MovieChat Forums > Silent Hill 4: The Room (2004) Discussion > Is Henry a sociopath

Is Henry a sociopath

posted 18 years ago by FoxDie
21 replies | jump to latest

I have brought up this therory several times on this board and I have been debating it with myself. Is Henry a sociopath? For those of you who don't know, a sociopath is any person incapable of feeling emotion or forming emotional bonds with others. This seems to fit Henry since we rarly see him express the usual feeling of anxiaty, fear, stress, confusion, frustration or diminished sense of reality that we can usually assosiate with other silent hill protagonists. We also know that Henry does not know any of his neighbors to any extent and lives totally isolated which seems to fit an Antisocial Personality disorder. However,
people suffering from ASPD show a disinct lack of empathy for the suffering around them since they cannot assosiate themselves with emotions related to empathy or suffering. Henry on several occasions shows great concern for he suffering of others around him. He is very tender with Cynthia as she dies and he activly tries to protect Ellien even though he does not even know her.

I leave this open to others to voice their imput, ecpessially those who have some knowlage on the subject

Life is the greatest teacher....it is a shame that it ends up killing all its students

[–] kainsvampire 18 years ago

That is a good explanation for his behavior, but I think it was really just a mistake on the creators' part that made him seem almost emotionless, and Henry had no "reason" in the video game world to be emotional, because he isn't connected to anyone. I mean, the other characters of Silent Hill were very calm as well; Harry only expressed his anxiety because his daughter went missing, James because of his wife, Heather because of her father (although she probably had the most range of emotion out of them all). Other than that, they seemed pretty controlled in the hellish nightmare, just like Henry. Actually, that's typical behavior for nearly all protagonists of survival horror games, so I don't think Henry's behavior needs much analyzing.

Interesting thoughts, though. He sure did seem like a sociopath at times, but maybe he's new or just generally shy so doesn't know his neighbors too well. I also heard sociopaths can imitate concern, although I think the fact that he actually went out of his way to protect Eileen and stop Walter from murdering anyone else would be enough to debunk the sociopath theory.

"Do my worst, eh? Smithers, release the robotic Richard Simmons." - Mr. Burns

[–] FoxDie 18 years ago

well the only person he really goes out of his way to help is ellien. stopping Walter is only his concern because Walter plans to kill him and from what I saw, he didn't seem espessially concerneded about the other victums. it was more like

Henry: Hey your trappped in this alernate demention just like we. It would appear that we are in the same boat and logic states that we should work togther tro solve this delema....but no. I'll just go my way and you can go your and mabye we will both make it to the exit.

"After much adventuring"

Henry: Oh no, it would appear that the other person was killed. Oh well in a few seconds I'm gonna wake up in my bed safe and sound

that is basically how it is with most of the victums except Ellien and cynthia. M

Life is the greatest teacher....it is a shame that it ends up killing all its students

[–] wiredshovit 18 years ago

I don't think he's a sociopath, but i think he may be tripping on LSD or something. I mean, his diolog is all spacy, stereotypical hippy sounding. He swats at flying bug/bats (bad trips can result in feeling like there are bugs all over/around you), he has a hidden room in his apt, which is located in a project in a shady neighborhood. He hangs out in train stations and alleys. At two points in the game he's in a prison. He also shows up at a hospital where he finds a syringe and just takes it. All he has in his fridge is a bottle of wine and some milk, where did his food money go? drugs maybe? Theres a gun hidden in his house, a shady drug dealer guy is trying to kill him. He has a convo with some dude in his ceiling. People seem suspicious of him. He keeps his house locked up tight too, and wakes up every day not remembering how he got back to his room and he's all spaced out.

Don't wipe your ass with my integrity-Corey Taylor

[–] akacolumbine 18 years ago

"that is basically how it is with most of the victums except Ellien and cynthia"

Maybe he just wants to get laid

[–] stanleycoleman 18 years ago

Asocial and Antisocial aren't the same thing. In order to be diagnosed with "Antisocial Personality Disorder", the patient has to actually have a blantant disregard for and defiance towards the rules of society. Someone who has ASPD has a misanthropic mentality and often takes joy in others' misery. Hence the reason why serial killers are referred to as sociopaths.

So to answer your question, sociopath : no. hermit : yes.

-----
http://myspace.com/cloudstrife

[–] Edgewater20 17 years ago

No, because he has the patience to lead Eileen all over the damn place.

[–] enkephalin07 17 years ago

I do somewhat agree with the OP. I hadn't gone so far as to draw the conclusion that Henry was sociopathic, but it doesn't seem far fetched given the personality traits he's exhibited.

