true self by the end.

----------------------------------
 F) Harry Mason (Post SH1)
----------------------------------

Harry Mason was the protagonist of SH1, the hero who defeated Dahlia 
Gillespie's plans for resurrecting the cult's God Sammael, after an innocent 
journey in which he simply wanted to find his missing daughter Cheryl but
found himself caught up between Dahlia and Alessa's mystical battle.

He loves detective novels, as seen in his apartment, when Heather returns home
only to find her adopted father of 17 yrs murdered by the Missionary. The order
for his execution came from Claudia who hoped to instill hatred inside of 
Heather so that the God inside of her could be nurtured by it and be borne.

(EXPECT MORE SOON, NEED MORE TIME TO GET THIS STRUCTURED)

-----------------------------------
 G) Stanley Coleman
-----------------------------------

Report found in hospital says that he is 'Usually passive and cowardly; also
egotistical. Sometimes acts on obsessive attachment to a particular woman.
This has caused violent incidents; use caution.' This sums up Stanley's 
personality perfectly, and is reflected in his psychotic letters.

Stanley Coleman is, or rather was a patient at Brookhaven Hospital, confined
to one of the padded cells for the mentally disturbed because of his obsessive
and sometimes violent tendencies towards women. It appears he has been there
some time, as he knows Leonard Wolf by first name terms.

He quickly becomes aware of Heather's identity by unknown means, and writes a 
message to Heather in the Visiting Room which displays his obsessive tendencies.  
Stanley follows Heather throughout the hospital, leaving topical notes as he 
goes. For example, he sticks a key onto the wall in room C4 and then writes a 
note regarding how to remove it. He also asks "Why haven't you taken my doll?" 
- he KNOWS that Heather hasn't taken the doll in the Visiting Room, again 
indicating he is alive. Another note in the Eastern Hall notes that Heather is 
'trying to get closer to me' which she is. He also refers to the dead tattooed 
man on the second floor at one point.

Stanley leaves a doll as a symbol of his deep love for Heather, which 
ironically she comments favourably too until reading the obsessive diary next
to it. After this, she will not touch or comment about it at all as she is too
freaked out. By the end of last diary entry, Leonard has discovered Stanley's
fixation with Heather (Alessa) and it can be assumed, kills him. It would
seem Leonard killed Stanley to protect Heather, as she is trying to find and 
free him. Heather is of course, integral to the cult's plans for Samael's
resurrection, so perhaps he wants to protect her until she has served her
purpose to them. I am not certain of this however, as Leonard does attack 
Heather with the aim of killing her (albeit by his delusion). Maybe it is 
because he realizes she is not what he thought, or does not even know she is
Alessa. Or by killing Alessa, Claudia's plans would fail as she needs her, thus
preventing her wish for 'mankind' to be saved.

His 2nd diary entry has hidden meaning to the predicament Heather finds herself
in. He says: 'If a thing has no meaning, there's no reason for it to exist at 
all. Just as you exist for me." Heather never meets Stanley, as Leonard kills
him before they can do so, yet also worth noting is that Alessa/Heather was 
born so that she could birth a God. That was her meaning, her reason for 
existing which she no longer wants. Hence, Heather never meets Stanley, he
does not 'exist'.

If you answer the phone in the otherworld male's locker room, the voice refers 
to Stanley as #7; if you pass bed 7 on B3 you hear a whimper - Stanley 
whispering 'Heaatheerr'.

(WRITTEN BY DBUNCE & DAMIEN JONES)


------------------------------------------------------------------------
 11)    THE ALTERNATE REALITIES AND THEIR MONSTERS
------------------------------------------------------------------------

------------------------------------------------
 A) The Alternate Realities and their monsters
------------------------------------------------

The monsters in Silent Hill 3 are Heather's creation, the foetus of God that is 
inside of her is distorting reality but because she can't accept who she was in 
the past (Alessa) and what that person was intended for (the birth of God), it 
is painful and traumatic for her when dimensions alter. Claudia is simply the 
catalyst for the reality shifts, to swell Heather's hatred. As we come to 
realise, each person sees differing creatures depending on their own sins. 
In SH2 Laura the little girl sees nothing, as she is still young and innocent, 
unlike Angela or Eddie. Youth after all is the epitome of innocence, the 
unrealised facts of a sometimes cruel world.  James's monsters also reflect his 
sins (hospital nurses because he spent much time with his dying wife at the 
hospital). Douglas in Silent Hill 3 obviously has some inner demons he doesn't 
mention (perhaps about his son and his actions afterwards which he confesses to 
Heather). He sees monsters because of this, but he never matches them up for 
comparison to what Heather sees. When the Otherworld invades, anyone unlucky to 
be in its path gets sucked in (a magnet for the damned or tormented).

The only exception offered to this is in Silent Hill 1 and the police officer 
Cybil. She is sucked into Silent Hill’s dark realities due to her approaching 
the town for her investigations. Unlike Harry Mason, she does not witness any 
of the monsters he does as perhaps she is not tormented like Harry or James 
(the latter from Silent Hill 2). Cybil only witnesses the monsters when she is 
possessed by one. Yet this is likely due to the fact that the incentive for the 
creation of monsters in Silent Hill 1 by Alessa was to prevent Dahlia and Harry 
from finding the ‘Mother of God’.

Below is a brief summary of why Silent Hill and Samael’s dark power reaches out 
to the characters.

Harry Mason ---- never told his daughter Cheryl that she was adopted. Thus 
tormented for not revealing the truth to her earlier when he had the chance. 
Regret.

James Sunderland ------ tormented for killing his terminally ill wife Mary, and 
not fully realising (relating to his conscience) his reasons for killing her. 
Altruistic and merciful? Selfish and borne from hatred and frustration? He is 
undoubtedly a murderer however.

Heather Mason ----- sought out by Claudia a cult follower, rather than being 
called by Samael’s manipulative and cruel power for seeking the damned. Yet 
arguably, Claudia is merely a physical representation for the invitation. She 
is involved as she plays a central role in resurrecting Samael and creating a 
permanent ‘alternate reality Silent Hill’ or ‘Paradise.’

There appears to be in the SH series, three main realities the characters find
themselves flung in. They are:-

       1. Reality
       2. The 'Misty' Reality (Or Foggy as some prefer)
       3. The Otherworld

Each character transcends each of these realities in that specific order
from the start of their journey, with the second and third realities
taking precedence from then on.

[Reality] is just as it sounds, the human plain where every living thing exists
in, where everyday life takes place.

[Misty] The first stage of reality transcendence. Everything appears normal
environmentally speaking, yet there is a complete absence of human life and
activity. It is as if everyone has disappeared. A few monsters dwell in this
plain.

[Otherworld] is the last stage of reality transformation, where Sammael's 
influence has full sway. There is an abundance of monsters and aberations.
The environents are nearly indistinguishable from reality, and are a sick and
twisted representation of reality. The Otherworld is engulfed in darkness,
whilst building infrastructure is decaying, derelect and devoid of any 
goodness. The walls can be seen to be bleeding, or engulfed in flame like 
matter for the first time in SH3.

Harry Mason (SH1): "It’s being invaded by the Otherworld. By a world of 
someone’s nightmarish delusions come to life." 

It is strongly suspected that Valtiel controls the merging/invasion of these 
realities.(see his relevant section in the contents page of this guide).

----------------------------------------------------
 B) Are there really monsters in Silent Hill?
    My Theories discussed!
----------------------------------------------------

This is a big point of discussion in the Silent Hill series, particularly so
in SH3 as Vincent near the end of the game exclaims to Heather, "They look like
monsters to you?".

