Necromancer

side blog where I talk about my interests (tew, outlast, silent hill)

[lostinstem]

My point of view regarding how Walter Sullivan perceives apartment 302

Going straight to the point of my post, I feel that Walter associates apartment 302 with his mother's womb, and I'll explain why I think this. Since this is my personal opinion, I'm not imposing my ideas on anyone, and obviously, I welcome criticism as long as it's respectful.

tw: poor english maybe

──────────────────

To begin, I would like to point out the constant emphasis the game places on the connection Walter experienced with his mother through pregnancy, united by the umbilical cord. He longs for that symbolic bond, a connection he never had the opportunity to experience outside of his prenatal existence.

Let us consider that the apartment represents the only remnant Walter has of his mother, whom he never came to know. This absence fosters a form of dependence in him, typical of a child who never experienced genuine love; the unconditional love embodied by the maternal figure.

That primordial affection, Walter only knew it in its purest and most fleeting form, linked to his mother through the womb, where the deepest and, paradoxically, most unattainable bond of his life was forged.

──────────────────

Now let’s talk about the social concepts of what a home is and how this relates to my main idea: the womb and the apartment.

Socially, the concept of home is associated with a space where affection, security, and belonging are experienced. For many, home symbolizes stability and refuge, a place to return to in search of comfort and peace. The home provides a warm and welcoming environment, a safe space that evokes the feeling of being inside the maternal womb (I'm trying to explain this the best I can lmao).

I think the fact that Walter sees an entire apartment as his mother is quite abstract and open-ended, which leads us to the next question... What is Walter’s vision of what a mother is if he never had a maternal figure in his life?

I don’t think he can answer that question, but...

Motherhood is closely linked to the womb, as it is through it that a woman’s generative capacity manifests, and throughout history, motherhood has been tied to the womb not only in biological terms but also as a cultural and spiritual symbol that has defined roles and expectations around women. In ancient times, the womb was seen as a divine mystery, the place where the miracle of life occurred.

──────────────────

pd: I almost forgot, but mini Walter (it's fun to call him that) one of the first things he does when he enters the apartment is to lie down in the fetal position

[lostinstem]

Tell me I'm not the only one who thinks Stefano Valentini was a character with wasted potential. Bro, let him cook and don't kill him so quickly

[lostinstem]

Let's talk about Ruvik fanon and the amount of unnecessary hate Jiménez receives

Tw: poor english lmao

Something that I have seen too much during the five years I have been in this unfortunately dead fandom is that some people believe Ruvik became purely evil due to the incident he suffered. In reality, it is not at all like that. It generates a certain rejection in me that he was seen as a poor victim who only wanted to get his sister back.

It is essential to recognize that Ruvik possessed an exceptional mind from an early age, exhibiting traits of psychopathy due to his lack of empathy towards the animals he killed. His intelligence, along with his ability to understand and manipulate complex concepts, distinguished him from the rest, as well as isolated him. From a young age, his intellectual brilliance not only allowed him to excel in various fields of knowledge but also pushed him into a state of loneliness and emotional distancing.

This emotional distancing is a characteristic feature of psychopathy, a condition that often manifests in childhood and worsens over time. Throughout his childhood, Ruvik demonstrated a lack of empathy towards others, even his own family. His reactions to the suffering of others were cold and indifferent, indicating a significant emotional disconnection. This disturbing behavior became evident in his cruelty towards animals and his inability to relate emotionally to other human beings, showing an early inclination towards manipulation and control.

He was aware of his actions even though he was a child. He grew up in an environment of high social status and traditional morality, where values and standards of conduct were instilled. His sensitivity allowed him to discern between good and evil, understanding the ethical implications of his actions from an early age. Although he was just a child, his psychopathic traits and formidable intellect made him an individual dangerously obsessed with control and experimentation, foreshadowing what he would eventually become

All of these characteristics are evident prior to the fire. It should be mentioned that Ruvik's traumas acted as catalysts that exacerbated his internal psychopathic tendencies. His childhood manifested signs of a disturbed mind where traumatic events served to trigger his complete instability and even push him to his full limit.

Marcelo Jiménez

It's not his fault that Ruvik is so fucked up lol

I would like to introduce this character because, in addition to being important, many solidify the distorted fanon vision of Ruvik due to the impact of Jiménez's actions on him and why he ends up unfairly being one of the most hated characters in the game.

The main game presents Jiménez from a perspective that highlights the dire consequences of his experiments, leading to a negative and superficial perception of his character. However, when explored further in the DLC, a more complex and empathetic dimension of Jiménez, often overlooked, is revealed.

Jiménez is constantly blamed for Ruvik's death and the theft of his research, but it is crucial to analyze what is truly behind this. The dilemma Jiménez faced was complex. On the one hand, he felt loyalty and respect toward Ruvik, his colleague and friend. On the other hand, there was immense pressure from Mobius. The decision to steal Ruvik's research was not a simple betrayal but a desperate act to save his career and maintain access to the resources necessary to continue the research. Although morally questionable, this action is best understood in the context of constant coercion and threat.

Mobius's threats were clear: if Jiménez did not provide more information and progress on the stem project, he would be replaced. This threat was not trivial. The loss of his position at Beacon Psychiatric Hospital involved more than just dismissal; it meant the end of his career and the loss of access to resources essential for his research. Furthermore, these threats suggested a potential risk to his life, given Mobius's power to remove obstacles from his path.

It is obviously not justified that he stole Ruvik's research without permission, but he had an understandable reason.

Regarding the murder of Ruvik, it is essential to underline a very important point: Jiménez did not kill him; Mobius did. Jiménez only intervened when Ruvik had managed to make the stem system work solely with his brain waves, and was gradually withdrawing from the project to the point of almost never visiting the laboratory.

In entry #201, Jiménez expresses his deep fear of what Mobius could do to Ruvik. This entry reflects Jiménez’s fear of possible reprisals from Mobius and his concern about the situation, considering both the threats and Ruvik's refusal to participate in the laboratory. Technically, it was Jiménez's only option to force him (without knowing that Mobius intended to kill him).

Clear proof of the remorse Jiménez feels is found in entry #209, where, in addition to expressing disbelief at having been part of such an atrocity, he shows a visible decline in his way of recounting it. Jiménez demonstrates respect for Ruvik's work rather than mere greed, while Mobius pursued his own goals with ruthless determination, focusing primarily on large-scale control and manipulation. The stem project, in which Ruvik was deeply involved, had immense potential for mind control and the creation of alternate realities, something Mobius viewed as a tool to consolidate his power. The organization did not value Ruvik's scientific discoveries and advances for their intrinsic merit but solely for how they could be exploited for its own purposes.

It remains to be mentioned that Jiménez integrated Ruvik into Mobius because they had found out about his existence, he wanted to provide him with better facilities along with support to avoid his morbid inclinations (entry #120)

It's okay if you don't like the character, but I feel like most of the hate he gets is due to a lack of understanding.