Interpretation of "The fear of blood

Post by **Lifetolifeless** » 25 Sep 2006

robbie-kun wrote:That's why I said "To each their own."
It's to avoid confrontation, and also implies that you may further discuss it, regardless of what someone says.

Which is why I further discussed. That's all. No confrontation involved.

Post by **Silent hill Omniscient** » 25 Sep 2006

It's what you percieve it to be, If you have a fear of blood, then you become fearful knowing your vulnerable to what creates the fear within your flesh. Delusional or manifested?

Post by **Shorttail** » 29 Sep 2006

robbie-kun wrote:St. Thomas and Burning Man pretty much have this one under wraps. I don't really see how this would need to be peered into any further, but to each their own...

Too much credit. Too little thinking. Don't walk with your eyes shut.

Post by **LaraeGunn** » 29 Sep 2006

Shorttail wrote:
robbie-kun wrote:St. Thomas and Burning Man pretty much have this one under wraps. I don't really see how this would need to be peered into any further, but to each their own...
Too much credit. Too little thinking. Don't walk with your eyes shut.

I don't. I can read just fine also, thank you.
What kind of cult bullshit is that to say, anyway?

"Have no respect. Don't think for yourself. Walk off of the edge."
That's how your post came off to me, sorry.

Post by **Lifetolifeless** » 29 Sep 2006

It seems offensive because you've got it backward: Shorttail is suggesting that you think for yourself, so as to avoid the edge. To each his own, indeed; borrowing someone else's perception can bungle your own coordinants. Nothing ill towards you.

Post by **LaraeGunn** » 29 Sep 2006

Lifetolifeless wrote:It seems offensive because you've got it backward: Shorttail is suggesting that you think for yourself, so as to avoid the edge. To each his own, indeed; borrowing someone else's perception can bungle your own coordinants. Nothing ill towards you.

I'm not "borrowing" anything. That's what I've always thought.

Anyway, back on topic, please.

Post by **Shorttail** » 29 Sep 2006

So the analytical skills meet the ego after all, huh? Well, as he said, no harm intended. No intentions to hijack the thread either. Just catching the lose ends.

As for interpretation, does anybody know what the original text was? As in, before it was translated?

Post by **Great Knife** » 30 Sep 2006

My interpretation of it is as follows: Blood can represent being hurt. a fear of it can cause fear for yourself ,"the Flesh", being harmed . Basically a fear of blood or injury creates a fear of of your self being harmed or in pain.

Post by **Mekarah** » 04 Oct 2006

I hope this isn't thread necromancy (the last post wasn't too long ago!), but I love reading all of these interpretations. Personally, I've always leaned towards a meaning that encompassed the "if you're afraid to die you'll be afraid to live," but reading these makes me think more about it. I certainly think quite a few of you have some good interpretations of what it could mean. Could mean a number of different things, really, and I bet it's cryptic for that reason.

I googled around on both English and Japanese sites, and I couldn't find any videos or mention of an opening that didn't have the phrase in English. Obviously my sleuthing skills could use some work on the Japanese pages, and I'm at work so I don't have time to go all hardcore, but maybe there isn't a version in Japanese? Of the phrase, I mean.

Post by **whiter4bbit** » 07 Oct 2006

Uhm three possible interpretations for me...

1) From Alessa's point of view: blood equal pain, flesh equal people. So the fear of pain creates fear for the people, who caused that pain to Alessa.

2) From Harry's point of view towards Alessa: blood equal Alessa and her world, flesh equal Alessa herself. So the fear of Alessa's reality tends to create fear for Alessa herself, which represents quite well the ambiguity of the character in the game. Until the end you don't exactly know if she's "good" or "evil". Harry somewhat fears her, cause he fears her world, even if - at the end of the game - we all know Alessa was kinda innocent, or at least a victim.

3) From Harry's point of view towards himself: blood equal the horrors he sees in the game, flesh equal his flesh and survival. The fear of the horrors he witnesses, causes fear for himself, causes him to fight to survive. I quite dislike this third interpretation though, for it being to trivial in someway...

Post by **Loner** » 12 Oct 2006

I agree with the idea that blood represents pain and flesh represents all thing things that can cause pain. It seems to fit in with the story- Alessa knew so much pain that she began to fear and hate the things that cause pain. The statement itself is equally tragic if put into this perspective. The fear of blood (Pain) tends to create fear for the flesh (That which can cause pain in life, which is almost anything, especially other people). This fear of people not only excludes from any positive relationship with other people, but will eventually create a hatred towards people.
But then, I could always be wrong. This may be one of those things that mean different things to different people, but the question is what was it intended to mean?