Bearing in mind what the gamer has experienced from the previous Silent Hill
journeys, here are the most conclusive and logical theories discussed below:-

1. In the scene in SH3 between Vincent and Heather in the library, Heather was
beginning to confront Vincent over his hypocritical position in Claudia's 
affair. He chose to say this to her for manipulative purposes, as it would 
quickly cause her to doubt herself and her viewpoint of the alternate 
realities. Consequently, she would be vulnerable, fearful and confused, and no
longer in a state to judge people on face value so willingly, like she has done 
all the way through the game and one assumes, her life.

2. Vincent, Claudia and even Dahlia from the series have failed it seems to
'see' the monsters that the 'hero' faces. This is supported by the fact that
cutscenes between the antagonist and protagonist have never featured the
monsters, the best example being in SH1 where Harry meets Dahlia in the Church
after defeating a giant Otherworld lizard. Everything tends to be peaceful
in comparison to the scenes beforehand.

The only exception to this theory is Maria from SH2, who gets chased and 
murdered by Pyramid Head. Yet she can be discounted as she is in fact a demon
created by the possessed town to torture James (or atone, depending on your
viewpoint of course.) She should be aware of the towns darkside as she was
borne from it (see Borne from a Wish chapter in Silent Hill Directors 
Cut game).

Yet I think the most interesting character from SH2 and the series for
this theory discussion is Eddie. Although he says he sees monsters to James
when they confront one another for the first time (he's vomiting in a toilet),
he most certainly sees people, people who are supposedly making fun of him 
which makes him want to kill them. When James sees Eddie for the second time
in the prison, there is a dead person resting against a table which one assumes
he had just shot with his gun. As mentioned in this guide, every characters 
viewpoint of what they deem antagonists in the game is dependent on their inner
turmoil. Angela sees her abusive father, whereas James sees a monster. 
It unleashes their greatest fears and horrific nightmares into flesh.

At the end of the game when Vincent and Claudia talk to each other in the 
chapel, Vincent comments about her version of Paradise and the decaying 
surroundings, Claudia seems oblivious to it. Perhaps it is her faith and 
beliefs that make her blind to the horrifying reality, whereas Vincent is a
'non' believer compared to herself and can see that reality.

When Heather confronts the Missionary (boss) on her apartment rooftop, after
witnessing her father's murdered dead body, Claudia perhaps does not see
it as a monster. Maybe it is just one of the cult's followers she sees, and
has given an order to (her perception, when in fact it is a monster).
Claudia has become consumed by Sammael/God and the cult, and can no longer
distinguish what is actually evil. Heather on the otherhand, views it as a 
monster (when maybe it might not be) as it has brutally killed her father,
as well as the monster missionary being devoid of humanity allowing her to kill 
it far more easily than a human being.

IT IS A QUESTION OF PERCEPTION, IMAGES BEING MANIFESTED DEPENDENT ON EMOTIONAL
AND MORAL VIEWPOINTS AT THE TIME THAT ARE INHERENT TO A PERSON. 
HEATHER'S EXPERIENCES AND MONSTERS ARE VERY MUCH FREUDIAN TO BEGIN WITH, BASED 
FROM HER SUBCONSCIOUS ALESSA IDENTITY.

WE CAN NEVER BE CERTAIN WHAT ANYBODY ACTUALLY SEES, AS EACH PERSON IS NOT 
NEUTRAL OR DEVOID OF HUMANISTIC QUALITIES SUCH AS EMOTIONS WHICH INFLUENCE 
PERCEPTION AND FACE VALUE JUDGEMENT!

3. The last theory encapsulates some of point two just made, and looks at it
from the perspective of Silent Hill 1. This theory supports the idea that
when the realities are invaded/merging from that of the true reality, people in
proximity are sucked into the hellish nightmare. They are then affected by the
perception of the main character who sees them as monsters and kills them, 
unbeknowns to them that they are not. They may be just innocent civilians, or
Silent Hill cult followers (although why they would attack and attempt to
kill Heather in SH3 is weakening of the argument. Perhaps she perceives them as
attacking her and that the main 'hero' in the game is actually being 
manipulated by evil to murder human beings without knowing it.

Which also begs the question, why does Heather kill the monsters?
Self-defence possibly, but the gamer does seek out to destroy them. To kill
a human being is a mortal sin, yet a monster appears to be ok in moralistic
values. This is because they are devoid of humanity. So does that make 
it right? Remember, most of the creatures resemble humanoid appearance in most 
cases (perhaps this hints at them not being 'truly' monsters like Vincent says).
There are many creatures in SH3 which can simply be evaded completely, an
example being the dance/ballet room in Hilltop Centre where there is no need
at all to visit the room. (credit to Frank K. Gurkaynak).

Maybe, like Cybil the police officer in Silent Hill 1 (President Evil may have
already mentioned this), once people find themselves dragged into the alternate
realities, the darkness of Sammael possesses them (much like the creature that
possessed Cybil by entering her neck in the sewers, which needed the 
Aglaophotis to exorcise them). This can also be supported by the Possessed
Endings of the Silent Hill series.

CONCLUSION: My own personal judgement is that THEORY 2 is the most logical
from the evidence of the games story, their characters and dialogue between
one another. Of course, until possible continuing revelations in SH4, the
gamer should choose whichever they feel the most likely from the evidence 
above. 

----------------------------------------------------
 C) Are the dark powers of Silent Hill really evil?
----------------------------------------------------

As with anything in life or Silent Hill for that matter, particularly the
complex characters in the series, it can be difficult and indeed irresponsible
and rash to label everything as good and evil, black and white.

This is more so for the characters in SH3, particularly Claudia Wolf the 
antagonist of the game. As discussed earlier in this guide, Claudia's early
diary highlights a sensitive and caring nature to the world's problems,
supported by the literature she reads. For her, Paradise is the only means
for the salvation and survival of mankind. She knows that she will have to 
commit cruelty, namely to Heather to achieve the awakening and this she
agonizes over. She is willing to give up her place in this Paradise just so
that she can achieve her aim. She has had to stand alone in her beliefs against
her very own father, and even Alessa despite the fact it is Heather who can't
recall her previous memories and purpose at first. Are these the acts of an 
evil individual? To put it a different way, is she just a victim like Harry 
and Heather when it comes to the cult of Silent Hill in their lives. Both
Claudia and Alessa where manipulated and 'brainwashed' by the cult's beliefs
at an early age. Yet no-one will mourn over her.

Heather is another example of this dichotomy. In her previous life as Alessa,
she was used as a vessel for wielding Sammael's dark power. Sammael, defined
as a fallen angel and regarded as Satan is clearly the personification of 
pure evil by many religions. Thus Alessa should be evil as her soul contains
this very essence, yet she resists the cult for the very same reason. She
acknowledges that her mother's use for the power would be bad. The conjuring
of various monsters in the alternate realities for her father Harry to face is
not done maliciously. It is her self-defence and on a grander scale, for the
protection of mankind. Clearly, there are two identities to the girl yet it is
the human side that is most dominant until the other can be borne, and discard
the girl's form like that of a butterfly.

Vincent too, is 'evil' in his own right. He helps Heather, yet it is for his 
own personal gain. To preserve his hedonistic life. Shouldn't he be 'good'
however, due to the fact that he is working against the very same cult he
belongs to and wants to do it for the interest of mankind, knowing the type
of world that would be borne from Claudia's 'Paradise'? It is for this reason
that he is a hypocrite. But it raises the question, if you commit a beneficial
act that is for the good, yet you do not act for a good reason, does this still
make you evil?

