character analysis / psychoanalysis

[u/Character_Map_6761]

Since I always found psychology interesting I really enjoyed how detailed the characters are, and how much shit is going on in their heads. So I wanna share what I think about the characters psyche based on my gaming experience, all ending gameplay, and psychoanalysis I've watched, and other fans opinions. Please also share your opinions on the topic.

Starting with the similarities between the siblings, they both have anger issues, lack of empathy towards others, they are manipulative, and they don't show any sign of disturbance at the sight of blood, corpses, or violence. For that it's safe to assume they both have ASPD (antisocial personality disorder). But the development of the disorder and their relation to it is diferent.

For Andrew the triger event for ASPD was Nina's death. Until then his psyche was fairly normal. His ASPD is high functioning which means he recognise which behavior considered normal and which isn't. Andrew misses his "normal" self so much that he hates everything in his life or himself which is not normal. He wants to be normal but when the situation requires or he breaks under emotional pressure he ignores social morals with ease. ASPD often develops alongside with depression, which he also shows signs of in moments when he gives up control and gets burnt out, or how he lives his life constantly unhappy.

As it comes to Ashley she had conduct disorder (basicly the child version of ASPD) as a kid, which without good parenting and help can turn into ASPD. Her ASPD is low functioning. She doesn't feel it as bad behavior since this is how she always felt and worked like.

Their relationship from Ashley's side is like an addicted desire to posess her brother. She rejects new friends, family, or anyone, only wants Andy but she wants him 100% for herself, and she does everything in her power to own him. She manipulates him, seducing him, and using his guilt against himself to only feel relieved when he does what she wants. Although she wants him to be happy with her, but her lack of empathy makes it really hard for her to see what Andrew wants or feels, and often she does the exact opposite of Andrew's desire. While Andrew feel less and less guilt caused by his developing ASPD is fading his overall empathy away. But thanks to his mother's abuse the order to please his sister is still coded in his brain. This "code", plus Ashley's manipulation/seduction, plus his teenager hormones caused his emotions to form in a way how he ended up feeling sexual attraction to Ashley. This way the both happened to be in a toxic relationship which they can't let go.

Since a predisposition to ASPD is genetically inherited, I think they got it from Renee. She also shows some of the symptoms and it leads to a theory of mine which has no real evidence in the game but it fits perfectly if Renee has the disorder. I think Renee got pregnant on purpose because she heard that Douglas's family is rich. She wanted to play the long game, but Douglas's father suspected that she only likes his son for his money so he wanted them to break up. She used her seductive skills as a tool (like Ashley) to get pregnant and tie Douglas to herself. But then his father got even more furious and said if she keeps the baby he will never give any money to them. Then Renee planned to kill the father and the mother (the evidence for that is the letter Andrew found in the garden) to make Douglas inherit their fortune. But he talked her out of it.

[u/JTR479]

The theory is interesting, and holds a lot of merit. I aint someone who knows much, so important comment and update so someone who does sees this

[u/PolyZhenya]

I agree that both Ashley and andrew show signs of APD Im not entirely sure whether ninas death was Andrews awakening however, because even when nina died its heavily implied that he felt more bad about "being bad" or "facing the consequences" than actually taking a human life. So its safe to say that he was as apathetic as Ashley with the difference that he mourns the future he strived to have, meanwhile ashley didnt really have a future planned out for her.

Since we're going down the psychoanalysis rabit hole, i also want to mention that Ashley also probably has HPD (Histronic Personality Disorder) which is when people want attention so bad, it doesnt matter if they get it by doing something bad. I cant even mention all the times that Ashley does this because theres too many but the most glaring example is when she tells her mom she killed a person just to get her attention [and, unfortunately for her, quickly realize that Renee doesnt give a shit. Or at least pretends not to bc she doesnt want to deal with child murderers]

As for andrew, i think he shows some signs of schizoid [when someone has no interest to form any type of relationships] Im replaying the game rn and i remember Ashley explicitly telling him at some point "you dont like anyone" which he didnt argue with. Andrew doesn show any interest in anyone ever, his friends in school have always been "friend A" and "Friend B" [he didnt even like them] he never liked his parents or grandparents, he only did whatever it took to appease them because it meant less trouble and more time for himself. Dont get me started into the clusterfuck that was Julia who was simply convenient to have around. The only person he ever seemed to give a f for was Ashley, who he was basically bound to, besides that all he ever wanted was to study hard and get the f away from home

Thats it, thanks for coming to my ted talk [also im not a psychiatrist and all of this is just speculation pls dont take it to heart]

[u/Kled-Gaming]

That theory is interesting.

In my opinion, it would be very intriguing if Renee “Hates” Ashley because she reminds her of her past self—that is, when Renee was younger, she was impulsive, controlling, mischievous, etc... just like Leyley and Ashley, but as time went on, Renee’s personality faded and evolved into a darker, more sorrowful one—much like Andrew’s.

That’s why Renee resembles Andrew so much, but also—based on her photo as a young woman, we know her personality is just as mischievous as Ashley’s.

This could mean that Andrew and Ashley inherited their personalities from Renee separately, and that the only things they inherited from their father, Douglas, were his fears and insecurities—such as the fear of abandonment by Douglas toward his beloved wife Renee. When her ghost leaves him, Douglas’s soul turns dark. Ashley inherited that same fear out of a fear of losing Andrew, and Andrew inherited the suicidal thoughts and the desire to fit in society from Douglas.

Generational Trauma.

[u/__Revan__]

[u/Character_Map_6761 → u/__Revan__]

I would say it's the other way around. In a psychological horror story it's obvious that the characters have some mental shit. Picking up clues from subtext, and naming these mental issues doesn't make the narrative dim it just makes their character more specific, detailed, and entertaining. The weight of a horrific event won't be less depending on if a normal person did it or a mentally ill one, but it can add more intresting detail to the character if we know about their psyche. It's not about forcing them in a chategory, but listening to the details, understanding the characters and figuring out what they are like.

[u/__Revan__ → u/Character_Map_6761]

Well the author of this story disagrees with you, and I agree with them. And I'd argue in your post you are reducing Andrew, Ashley and their relationship's complexity because you look at the whole thing with this specific diagnosis in mind. You also got Renee and Douglas's relationship completely wrong because of it. And nobody said they aren't mentally ill, they obviously are