"enkephalin07 on Sat Jul 2 2005 21:08:37

I thought he was a little too cool. The way he walked and the killer's look in his eye, how easily he got used to picking up weapons and killing, how little emotion he showed between killings, even while Cynthia was dying at his feet...perhaps there isn't so much difference between him and Walter.

He also fits the profile, at least superficially: quiet, asocial, with some artistic ability. Out of all the SH characters, he shows the least humanity, least internal conflict, least personality and emotion."

Though he didn't show strictly anti-social behavior toward others, in the course of this game he was concerned with survival, and already beset with too many enemies not to make at least alliances with others he met.

[–] enkephalin07 17 years ago

I don't know if anyone else got this impression, but the first time I played, I started to believe up until the end that Henry was the killer, and that he was disassociating himself from the killings, like in Angel Heart.

Cynthia died in front of him, then Jasper, and by Andrew I was expecting the pattern -- everyone Henry came into contact with died not by the ghosts and monsters that were chasing him, but by causes that might have been linked to him, since he had the means and opportunity, all that left to explain was the motive. And with every death he showed a little less concern.

I couldn't shake this impression up to the end, so when Walter actually did turn out to be the monster, it was an interesting twist for me.

[–] Sylent_Hill 17 years ago

Uh, I think Henry doesn't show a lot of emotion towards the people dying in front of him generally because he doesn't know them very well. I mean, if someone I just met died, I wouldn't break down and cry. I can't feel emotion for someone I don't know - and neither can Henry.

But it's not like he didn't try to help people. He tried to help Cynthia and when he found her dying, he tried to comfort her until her last breath. He tried to free Richard, but was electricuted slightly when he did. And throughout the game he tries to protect Eileen (which he did know, they used to say hi to eachother when they would meet in the hallways. They both were just shy with the other.)

So, personally, I believe Henry is just a shy person who keeps to himself (I'm the same way). Throughout his journey through Walter's hell, he didn't bond with very many people he met - mostly because they would die shortly after he meets them. But I think Henry is actually realistically. it would be weird for him to start screaming "Richard? RICHARD?! Noooooooooooooooo!!! Why? Why God?! Why did you have to take Richard?! Why?!?!?".... yeah >.>;;;

[–] joestank15 17 years ago

Um...no. To be a sociopath you need to be more than just anti-social and, as Henry is locked in his appartment for the majority of the game, we only occasioanlly get to see him interact with people. A prisoner is separtated from society by definition. Therefore it's not terribly fair to call Henry anti-social. That would be like calling a starving man anorexic. yes he's thin, but it's hardly by his choice that he is so.

A sociopath has no respect for society's rules of conduct with others. Charles Manson is a sociopath. Henry Townsend is a shy man locked in his appartment.

As for his lack of prior interaction with Eileen, c'mon. People can be shy or emotionally detached (my friend can be). Eileen's hot. I do agree that he shows little reaction to his terrifying predicament and is along the lines of Harry "have you seen my daughter" Mason personality-wise, but I blame that on the game-makers. After the interesting characters of Heather and especially James, to give Henry an emotional range that would make Keanu proud was a bad idea. I think they hoped the gimicks in Room would distract the gamers.

[–] Arwyn_The_Comet_Rider 17 years ago

No, his voice actor was just doing a crappy job.

I'm always right.

[–] Edgewater20 17 years ago

He obviously felt emotion, he just never showed it.

*SPOILERS*

I mean he grabs at Richard's electric chair to try and save him. Henry isn't retarded, so I'm sure he knows that the current is going through it, but he still grabs at it anyways.

He tries to comfort Cynthia as she dies by telling her it's only a dream.

He doesn't show it, but he feels it. Look at his relationship with Eileen. He went through all that hell, even in the hospital to save her. He didn't even know if she was still alive, yet he went exploring anyways.

[–] 17 years ago

[deleted]

[–] toxina90 16 years ago

But doesn't a sociopath's diagnosis also include the acting out of extreme violence with no motive?

Get on board the JJ love train(Jelena Jankovic board)

[–] enkephalin07 16 years ago

Sorta; every variety of sociopathy has a collection of symptoms that would strongly support the violent streak as part of the profile. Hm...

"1. Callous unconcern for the feelings of others and lack of the capacity for empathy.
2. Gross and persistent attitude of irresponsibility and disregard for social norms, rules, and obligations.
3. Incapacity to maintain enduring relationships.
4. Very low tolerance to frustration and a low threshold for discharge of aggression, including violence.
5. Incapacity to experience guilt and to profit from experience, particularly punishment.
6. Marked proneness to blame others or to offer plausible rationalizations for the behavior bringing the subject into conflict.
7. Persistent irritability."