Why discuss the characters again when this section is about the dark power of 
the town you may ask yourselves, but it is relevant to its answer.

The town of Silent Hill was originally used by its native founders for 
spiritual and holy ceremonies, namely for the spiritual power present in the 
area's surroundings. We cannot determine whether such worship was evil or good,
as little is known about their practices but more importantly the purpose
of them. They worshipped various Gods present in the land, many of which
are unnamed and are simply placed under this category in the game's dialogue.
It could be said that they worshipped Sammael, yet this cannot be proven for
certain. As mentioned in an article in SH3, every religion, even that of Silent
Hill's has come under some change. As immigrants flooded the town of Silent 
Hill, they brought along with them their own Christian beliefs which influenced
the development of the town's religion. Old worshipped God's names were 
replaced with that of fallen angels from Christian scriptures. Thus the 
identity and original nature of 'Sammael' as shown in the SH games cannot be
commented on, it is ambiguous in origin. The name Sammael does refer to an
adversary of God, a serpent, an evil demon yet as these choice names were
bestowed not by their believers but by their opponents as propaganda, we are
none the wiser. Perhaps the deity 'Sammael' as they refer to in SH, is a good
God?

Supporting this idea is the role of the towns power for resurrecting the dead.
This is shown in SH2's Rebirth ending and the Maria 'Borne From A Wish' 
chapter. To utilize the power of restoring life to the dead and gaining 
immortality would certainly be of great benefit to mankind. The Gods in Silent
Hill seem to be specifically suited for this role. Perhaps then, as discussed
above with the SH characters and the cult, it is this intervention by people
and the formation of a cult which has misinterpreted and abused the power
available to them in the town. Dahlia Gillespie had the intention of using it
for her own selfish needs, as do the likes of Vincent. Essentially, over
the many decades and all the adopted religious beliefs from immigrants that
have been accepted to form the present SH cult we all witness in the games,
the true purpose and power of the Gods have been distorted. Now it is viewed
as being evil, when in fact it has only been the people who have attempted to
control it for themselves that has created this misinterpretation. An abuse
of power. Maybe the message in SH is that humanity just isn't ready for such
power to be unlocked to them, hence the town's history of suffering and death.

James Sunderland from SH2 is a prime example of why the power of Silent Hill
might not be evil. SH2 has been the only title so far where an antagonist 
(person) hasn't lured or controlled the power of Sammael. For James, it was the 
town itself that beckoned for him to visit. In the game, James realizes his
sins and effectively pays for them, purgatory if you will. He defeats his inner
demons by confronting them, the guilt and anger over his wife's terminal 
illness and the subsequent euphanasia committed by himself. It is my belief 
that by doing so it has made him a better person, a journey of self discovery
(depending on the ending of course!). Only James has the desire to find the
truth and face it, whereas Eddie does not and is killed for it, and Angela
decides to go no further, afraid of what she might further discover.

If however, we view Sammael as simply being Satan the prince of darkness
and adversary to God, the cause of all pain and suffering we must ask
ourselves one question. Why does God who is all loving and omnipotent allow
Sammael to exist and cause suffering? Why does the main character in each game
brave the quest? Without getting into a discussion about omnipotence, a simple
reason could be that God allows it. God created everything, even Satan the
fallen angel so perhaps it is God's plan. After all, as many theologians
have stated, God is all powerful and good hence anything HE creates must be
good. Evil cannot exist because He is incapable of creating evil, it has no
substance. There is natural evil which can be deemed an neccessity for 
creation, the outworkings of creation. So, any other evil can only be seen as
one of God's creations leaning away from what its existence should be,
turning away from its purpose. Theologians have said that a bird is meant to
fly, that's its purpose yet if it can't it is 'evil'. I strongly remind you
that 'evil' in that sense and what we as mankind deem as evil are two separate
things as we have a narrow perspective for deciding. Indeed, even Sammael was
once a loyal servant of God and even after falling from grace must still be
in some sense 'good' to remain in existence.

It is said that pain and suffering are necessary for there to be a loving
relationship with God, for the development of our souls. Is the personal hell
of Silent Hill merely a divine tool and spiritual journey for this? A mirror
for the ills of humanity. Anyone who's seen the film 'Jacobs Ladder' with
Tim Robbins (a major influence for SH games) will understand this well.

"He who is not bold enough to be stared at from across the abyss is not 
bold enough to stare into it himself."  a quote from SH2 Memo.

See the section on Monster Design Analysis and 'Insane Cancer' for the last
point for this discussion.

So, the next time you walk through the town of Silent Hill and are battering
one of the gruesome bosses, think to yourself, what's the town's 'Purpose'?
I apologize if I went all Matrix Reloaded on you there!!

(MANY INFLUENCES FOR THIS DISCUSSION WERE TAKEN FROM THE BOOK ENTITLED
'THE PUZZLE OF EVIL' BY PETER VARDY).


------------------------------------------------------------------------
 12)    NIGHTMARISH SETTINGS
------------------------------------------------------------------------


-----------------------------------------
 A)   The Shopping Mall 
-----------------------------------------


Perhaps a subtle homage to the film Dawn of the Dead, the effectiveness of such 
a setting is efficient in terms of emotion and drama nonetheless.

Heather’s journey starts in the normal everyday surroundings of a shopping 
mall, and it is the first place which demonstrates the vicious nature of the 
Otherworld invading reality. It shows that Sammael’s power is supreme, yet also 
the capabilities of how fragile and how quickly reality can be distorted, as 
well as being both emotionally (depressive aura of futility) and physically 
painful (shown by Heather’s contractive pain when the foetus alters reality). 
The mall if nothing else, is a metaphor for Heather’s ‘rebirth’ into Alessa.

To Heather, a shopping mall more than anything else represents her everyday 
life as it was before her true past was revealed to her by Claudia. She is 
surrounded by everything she once knew and was certain of, as well as all the 
material aspects of life that were once important to her (the clothes shops, 
food etc). Yet the irony is that these things are no longer of any significance 
to her although they are still present alongside her journey, nor are they 
essential to understand or to pay attention to for socialization survival 
skills.

The tragedy of the setting is the passive memory of what the mall was, a 
thriving and bustling complex which more than anything was representative of 
the needs of humanity. Yet in the Otherworld, humanity is very much absent, 
significantly perhaps as it is not in Samael’s plans for the blue print of 
‘Paradise’. This in turn, makes the ‘grey setting’ far more depressive and 
frightening to us the gamer, because we are very much a part of that 
pre-existing reality and are imbued with the same social values. The mall is an 
empty shell, whose purpose and origin was to be built by mankind, and 
effectively ‘brought alive’ by fulfilling its purpose (to provide for the 
needs of mankind). Without purpose, a thing is empty and cannot possibly exist 
(as noted by the dissolving walls of the Otherworld Brookhaven Hospital.) 
As the old saying goes, it is the people who make a place what it is. 
The presence of the monsters only emphasizes the absence of humanity, purpose, 
hope and the future.

------------------------------------
 B)    The Subway
------------------------------------


The subway is a metaphor for the journey into the unknown that Heather must 
face.She must traverse various obstacles where the Otherworld and reality are 
still in the process of converging. She is still amongst similar surroundings 
(she travels home from the mall by train, shown by her familiarity with the 
platform map), but as in the mall the presence of the monsters and the absence 
of people make it far from predictable. When she finally gets on the train, 
her destination is unknown nor how long its duration. Someone else is 
controlling her destiny. The train is driving further and further into the 
darkness. She cannot ‘get off’ this journey, if she does so she is faced with 
immediate death. This is actually a distinct symbol of the ordeal she faces. 

