SILENT HILL 2 CHARACTER COMMENTARY

For a certain reason, they were drawn to Silent Hill.  What darkness do 
each of them hold in their hearts?

====

name:  James Sunderland
age:  29
sex:  m
job:  clerk

profile:  The protagonist.  A letter from his late wife Mary has lead him 
to Silent Hill. 

creator's comment

In the initial stages of the scenario, he was a character who had two 
personalities, "Joseph" and "James."  The name "Joseph" was borrowed from 
the name of a man suspected of being Jack the Ripper, and "James" is a 
derivative.

raison d'etre

The letter James received from Mary was an illusion.  Weary of nursing his 
wife's poor health, he took her life with his own hands to release her from 
the misery of her illness.  However, he was unable to withstand the weight 
of his crime, and, immersed in his own delusions, one can think that he was 
drawn to the town of Silent Hill.

====

name:  Mary Shepherd-Sunderland
age:  25
sex:  f
job:  housewife

profile:  James' wife, who supposedly died of an illness three years ago.
Ever since visiting Silent Hill with James, it has been a place of memories 
for the two of them.

creator's comment

Her name is taken from the victim Mary Kelly in the "Jack the Ripper" 
case, who was living with the suspect Joseph as detailed in case files 
regarding the murders.

raison d'etre

Mary says various things in each ending to James, who has become aware 
of the crime he has committed.  It is conceivable that her death three 
years ago is merely James' delusion.

====

name:  Maria
age:  25
sex:  f
job:  dancer

profile:  A woman who bears an uncanny resemblance to Mary, although
her personality and taste in clothing are completely opposite.  For 
some reason, she tags along with James.

creator's comment

In the original scenario, the heroine also had an existence characterized
by a double personality.  The first personality is "Mary," so for the
other, the name "Maria" is derived from that.

raison d'etre

Maria was produced by James' delusions as a result of his inability to
bear the weight of the crime of killing his wife.  It is established in 
the third game that her model was a dancer at the club Heaven's Night.

====

name:  Laura
age:  8
sex:  f
job:  --

profile:  A young girl who was a patient in the same hospital as Mary.
Having no mother of her own, Laura loved Mary as if she were her real 
mother. 

creator's comment

Her name is taken from the nonfiction work No Language But a Cry by 
Richard D'Ambrosio, the story of a young girl's search for happiness 
while struggling to overcome the scars of abuse.  

(note:  the title of this book in Japan is something like "Laura, story 
of a little girl burned by a frying pan," which refers to an incident in 
which Laura's mentally ill parents placed her into a hot frying pan as a 
baby and began to cook her alive.)

raison d'etre

Of all the characters, she is the only one who does not hold any darkness
in her heart.  It may be that she came to Silent Hill looking for Mary.
To her the town appears to be normal; she does not see any monsters, nor
does she see Maria.

====

name:  Angela Orosco
age:  19
sex:  f
job:  unknown

profile:  A girl who came to Silent Hill in search of her mother.  After 
graduating high school, she ran away from home but was found and brought
back by her father.

creator's comment

Her name is borrowed from the protagonist of the film, "The Net."  This 
religious name meaning "angel" is common among Hispanics, thereby giving 
rise to the implied "immigrant" as well.

raison d'etre

From the article in the bloodstained newspaper, the conclusion can be
made that Angela was unable to bear her abuse and took her father's life.  
After this incident, being in a state of emotional turmoil, one can think 
that she was called to Silent Hill.

====

name:  Eddie Dombrowski
age:  23
sex:  m
job:  gas station employee (part time)

profile:  A young man who is teased because of his weight.  Although he
is usually passive, there is a side to him that is extremely violent.

creator's comment

In the initial stages of the scenario, Eddie was actually a very cheerful 
character.  Therefore, the name was borrowed from Eddie Murphy.  In the 
end however, we changed his personality completely.

raison d'etre

According to one of Eddie's monologues, his anger and frustration at the 
way he was treated by others reached a climax when he killed a dog in a fit 
of rage and also shot the dog's owner in the leg.  While running from the 
police, he began to have feelings of guilt, and one can think that he was 
called to Silent Hill.




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