Post by **Lifetolifeless** » 13 Oct 2006

Loner wrote:I agree with the idea that blood represents pain and flesh represents all thing things that can cause pain. It seems to fit in with the story- Alessa knew so much pain that she began to fear and hate the things that cause pain. The statement itself is equally tragic if put into this perspective. The fear of blood (Pain) tends to create fear for the flesh (That which can cause pain in life, which is almost anything, especially other people). This fear of people not only excludes from any positive relationship with other people, but will eventually create a hatred towards people.
But then, I could always be wrong. This may be one of those things that mean different things to different people, but the question is what was it intended to mean?

As with the other "this equals (that), which means that equals (that)" set-ups, this doesn't make any sense to me. Nothing represents anything. Even if it did, the importance of that significance is secondary to -- and only makes sense because of -- the way in which the sentence is structured, and any analogy becomes as interchangeable as legos. Once again, if there's anything important about the phrase, any basis for understanding, it's the contrast between its two prepositions. Sure, the fear of pain leads to fear of those things or agents capable of causing it. Of course, but there's nothing profound about that statement: it's almost redundant, and it doesn't represent a relationship parallel to the one outlined by the phrase in question. The actual phrase says fear for the flesh, not of. To fear for something means that you're concerned about its well-being. Something posing an imminent threat of pain or injury doesn't exactly cause one to suddenly become concerned for its well-being.

Post by **Arudap** » 13 Oct 2006

The fear of Konami to close business tends to create awesome games.
That's the truth, i guess.

Now seriously, i agree that the blood represents pain and the flesh what may cause pain. But one of the best things of Silent Hill, is that theories cannot explain exactly anything, so the city of Silent Hill remains very mysterious... that's my favourite thing: the atmosphere... not just the fog, the snow and the rusted/creepy stuff, but even this psychological side of the game.
So... it's not that i don't want you to discover the real meaning of "The fear of blood..." but i hope you don't... if you do, i hope i won't read it.

Post by **Jim beam was yo dADDY** » 08 Nov 2006

<i> The fear of Konami to close business tends to create awesome games </i> good stuff

Post by **the fifth survivor** » 16 Nov 2006

The fear of anything in particular naturally cultivates fear for the integrity of that which separates us from it. What need would we have to fear anything were there no skepticism as to our ability to maintain separation from it.

i agree with this and everyone who said the samething in differint words. i like how silent hill makes you feel like everything is a puzzle that you must spend all your time trying to solve.

Post by **heathergirl** » 01 Feb 2007

"The fear of blood tends to create fear for the flesh."

The fear of infliction tends to create the fear of living.

(has always been my interpretation.)

yesyes I agree with the above theories mostly though

Post by **Silent Addicted** » 08 Mar 2007

I totally agree with that.
When you're scared of everything you renounce to do anything, so that you live no more.

I'm not against the other theories, but hey, this is Silent Hill, there's room for more than just one truth!

YouTube · Post by **nur_ein_tier** » 08 Mar 2007

I don't think it needs to be heavily interpreted. fear of blood=fear of injury, fear for the flesh=fear of death, i'd say.

Post by **Sionnan** » 08 Mar 2007

Violence tends to create the need to protect people.

Or, that's how I saw it. Harry's afraid Cheryl's blood would be spilled. Ergo, he goes off looking to protect her from it.

See, the way I see it is the blood part means spilt blood, and fear for the flesh is that once you see that the violence has been done, the harm cast, then you want to make sure it never happens again. You fear for the fragile flesh that gets hurt so easily.

Since Harry has already lost his wife, he doesn't want to lose Cheryl, too.

Just my way of looking at it.

Post by **jason_the_one** » 16 Apr 2007

so goddam simple. fear FOR the flesh.
you cut your arm, it bleeds.
you put your other arm in a blender.
what happens?
YOU GET SCARED!!

fear of the blood tends to create fear for the flesh...

another way of saying the same thing is..

if you are scared of bleeding, you tend to get scared for the thing that bleeds.

you want to protect the thing that bleeds.

i also beleive that the reason we are shown this sentence so early is that it applies to many characters in the game. it is clearly meant to be significant.

harry=fears his daughter will be harmed
lisa= she saw alessa bleed all the time, and was very scared for her
cybil= after being exposed to the fear, she egins to fear for harry, who has been through a lot.

theres probably more.