From the discarded newspaper and book at the station, it is clear that it is a 
place that harbours tormented souls and is a known suicide spot. Due to this
darkened history, malevolent spirits of a similar fate haunt and resent the 
living and hope for opportunities to bestow a similar fate upon them. 
The sins of the past are to be repeated in damnation by these spirits at their
specific conditions (e.g. time of death etc).

It also seems that the film 'Jacobs Ladder' (also known as Dante's Inferno)
starring Tim Robbins has influenced the SH team for the subway environment
inclusion. In the film, which follows a similar path to that of the SH2 
storyline, Jacob (Robbins) awakens on a train in a subway arriving at 
Bergen Street Station. (credit to marc smith for bringing this to my attention).

-----------------------------------------
 C) The Confessional Box
-----------------------------------------

There have been many people confused over what this part of the game means.
More importantly, who is the mystery person on the other side, begging for
forgiveness.

A popular assumption is that it is Claudia begging for Alessa's forgiveness,
for the cruel deeds she has had to commit and bear the sins upon her soul. 
The woman confesses to carrying out a 'wicked act of revenge', presumably
this is the life of a girl she admits having taken. This is perhaps vengeance 
in response to her murdered daughter's life. This moralistic ideal asserts 
SH3's 'an eye for an eye' theme. Yet it also illustrates the fact that righting
a wrong with another wrong can only lead to further despair for the avenger, as
well as spiritual corruption.

The idea that it is Claudia does not hold up well logically. After all, to our
knowledge Claudia has no deceased daughter, and it cannot possibly mean Alessa
as she has only referred to her as 'sister'. She also says that she has taken 
the life of a girl, which is in the past tense hence this also weakening such
an assumption. It could mean for the 'life' Heather had which she has 
destroyed, yet again this seems too liberal an interpretation. Also, the voice
is distinctly American not English like Claudia.

A better way to approach the confessional box scenario is by looking at it in
a similar way to that of SH2's Maria 'Borne From A Wish' chapter. It takes 
place in the Church at the end of SH3, and is most likely the tortured and
damned spirit of one of the cult's followers.

Its purpose  for inclusion in the game is to place the gamer in a very 
difficult situation. Do you forgive her sins or say nothing? Either choice is
really the wrong one. How can you forgive someone for what they have done, it
surely isn't in your power? It makes absolution false and you are justifying 
her worship of evil. Yet by saying nothing you are allowing a person's 
suffering to continue, without the possibilty of alleviating her conscience or 
giving absolution. You take away her right to be forgiven. (See making of DVD)

Vengeance and forgiveness, two sides of the same coin yet both themes are 
heavily prevalent in SH3. For Heather and the gamer, the moment of choice
represents a defining moment for her destiny and her character. Has hatred
nullified her soul from feeling empathy, to be able to forgive someone.
Her journey after her father's death has been consumed by this one aim, a
hellbent need to deliver justice. By allowing a choice for the gamer, the gamer
is placed in a difficult position, having the knowledge and lived through the
experiences the character has, do you forgive? Whatever choice, it certainly
places the ending of the game in a very different light depending on your 
answer.

However, at the same time if Heather does choose to forgive, it makes her no
better than say Vincent, transforming her into a hypocrite. How can she
forgive evil and a cult member for murder, when afterwards she is still 
adament in killing Claudia.

--------------------------------------------------------------
 D) The Bloody Lips Adorned on the Walls of the Otherworld
--------------------------------------------------------------

These lips as I view it, have two direct meanings.

1) The life of a female teenager is by typical definition a vain existence.
   Like boys who are into materialistic gain and excess, a general feature
   for young girls is the need for physical superficiality (fashion, 
   makeup etc). When Heather is thrown into her terrifying ordeal, these
   elements in her life no longer matter or are important. The pictures shown
   are ironic collages of the life 'Alessa' lived before 'discovering her true
   self'. (Thanks Mof Ster!)

2) Look at the SH1 OST cover with the face of Lisa Garland on it smiling.
   The lips are a near exact duplicate of those found on the pictures
   hanging on the walls of the Otherworld in SH3. Coincidence? Lisa is
   mentioned once again in SH3 by means of her video diary being replayed,
   and she was a very special person to Alessa. (Thanks J.A Mathewson)


------------------------------------------------------------------------
 13)    MONSTER DESIGN ANALYSIS
------------------------------------------------------------------------

----------------------------------------------
A)     The Split-Worm  (first boss encounter)
----------------------------------------------


There are definite overt sexual references to the design of the creature.
The choice of a long worm-like creature that is very much a phallic symbol, 
accompanied by its slow, slithering and purposeful movements in and out of the 
dark tunnels is clear to see and interpret. At first glance this may seem over 
critical, yet in conjunction with the acknowledged themes of sex, pregnancy, 
birth and motherhood with Heather and the cult’s religion it is a natural 
conclusion. With Heather killing the monster, she is openly defying her part in 
the cult (the acknowledgement that she is carrying the foetus of God) as well 
as their beliefs.

The worms head in which it splits open can be interpreted in many ways. 
Firstly, the theme of concealment. This could be a reference to the operation 
of the cult in Silent Hill which was concealed from the authorities. As the 
worm finally faces Heather and opens up to confront her, it could be regarded 
as a symbol of what both Douglas and Claudia are offering her. This being the 
reality of her true self and past which she too has concealed from herself by 
repressing her memories. The worm is arguably also a representation of 
Heather’s repressed memories and feelings, her inner need to reveal her true 
self behind the ‘mask’ which is Heather.

Secondly, the way in which the creature’s head splits into two. This gives 
rise to the theme of split persona’s, Heather/Alessa. Whilst the worm appears 
relatively placid before it reveals its ‘true’ face, when it does so the 
creature apparently screams/roars. This is perhaps the hint of a repressed 
‘Alessa’ inside of Heather that wants to break free. This can be further 
supported by the later boss battle with the ‘Memory of Alessa’. As Heather 
(and the foetus inside of her) is creating the alternate reality shifts and 
monsters, there is certainly logical reason behind this in the Freudian sense. 
As with previous Silent Hill games, (particularly Silent Hill 2) the delusional 
world in which the main characters are flung into are very much the fabrication 
and creation of their repressed or express desires and emotions. 
Most influential is fear. These are in the alternate realities however, 
depicted rather obscurely or ambiguously at times.

-------------------------------------
B)   Split-Faced Hounds
-------------------------------------

Largely the same themes as the split-worm, concerning concealment and dual 
personalities.

Their design has specifically been met to make the gamer associate them with
the hounds of hell 'Cerebus' and their trademark two heads. (See Making of DVD
with PSW magazine).

The significance of the bandages that the hounds are wrapped in perhaps is
a subtle link to the past life of Alessa, and her experience in the hospital
whilst in a coma. Indeed, it has been suggested that the hounds are completely
split in half, with the bandages only holding the two separate bodies together
(credit to marc smith who suggested this). If this is true, it only serves
to accentuate the cosmic dual confliction that pervades as a theme throughout
the game.

-------------------------------------
D)  Valtiel
-------------------------------------

Valtiel, as the creature has been confirmed by the sh2003.com, is very much
an enigma and a mystery in the game. Many gamers indeed, on their first play
fail to spot his presence, and even after numerous repeats more instances
of his presence are accounted for.