Damn, that sounds like my teen years. Anyway, the 'with no motive' part is tough to pin down because justification and rationalization seem to be a typical part of the pattern. Sociopaths may claim a motive after the fact, but not necessarily with any consistency, they may change their reasons for doing the same act, even the same instance of the act, and still believe themselves validated.

[–] DidntRealise 16 years ago

HAHAHAH WTF? i think that u mean Walter, no?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antisocial_personality_disorder(i think you clarify here better, because if i explain u with my horrible english and with my imagination for to tell this with 1 story...hahahah)
this game is pure philosophy dude, reminds me to the Myth Of Cave, Henry only try to survive and to live into this!
this game is the *beep* *beep* 1 of my favourites ever!
my Rating objectively was:
Silent Hill: 10
Silent Hill 2: 9.9
Silent Hill 3: 8.9
Silent Hill 4: 10
and subjectively a 10 for the 1,2 and 3 and a 11 for the 4! LOL

www.myspace.com/messiah_chrit1

[–] enkephalin07 16 years ago

this game is the *beep* *beep* 1 of my favourites ever!

So? What's that have to do with whether Henry is a sociopath? Henry may be fighting for survival here, but doesn't he seem to have the potential to be Walter himself, given other circumstances? The look in his eyes, the way he moves like a killer, his calmness in the face of the bizarre, not to mention how closely his personal life before fit the profile.

btw, that link was the source I drew the list from; if you'd actually read what you're referencing you'd surely recognize it.

Anyway, I'm had to post here to keep this game on the first page of my board history;]

[–] doomtrot26 16 years ago

I wouldn't go so far to call Henry a sociopath, but he's definitely on par with the average creep and forced house arrest or not, he's got some very blatant issues.

Our first indication is that the manual to the game literally describes him as a calm young man who never lets his emotions show; I've met some calm young men who never let their emotions show and I wouldn't be surprised if they never had any to begin with, but I've also known some of the BS they've been responsible for with more coldness and lack of care or feeling for anyone they hurt and at a constant desire to use others. Plus anyone who keeps their voice to a permanent mumble is ALWAYS hiding something.

The real icing on the accusation cake however is the fact that he's a pervert. Don't try to protect him on this one, take a good look at where at least one of his hands lands on Cynthia and Eileen whenever they're not in a position to resist him and conveniently have blood on them.

[–] cidandreevefangirl 16 years ago

doomtrot26: And let's not forget the small hole in Henry's apartment wall that shows a good portion of Eileen's bedroom. No doubt he spent many a night perving on her through that small hole in the wall. lol

- - -

Wasn't Henry a social recluse even before he was trapped in his apartment? It was mentioned somewhere in the game (forget where) that nobody in his apartment really knew him or even knew what his name was. He's
It's a sweet little irony that Henry kept to himself and didn't go out much, yet when he's trapped he desperately wants out of his apartment.

To put it bluntly, Henry was a creep and a social reject. By the end of it he learnt to become a better person through saving Eileen. (if you manage to save her, that is).
But overall, he's just a creep.

[–] Khulozz 16 years ago

I don't think we know nearly enough about him to know he's a creep. To me he comes off very quiet, possibly awkward, but still very caring as evidenced by his looking out for Eileen. Not to mention he's been under the influence of Walter and Silent Hill for quite some time before we're introduced to him, which undoubtedly affected his psyche.

"Yeah... well I'm taller."

[–] shadyvsesham 9 years ago

Honestly, I think the developers dropped the ball. I can see why people think this, but I do think this is more on the developers. I do think they meant for Henry to be shy, quiet, and a very caring individual but sometimes it doesnt show.

Like when you first have Eileen with you, and youre going down the ladder, and she says,"I cant go down the ladder with my arm like this" (Something to that extent, forgive me I need to replay this, been awhile.) Anywho, Henry just goes down the ladder. Doesnt say,"Hey, wait here Ill be back" or,"Ok, ill hurry and come back to you, STAY HERE!" Or even,"Wait here, I shall return." Something, no, he just ditches her basically leaving her to wonder,"Is he coming back." SO many times, Eileen talks to him and he says nothing. Look Im shy too, but I mean.....if youre in that situation and youre trying to protect someone, you are going to atleast respond to this girl who is talking to you. That was my main issue.

I do think the developers meant for him to be a caring individual, they should have given the guy more lines. I mean even at the end (spoilers) if you get the good ending, DUDE still says nothing!