Okay so a lot of people have a problem with the IHNMAIMS game for many reasons, but mostly because Ellen's storyline doesn't make much sense with the others. Nimdok is getting tortured by AM because he was a Nazi, Ted was being tortured because he was a playboy and a liar, Benny let his comrades die, Gorrister possibly sent his wife to an asylum, etc. But Ellen was only sexually abused. That is the furthest thing from her fault, and certainly one of the cruelest things that AM does. So why does AM torture Ellen? I think I have an explaination that might explain things.
First of all, AM isn't torturing the survivors because he wants to teach them a lesson about their past mistakes, because obviously Ellen doesn't have one, at least not one to be tortured over. Plus AM's just not the vigilante type. I think he's doing these things to make them recognise their fears - not face their fears or get over them - but recognise them, to see them, using their own guilt and fear as a weapon. Like that scene from A Clockwork Orange, he's keeping their eyes wide open.
-Nimdok's fear is his heritage, and his shame for his horrific experiments on his own people. He feels guilt not only for the experiments and for throwing his own parents to the Nazis, but that he knows he can never ever atone. His crimes are too great. He's also one of the more obvious cases of AM trying to force them to look at their fears. Nimdok doesn't remember his past, so AM forces his eyes open to see.
-Gorrister's fear is him being at fault for his wife's mental illness, and his guilt over her being put in the asylum. His guilt (and his other tortures from AM) are partly the reason for his attempts at suicide. But of course, AM can't have that, so he punishes Gorrister by, again, forcing him to face his fears.
-Benny's fear and guilt is never knowing if his comrades forgive him, if he is actually a changed man or if he is still an animal inside (and outside, thanks to AM). Benny in the book was gay, before being forced straight by AM. Benny in the game was a soldier who killed his commrades who were seen as weaker, that had shown weakness. The graves themselves say that Brickman is the one that Benny has to apologise to the most. I may have been the only one, but I thought that maybe Brickman could have also been an ex-lover of Benny's, which could have been seen as this supposed 'weakness' of Brickman's. Benny could have been so afraid of being discharged, especially as a drill sergeant, that he killed his lover Brickman so that nobody could have found out. That is why Brickman is seen as more important to apologise to, and why Benny feels that he has to prove himself a changed man even more.
-Ted's fear is his lies being revealed, he's mentioned to be paranoid (though that point was more obvious in the book) which could be due to constantly wondering if he was going to be called out on his behaviour. And his storyline could be reexamined as his fear of if he actually did fall in love with someone, that he wouldn't be able to pretend to be 'knight in shining armour' anymore. I don't believe he was actually in love with Ellen, the book made that part very clear, but because she was the first woman he had actually spent time with, without a mask or an act, that made her even scarier to Ted. Ellen knew who Ted was, without his armour.
-And Ellen. Ellen's story is told in a fantastic way. When we first start her story, she has panic attacks about the colour yellow, she has panic attacks over enclosed spaces. But later on it's revealed that it's not these things on their own that scare her, they're painful reminders of her attacker. It's how after trauma you can only remember certain parts, and not often the full picture. And AM does this to force Ellen to look at her fear full on. Not just yellow, not just small spaces. But of course, if you play the game right, she fights back and gains control of her fear again. But it's clear that Ellen is never 'cured' of these things, she's still scared. But she's probably the least willing to put up with AM bullshit. Her guilt is related to her rape, a lot of people such as myself who have been sexually assaulted/abused do feel guilty, and no matter what people say to assure you, you do often feel like it's your fault, or that your life has ended here, much like how Ellen started slowing down her education after the attack. And due to her being a black woman in the 60s/90s depending on the story, of course she wouldn't exactly feel safe coming forward with anything. This doesn't make AM's torture any less cruel than before, in fact it's probably more so, but it makes more sense than AM punishing Ellen for nothing.
I think it's a really interesting way of looking at it, and it makes a few of their storylines like Benny's, Ted's and especially Ellen's make a bit more sense. If you have any ideas of your own I'd like to hear them!
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