The monster bears some resemblance to that of a licker monster from Resident 
Evil 2, and is humanoid in appearance. At no point in the game does he attack
Heather, nor can Heather attack him. He (if he is indeed male, but it would 
seem misguided to sexualise the creature) is the consummate bystander, the 
observer yet his role in the Otherworld would seem to be of greater 
significance to the alternate realities Heather finds herself in. 
Nearly every occasion Heather witnesses his presence, he is turning two valve
handles with both hands, seemingly in a purposeful manner at parallel rotations,
differing degree and speed. The monster's designer describes his purpose with 
an analogy of valves and the flow and obstruction of water (see making of DVD 
with PSW magazine). Valtiel regulates this process, and as such can be 
described as the guardian or sentinel of the Otherworld and its contact with 
the real world. Instead of the foetus of God inside Heather altering the
realities, it is his direct doing that accomplishes this.

As such, his existence and purpose seem to be conflicting. In Silent Hill 1
the alternate reality of the Otherworld was caused by Alessa and her power, in
an attempt to escape from Dahlia. The shifting realities Harry Mason found
himself caught in, which as a consequence were disorientating were caused by
the dark power of Sammael the girl possessed. The monsters he encountered were
a fabrication of her very same imagination and power. Thus, how can Valtiel 
exist? It would appear that since Silent Hill 2, which logically appears to
be placed sometime after the events of SH1 and before SH3, the power of Sammael
was contained within the town. It did not reach its full potential as Harry had 
defeated the God and halted, albeit for some time, the spread of the God's mark 
and influence. When James Sunderland appeared, monsters he faced were then 
directly linked to his torment and imagination, sustained by his presence in a 
town that had been marked by Sammael after SH1. The dark power harvested in the 
town could exist on its own without Alessa's power due to the brief summoning 
of Sammael and the mark being spread through various parts of the town.
So, as Douglas commented the town has remained weird for some time.

With all of this in mind, Valtiel should be a direct physical mainifestation
from Heather's mind to exist. In the early part of the game in the mall, which
is not in Silent Hill she witnesses it for the first time whilst going down in
the elevator. This would seem to support the fact that the foetus inside of
Heather (or even Claudia and her influence) have created Valtiel.

Yet, is Valtiel really Heather, a Freudian representation of her self?
This was much the case with the 'Memory of Alessa' confrontation.
When she finds her father dead in their apartment, she covers his body with a 
sheet. This traditional custom of mourning and respect is repeated by Valtiel
when Claudia sacrifices her human body to give birth to the God. Typically in
the SH universe, monsters are not that caring or moralistic concerning 
humanity. As Claudia does die, Heather does show some feeling of remorse or
pity towards her, explaining perhaps Valtiel's subsequent action. He disappears
soon after and does not reappear. In referral to Heather viewing the creature,
the line 'When you stare into the abyss, sometimes the abyss stares right back
at you' seems perfectly apt. He is the physical representation of Heather, as 
well as her manipulation (albeit subconsciously by Alessa) of her journey 
through the alternate realities by the valve manipulation.

If the creature is indeed not of Heather's creation, it would seem that Valtiel
is one of the oldest servants of Sammael which Heather's awakening power has
stirred into action. The caretaker of the Otherworld, who watches Heather and
is the 'eyes' of Claudia. If this is the case, his action at the end of 
covering Claudia's face would appear to be his last act of servitude or a
christening.

Yet, why haven't we seen him before in SH games or why make his presence knownn 
now? The Heather Freudian theory would appear the most logical.

Heather needs to justify what is going on around her, that physically
something else (thus exists) is controlling her environment and fate.
He is the 'reality shifter' for Heather, plainly as an excuse for why 
everything is so messed up. (Big credit to Costas Stefanou for putting it so
succinctly for this explanation).

Perhaps Valtiel in a cryptic sense represents Dahlia Gillespie. After all,
Alessa's mother although dead is still controlling her fate by the events
of the past with Harry. Heather is effectively completing Harry's adventure,
(Thanks DarkVegetto!) while coming to terms with the realization that it has
been her mother who has controlled her fate and purpose.

As Valtiel and Pyramid Head appear to be the two big monster characters
of significance in the SH games, and show up at poignant moments for
the main characters it can be said that they are indeed the guardians
or sentinels of the Otherworld. Pyramid Head may very well be the
foot soldier of the higher order of demons, he observes and attacks.
As mentioned above, Valtiel is the caretaker of this Otherworld and
would be high up on the hierarchy. Compared to the other raging creatures,
they appear to be methodical in movement and have their own agendas.
(credit to Damien Jones). Also worth mentioning is the fact that these 
'superior' monsters fail to register as static on the radio. To my
knowledge only Pyramid Head registered once, behind the bars in Blue Apartment
Creek. Both cannot be hurt, in the case of Pyramid Head either divine 
intervention or their following orders from a higher being (the town? Maria?)
makes them impale themselves on their own spears. Obviously this is also a
metaphor directed at James for the murder of his wife, yet even on the other
previous occassion a siren sounds and it only decides to leave then, as if 
called away.

--------------------------
E) Numb Bodies
--------------------------

These armless creatures are the very first monster's Heather confronts in the
mall. They attack by continually charging and butting their victim until they
die, and are very effective in numbers despite weakness.

Their bodies are poorly formed and seemingly premature, veins still visible 
from under the purple/pink flesh membrane that covers its body. The first 
aspect that their appearance tries to mimic is the foetus inside of Heather's
womb. When she aborts it at the end of the game, the resemblance is uncanny.
It is an early link to the cause of Heather's purpose, past and pain, which the
gamer and the character is unaware of as it is the start of her journey.

There are of course, slight phallic connotations by the shape of its body, as
well as its thrusting attacking movement which all point at the sexual imagery 
that is prevalent throughout the game, as well as an important theme in the SH
series.

---------------------------
F) Closer
---------------------------

These giant hulking beasts almost look like giant mishaped teddy bears, with
very long and thick arms to propel themselves forward. They are the first
creature that Heather comes across in SH3, whilst passing through a clothes
shop in the mall. They are particularly slow but effective in tight corridors.
Examining the creature even closer, its common characteristic might be that of
a gorilla. In Alessa's bedroom, she had books on fairy tales and animals.
Perhaps this demon was based on a horryfying faceless gorilla from one of those
texts by Alessa. Also seen in SH2, they hang from mesh walkways seemingly
hanging over the dark pitless void, swinging the apes going from branch to 
branch.

They are perhaps the most humanoid of all the monsters in SH3, seemingly by
appearance at least to have a face (without any features), legs and of course
huge arms.

They almost seem to represent the lowest order of the cult's legions, and bear
perhaps some resemblance to that of Silent Hill's cult followers. They can
sometimes be found propped up on their arms, as if in religious worship (to
Heather?), and also tend to have arched backs as if they are bowing.

The 'Closer' bears the strongest evidence that the monsters in the Silent Hill
Universe may indeed not be what they seem (see section, are there really 
monsters in Silent Hill?).

For me, their appearance and what looks like stitch work arms bear an uncanny
resemblance to that of a teddy bear as mentioned, albeit one from someone's 
nightmarish delusions. Perhaps this is another warped creation from the mind
of Alessa, harping back to her childhood in her infamous bedroom.

----------------------------
G) Insane Cancer
----------------------------

These monsters are fairly scarce in SH3, indeed most of the time if not all
you can choose to evade them. They are certainly the 'fattest' creatures in the
game, bearing the resemblance of a huge tumour or cancerous growth in humanoid 
form. They are slow and hulking, dealing out their wrath with pounding fists.

This monster is again a great example as a metaphor for the situation Heather
finds herself in. Inside of her body, grows the foetus of 'God'. In the 
environment of pain, suffering and hatred that Claudia encourages to make 
Heather feel, the 'growth' inside of her feeds and grows bigger. To Heather,
the foetus inside of her is nothing but a cancer, something which is harmful
to her body which she wants to purge herself of. It contains pure evil and is
impure because of this, it is everything that humanity has come to fear and 
loathe. Yet ironically at the same time, cancer is caught up in a symbiotic 
relationship with humans, it needs a living being for it to exist. This is much 
like all the creatures in Silent Hill, for them to exist they are dependent on 
the human power of imagination (a person's delusions). It is this reason more 
than any that it appears in a humanoid form, and is handicapped at the same 
time (hence its weak stature).

Yet is it truly evil, like anything else about Silent Hill? There are many
theologians who have discussed the concept, yet simply put can cancer be evil?
St Thomas Aquinas (a.d. 1226-1274) said that evil cannot exist, as it has no 
substance. For something to exist, God has to have created it and since God
is all good this cannot be so. Indeed, there are natural evils, the by-product
result of creation and its out-workings. Yet we as humans, have a limited view
when we consider what is deemed evil. A cancer may be detrimental to us, hence
our classification of it as being evil, yet in its own way it is fulfilling
its natural purpose and for that must be good. Many theologians have taken
the view that anything that deviates away from its purpose, has turned away
from God's plan and what it should become and is hence evil. Yet can this be 
said of anything in Silent Hill?  

----------------------------------
H) Nurse
----------------------------------

The nurses make a 'welcome' return in SH3, having last seen them in SH2.
The nurses have gone through quite a transformation since SH1 with their
mutated parasitic backs, instead looking far more feminine and human.
They are the most human looking creatures next to the Closer and Missionary.

Whereas in SH2 their sexual representation with short mini-skirts for James,
seemingly identifying with his sexually repressed feelings for his wife (hence
Maria's creation), this cannot be said the same for Heather in SH3.

They are always found lurking in a numbers of abundance in Silent Hill's
hospitals, particularly this version of nurse coming from Brookhaven Hospital
which has featured in both SH2 and now SH3. It is not difficult to understand
why nurses and hospitals feature heavily in the Silent Hill Universe.
Foremost, the past life of Alessa bears great responsibilty for their creation
and presence, as the comatose Alessa was cared for in Alchemilla hospital 
for seven long years until Cheryls' arrival. During this period of time she was
trapped in a nightmarish ordeal, unable to awake from her coma and her mind
plagued by the presence of the dark soul of Sammael. If nothing else, the 
hospital represents the most fearful of her repressed memories.

Secondly, as toilets have their own symbolic meaning in all the games, so do
the hospitals. They are symbolic of one of the game's recurring themes, of 
life and death, and recognising one's mortality. They are also a place which
many after suffering a loss or pain, may feel is devoid of good or the 
presence of God, when faith is tested to the maximum. The theme of the
mentally disturbed, perhaps the scariest of humanity's ills is shown as well,
in the form of diaries and in SH3, Stanley Coleman. It is frightening as it 
treads a dark place of our humanity, one that at times can be unrestrained and 
dangerous. Yet most of the characters in SH that are 'evil' show signs of this 
to a degree.

------------------------------------------------------------------------
  14)     An Analysis of Satanism in Cults
------------------------------------------------------------------------

------------------------------
 A)   A Cult's Organisation
------------------------------

The main devout Satanist groups, although small and generally self-contained, 
are organized hierarchically and show a preoccupation with the need for 
self-improvement, conflicting competition (e.g. a rebellion against 
Christianity and its established order, differing religious and biblical 
interpretations of religion from the established etc). There is also a distinct 
focus on the exercise of power and a willingness for more. The leaders are 
clearly set apart from the general membership, and the followers tend to shy 
away from the need to expand internationally as an organisation, but rather to 
remain close to its founders. A consequence of this is that a firm belief 
structure can remain integral to the members, with the threat of possible 
splits and denominations occurring (as well as the cult’s existence being 
exposed to non-believers) being significantly reduced. 

-----------------------------
 B)    Sam(m)ael
-----------------------------

(Also known as Satanil, Samil, Satan, Seir, Sal-mael, etc.)

-a combination of "sam" meaning poison and "el" meaning angel.
Rabbinic scripture has depicted Samael as the chief of Satans and the angel
of death. In the Secrets of Enoch (Enoch II) he has been regarded both as evil
and good; as one of the greatest and as one of the foulest spirits operating
in Heaven, on earth, and in Hell.

"that great serpent with 12 wings that draws after him, in his fall, the
solar system." [Cf. Revelation 12.)

In the Sayings of Rabb Eliezer, Samael is charged with being the one (in the
guise of a serpent) who tempted Eve, seduced her, and became by her the
father of Cain.

Samael is the dark angel who wrestled with Jacob at Peniel, although Michael,
Uriel, Metatron, and others have been identified as this antagonist. 
Samael is also equated with the satan (i.e. the adversary) who tempted David
to number Isarael [Rf. I Chronicles 21].

In Charles, The Ascension of Isaiah IV, 7, occurs this passage:
"And we ascended to the firmament, I and he, and there I saw Samael and his
hosts, and there was great fighting therein and the angels of Satan were
envying one another." It is clear from this that Sammael and Satan are
interchangeable.

(An extract from the book 'A Dictionary of Angels including the fallen angels'
by Gustav Davidson.) 

There is much confusion by some gamers whether or not the Silent Hill cult
actually worship Sammael, as it's only mentioned significantly in SH1.
However, it is clear that the 'mark of Sammael' concerns their cult's deity
and is again referenced to in SH2. As mentioned in the game and section
5C of this guide, the town's religion had been significantly influenced by
Christian beliefs. In SH2 it is referred to as 'Gods' present in the town,
yet it is clear that the SH cult worship just one, 'Sammael'. This name,
although in Christian scripture meaning Satan the fallen angel, might not 
actually represent the 'Satan' most of us regard and define.

For the purposes of SH, the cult does worship Sammael (regarded as a female 
deity due to the development and adoption of immigrant beliefs over the many 
years). An incident in SH3 reinforces this view, when in the Church Heather
finds a painting propped up against the wall of an angel flying towards heaven.
After the sound of a girl crying and visible footsteps leading behind the 
painting pass, the painting is turned on its side to gain access to a secret
door. Heather than comments that now it looks more like a fallen angel
This angel is evidently the cult's deity, as it is found in a shrine like
area where there are other paintings of worship like St Jennifer with the
inscription 'Unwavering faith under death's blade'. This is the same 
Jennifer mentioned in SH2 on a monument who was 'persecuted by the Christians'
in the town's more recent history. Clearly Christian beliefs and what is
regarded as sinful or 'evil' are very much what the SH cult is about.
After all, it was opponents to these Christian beliefs that christened their
God with the evil name of 'Sammael' in resistance and spite. (credit to Richard
Winfield).

The painting scene is also symbolic of Sammael's nature in the game. At first
glance the painting may seem all nice and good, yet She is hiding the true 
path that must be taken which only through suffering (the girl's cries) can
its true form be revealed. A fallen angel who is against God and is thus evil.
(credit to Richard Winfield).

------------------------------------
 C)   Silent Hill 3's Cult Symbol
------------------------------------

Silent Hill's cult symbol represents the God called the 'Halo of the Sun'.

The two outer circles represent charity and resurrection, with the three
inner circles representing the present, the past, and lastly the future.

The cult's symbol is mostly always scribed in red, the only other exceptions
being black. To do so in the colour of blue reverses its meaning, 
transforming it into a curse anaginst God. Such practice was vehemently 
forebidden in Silent Hill's cult, leading to harsh punishment if committed
(a blaspehemy).

----------------------------------
 D)   The Silent Hill Cult's God?
----------------------------------

There appear to be some discrepancies between the cult's focal worship of 
Sammael in Silent Hill 1 and that of Claudia's view of the cult and its 'God'.

The advantage to continuing a storyline is that the origins of the first can be
explored in greater depth and complexity. It must be remembered however, that
Konami could not fully depict nor describe what are effectively themes of 
'Satanism' in Silent Hill 1. To combat this in Silent Hill 3, the origins of 
the God become more ambigious and Christianised.

Sammael by religious definition, is generally regarded to be another name for
the fallen angel Satan. Yet, there is evidence that Sammael was regarded as
being good as well as evil in some eyes. It seems the Silent Hill cult has
formed its beliefs on the former interpretation.

As Vincent remarks to Heather's question "God"? Are you sure you don't mean
"Devil"?, he replys calmly, "Whichever you like."

----------------------------------
 E) Metatron
----------------------------------

Some scriptures base him as the greatest of all heavenly hierarchs, the 1st
of the 10 archangels of the Briatic world. He has been called king of angels,
prince of the divine face or presence, Chancellor of Heaven, angel of the
covenant. He has been scribed as being in higher authority than Gabriel or
Michael. 

The use of Metatron's essence and power is first mentioned and used in SH1.
The mysterious object called the Flauros is given to Harry Mason to aid his
search through the darkness of the Otherworld. The object is a pyramid, 
the shape typically associated as a vessel of great mysticism and sacred power.
Its power to battle the darkness comes directly from Metatron, which contains
the angels power much like Cheryl and Alessa contain Samaels' soul and power. 
It is activated not by Harry's command, but when he finally catches up to 
'phantom' Alessa, the vessel of Samael's evil power who has been spreading the
God's mark across the town. The Flauros dramatically weakens her. This allows 
Dahlia to pierce through the nightmarish veil that Alessa had hidden herself in,
by creating the Otherworld. Once used, Alessa is too weak to even sustain her 
own created reality and it begins to deteriorate at a rapid pace. Harry is
left in 'Nowhere', a distorted amalgam of everything that Alessa created and he
visited. Even the lovable nurse Lisa Garland, begins to revert to her true 
'monsterous' self and realizes that she isn't human. Alessa can no longer 
control her existence as before (to tempt Harry into stopping his search just
long enough for her to finish spreading Samael's mark across town to have full
sway).

The Flauros radiates a beam of piercing white light, which cuts through the 
darkness and in effect, starts an angelic battle of turf war between Samael and
Metatron, and who should have full sway over the town. It is a battle of
spirituality, which is fought but oblivious to the main protagonist.

Dahlia, despite her cult having allegiance to resurrecting Samael, is 
ironically powerless due to Samael's power being used against her, Alessa
creating the Otherworld to hide from her. She uses the Flauros, as she knows
it can weaken momentarily Alessa's grip. Once she is captured, the resurrection
of Samael fully into the world can begin once again (which Alessa did not 
want). However, a consequence of this is that Metatron's presence will forever
be in the town like Samael, both light and dark powers battling each other into
a stalemate for submission.

Although Harry defeats Samael when he is pysically resurrected, the mark spread
around the town means that he still has a powerful hold in Silent Hill, 
although one which is incorporeal. This is where James falls prey to the town's
power which calls to the tormented and sinners. 

The main protagonist is a sense, becomes an agent of Metatron, physically
entering the dark Otherworld of Samael and defeating the evil aberrations.
Once this is accomplished (a boss battle normally, like the Split-Worm in SH3),
the protagonist is returned to the misty realm of reality (where Metatron has
greater influence) by Metatron's power.

Perhaps, if you are like the innocent Laura from SH2 who enters the town (with
no sins on her soul), Metatron's angelic reality is seen, a place without
monsters where the town of Silent Hill is a place of even more spiritual 
beauty.

Perhaps Laura is the personification of Metatron? Wild as it may seem, it is
rather strange that a girl is wandering alone in the town unharmed, and when 
James comments on this she replies "Are you blind or something?".

Metatron's true power and influence in the SH games still remains a mystery...

(BIG THANKS TO DAMIEN JONES FOR RESEARCHING THIS ASPECT FOR ME AND COMING
UP WITH THESE THEORIES, WHICH I HAVE RETYPED AND IMPLEMENTED INTO THE FAQ).


------------------------------------------------------------------------
15)  Silent Hill 3 Song Lyrics
------------------------------------------------------------------------
BIG CREDIT TO: Niai Mitch for letting me use her faq to fill in some of
the words I couldn't make out. (My ears were pressed to the speaker on high
volume, but I still couldn't get all of it).
Thanks to Chesh the cat for knowing the full lyrics to 'Hometown' & 
'Letter - from the lost days', as well as Gobicamel for 'You're Not Here'.

--------------------------------
 A) You're Not Here
--------------------------------

Blue sky to forever,
The green grass blows in the wind, dancing 
It would be a much better sight with you, with me.
If you hadn't met me, I'd be fine on my own, baby,
I never felt so lonely, then you came along,

So now what should I do, I'm strung out, addicted to you,
My body aches, now that you're gone, 
My supply fell through,

You gladly gave me everything you had and more,
You craved my happiness,
When you make me feel joy it makes you smile,
But now I feel your stress,
Love was never meant to be such a crazy affair, no
And who has time for tears,
Never thought I'd sit around for your love,
'till now.


Sung By: Melissa Williamson

------------------------------
 B) Hometown
------------------------------

He spoke of torture and souls, so outrageous the toll,
You can lose all you have,
He refused to give in to the town that takes all.
Survive, you must have the will.
This movie doesn't end the way we want all the time, then he 
shouts at the moon;

CHORUS

"She's gone!", and fear has overcome. He was walking the mile.
He was walking alone.

END CHORUS

So outrageous the toll,
you can lose all you have,
he refused to give in to the town that takes all.
Survive, you must have the will.
This movie doesn't end the way we want all the time, then he 
shouts at the moon;

CHORUS

"She's gone!", and fear has overcome. He was walking the mile.
He was walking alone.

END CHORUS

Four and twenty dead birds, they bleed upon the nest.
There was no time for reasons, they had no sign of a threat.
Now it's too late, too late for me, this town will eventually take me.
Too late, too late for me, this town will win.

(NARRATIVE)

Through this fog they came along, 
dark creatures singing their terrible song,
the rest of the bar laughed at him, only I felt movement when he did.
They found him dead the very next day, no more stories from him I heard
them say.
We blamed bad luck for his fate, only I felt terror, so great...

END NARRATIVE

She had he will know.
That some day, all things will end.
That misty night, that dismal moon, the dead search for their kin,
While angels sleep in endless dark,
The dead seek out sin. 

----------------------------------------------
 C) I WANT LOVE (STUDIO MIX)
----------------------------------------------

Alright lets do this. 1...2...3...

I want a cup that overflows with love although,
it's not enough to fill my heart, 

I want a barrel full of love although, I know
it's not enough to fill my heart.

I want a river full of love although, I know
the holes will still remain.

I need an ocean full of love although, I know 
the holes will still remain.

And the swiss cheese heart knows, all the kindness can
fill its holes.
And love will dry my tears, as the pain disappears, yeah!

I need a miracle and not someone's charity,
one drop of love from him and my heart's in ecstasy,
The heart that he's sending me is most likely ending me.
I need a miracle and not someone's charity now....

(GUITAR SOLO)

Fill up my heart with love, oh you'd be amazed at how,
little I need from him to feel complete here and now,

Stirring within me are these feelings I can't ignore,
I need a miracle and that's what I'm hoping for.
I need a miracle and not someone's charity,
one drop of love from him and my heart's in ecstasy.

The heart that he's sending me is most likely ending me,
I need a miracle and not someone's charity now.

Anybody's love but his, will never fill this place 
within me now.
You've got to give me what I need, 
to free my heart from misery. 

----------------------------------------
 D) Letter - from the lost days
----------------------------------------

A letter to my future self, 

Am I still happy? I began. 
Have I grown up pretty?
Is daddy still a good man?
Am I still friends with Carlene?
I'm sure that I'm still laughing, aren't I?
Aren't I?

Hey there to my future self!
If you forget how to smile, 
I have this to tell you, remember it once in a while.
Ten years ago your past self prayed for your happiness,
please don't lose hope.

Oh, what a pair, me and you
put here to feel joy, nothing blue.
Sad times and bad times see them through,
soon we will know if it's for real,
what we both feel. 

(SPOKEN)

Though I can't know for sure how things worked out for us,
No matter how hard it gets you have to realize,
We were put on this earth to suffer and cry, 
We were made for being happy, so be happy for me. 
For you. 
Please!

(Spoken) 

Oh what a pair, me and you 
put here to feel joy, nothing blue. 
Sad times and bad times see them through, 
soon we will know if it's for real, 
what we both feel. 

We were put on this earth, put here to feel joy.
We were put on this earth, put here to feel joy.
We were put on this earth, put here to feel joy.
We were put on this earth, put here to feel joy.

FADE TO END

------------------------------------------------------------------------
 16) Silent Hill OST Song Listings
------------------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------
 A) Silent Hill 1 OST
------------------------------

1. Silent Hill
2. All 
3. The Wait
4. Until Death
5. Over
6. Devil's Lyric
7. Rising Sun
8. For All
9. Follow the Leader
10. Claw Finger
11. Hear Nothing
12. Children Kill
13. Killed by Death
14. Don't Cry
15. The Bitter Season
16. Moonchild
17. Never Again
18. Fear of the Dark
19. Half Day
20. Heaven Give Me Say
21. Far
22. I'll Kill You
23. My Justice for You
24. Devil's Lyric 2
25. Dead End
26. Aint Gonna Rain
27. Nothing Else
28. Alive
29. Never Again 2
30. Die
31. Never Endnever Endnever End
32. Down Time
33. Kill Angels
34. Only You
35. Not Tomorrow 1
36. Not Tomorrow 2
37. My Heaven
38. Tears of...
39. Killing Time
40. She
41. Esperandote
42. Silent Hill (Otherside)

------------------------------
 B) Silent Hill 2 OST
------------------------------

1. Theme of Laura
2. White Noiz
3. Forest
4. A World of Madness
5. Ordinary Vanity
6. Promise (Reprise)
7. Ashes And Ghost
8. Null Moon
9. Heaven's Night
10. Alone in the Town
11. The Darkness That Lurks In Our Mind
12. Angel's Thanatos
13. The Day Of Night
14. Block Mind
15. Magdalene
16. Fermata in Mistic Air
17. Prisonic Fairytale
18. Love Psalm
19. Silent Heaven
20. Noone Love You
21. The Reverse Will
22. Laura Plays the Piano
23. Terror In the Depths Of the Fog
24. True
25. Betrayal
26. Black Fairy
27. Theme of Laura (Reprise)
28. Overdose Delusion
29. Pianissimo Epilogue
30. Promise

-----------------------------
 C) Silent Hill 3 OST
-----------------------------

1. Lost Carol
2. You're not here
3. Float up from dream
4. End of small sanctuary
5. Breeze - in monochrome night
6. Sickness unto foolish death
7. Clockwork little happiness
8. Please love me...once more
9. A stray child
10. Innocent Moon
11. Maternal heart
12. Letter - from the lost days
13. Dance with night wind
14. Never forgive me, never forget me
15. Prayer
16. Walk on vanity ruins
17. I want love
18. Heads no.2
19. Memory of the waters
20. Rain of blass petals
21. Flower crown of poppy
22. Sun
23. Uneternal sleep
24. Hometown
25. I want love (studio mix)


------------------------------------------------------------------------
 17)     Acknowledgement & Thanks
------------------------------------------------------------------------

Firstly, credit to those mentioned in the guide for bringing suggestions/
corrections to my attention, as well as any influence when formulating this 
guide. They are duly noted.

Thanks to Konami for creating some of the best gaming experiences and 
franchises in the gaming industry that I’ve had the privilege to play over the 
years. (Silent Hill, Castlevania, Metal Gear Solid, ISS series & Pro Evo).

Thanks to the Silent Hill Team for making the Silent Hill game series, and 
having the courage to surpass the boundaries of what a game can offer, both in 
story, themes and creation.

Thanks to Akira Yamaoka for his extraordinary talent for music in the Silent 
Hill series, it is a highlight of expectation with each new Silent Hill 
release. He never disappoints.

Thanks for my GCSE and A-Level in English Literature and A-Level Psychology for 
giving me the skill and confidence to create this guide. As well as the degree
I'm working for at the moment.

Most importantly, thanks to family and friends.

------------------------------------------------------------------------
  18)    Legal Information
------------------------------------------------------------------------

All characters and fictional content regarding the story discussed in the FAQ 
are the property of Konami.

All trademarks and copyrights contained in this document are owned by their 
respective trademark and copyright holders.

This guide is for personal use only. Any other use is prohibited, except for 
the guide being included on any non-profit or non-commercial site as long as 
the following conditions are met and strictly adhered to first:

1) You ask for my permission first (thus my consent), contacting me by the 
email address provided under contact information.
2) Affirmation to your request will depend on my reply and whether I agree to 
it.
3) You do not alter in any way the contents or layout of this guide.
4) You ensure that the guide represented on your site is the most recent 
version available.

------------------------------------------------------------------------
 19)  Contact Information
------------------------------------------------------------------------

Email Address : duncanbunce@aol.com

I would appreciate any criticism or questions regarding this guide, whether it 
be constructive criticism (not hate mail), praise (my favourite!), anything 
concerning contextual or factual errors in the guide, or whether it is 
something you have thought of or are unsure of that supports/rebukes the 
information in this guide.

Anyone who emails, please put the title ‘Silent Hill’ in the subject line, so I 
can differentiate it from spam.

Anyone that gives significant information concerning the game by email, that I 
feel is necessary for inclusion in the guide will be credited for it in the 
guide by name.

Just like you, I am a fan of the Silent Hill series and am by no means always 
correct. I too would appreciate thoughts concerning this guide.

I will try to answer any emails sent to me regarding this guide, but obviously 
cannot realistically always answer every single query. If you do not get a 
reply, please do not send multiple emails to my account and cause harassment 
just to find out why I haven't replied, or hope you get an answer more quickly!

For anyone interested in general discussion of the series, you can find me on 
the gamefaqs.com board most days under my respected user name of 
‘The Hellbound Heart'.

Many Thanks,