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| shojakka |
 Posted: Tue Jan 12, 2010 11:49 pm |
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Joined: 11 Nov 2009
Posts: 148
Location: RI, USA (teehee, acronyms)
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Evamarie wrote: My first time playing through I subscribed to her learning to fly through some sort of magic and then the man who took her up dropped her and she died/drowned. Then I played her again after I'd played all the way through.
When she sits on the tub she makes a comment about wanting to be weightless - sorry if I forget exact wording. My thought was eating disorder? She focuses on being weightless and floating away.
After reading this forum, I'm more convinced. The talk of illness is intriguing and if she is severely anorexic (or bulimic - there are bathrooms) then she'd end up in the hospital.
An eating disorder can be like a disease. I don't know if the game really intended eating disorder, but the disease idea holds merit and I'm wondering if it is a mental one - why not anorexia? Sometimes anorexia is triggered by not wanting to grow up. Though I must admit that I don't think she talks about being thin in the game at all. I also haven't unlocked all of her rooms.
Thoughts?
I like your idea, her physical appearence also further influences that idea, she's really pale and wears a long dress (maybe ashamed of her legs?). |
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| lonlynemo |
| Posted: Wed Jan 27, 2010 12:31 am |
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Joined: 16 Nov 2009
Posts: 46
Location: U.S.A.
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| (I don't know if this has bin said or not) for the illness theory, what if Rose got pneumonia. this sickness causes liquid to fill the lungs. when I asked my mom about it she mentioned the people that died in a way Dround this could relate to the water. (SPOILER)the room in grandmothers house where the water is rising could be her lungs being filling up with the liquid...she's still fun to draw... |
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| winterflame |
| Posted: Sat Jan 30, 2010 11:35 pm |
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Joined: 07 Dec 2009
Posts: 9
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Rose definitely had a life/death theme going on. She talked a lot about death, and I immediately associated her wolf with an angel.
I just finished playing her, and I'm not sure what to think yet. She's my favorite so far because she reminds me of myself (a little narcissistic but I think we all tend to like characters we can associate ourselves with).
If I think about it a little longer, maybe a theory will come to me. Right now all I can come up with is angels = flying, and Rose seemed interested in flight with her interaction with the bird and constantly staring at the sky.
On another note, did anyone else hear moaning by the wall and a few other places? I couldn't tell if it was moaning or humming or... well, it definitely sounded like moaning to me. I heard it the most by the wall and around the lake. Is it from Carmen's wolf or does it have to do with Rose? |
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| Poppy |
| Posted: Sun Jan 31, 2010 9:19 am |
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Joined: 30 Jan 2010
Posts: 11
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I know the masturbation theory was brought up on the last page, but I thought I'd just post a link to this take on it.
I don't think the masturbation theory is supported by the game as much as the illness one, but I think it still has some merit. |
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| 12gatsunohime |
| Posted: Wed Feb 24, 2010 4:59 pm |
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Joined: 23 Feb 2010
Posts: 2
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If anyone even reads these threads anymore...
I'll admit, when she got in the boat, I thought drowning. From the second she found the wolf to the end of GMH I thought drugs. Now, I don't really know what to think.
The terminal illness theory makes sense in terms of symbolism and her weakness, but my impression of it differs. I think she was given some kind of drug without her knowledge by the wolf, resulting in her walking like she had been tranquilized on the way to GMH and the ceiling fan being on the floor when she arrived, as well as the multiplying bathroom stalls and the bed tornado at the end.
Or, now that I think about it, she might have been in the hospital and begun hallucinating as a side effect of the medical treatment she was given (my grandmother had cancer and begun hallucinating when she was given the wrong painkillers). So that makes sense, too.
I do think her mind was altered chemically, though. It just makes too much sense, especially with the greenhouse room. |
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| Alice |
| Posted: Mon Sep 06, 2010 12:37 pm |
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Joined: 22 Sep 2009
Posts: 7
Location: Wonderland
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Yeah, the "drugs" explanation is pretty easy to fall in because of all the surreality of Rose's adventure, but I never liked it much.
The Path game is all about symbolism and interpretations, and nothing in it should be taken literally. The main point of the wolf scenes are (the way I see it) in describing the the girls' passage to the next stage of their lives, maybe not even womanhood, but just different level of perception - not just physical death or physical experiences.
Rose is nice, gentle and loving, she has this deep sense of connection between all the living things, yet she is still a little girl. There is an expression in Russian "to soar in clouds", that is pretty close to English "to have one's head in the clouds". That's why, maybe, the Lake scene represents Rose as a dreamy, a bit naive child, "soaring" in that clouds/mist, all alone in her ethereal world, and than meeting/finding/experiencing someone/something, that makes her come down to earth and face the harsh reality (that's why the angel-like, spirit-like creature suddenly appears as "naturalistic" as it is). But then, Rose doesn't "hit the ground", she descends into water, drowning and then coming back renewed, grown up.
By the way, in Chinese mythology blue Water Dragon symbolized death and rebirth, and even in Christian tradition the rite of christening is all about purification and renewal through water, in old times that rite was held with people standing in the river or the lake.
That's why there are things in Rose's GMH swinging in the air (with confusion about the upcoming changes) and why there are so much water (maybe even the bathroom references could fall into this line). After drowning and blacking out she'll come a bit broken, a bit breathless, but much more mature than she was before. |
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| nightlock |
| Posted: Wed Jun 06, 2012 3:41 am |
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Joined: 06 Jun 2012
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When I first played through as Rose I thought she might have an eating disorder.
The comments she makes about wanting to float, be free, be weightless, etc. sound kind of like she's obsessed with wanting to be lighter. Especially since in the house she sees all of the bathroom stalls it alludes that she might have been throwing up there.
As for the floating man, I thought that he was just a representation of something she wanted to be like--someone who could be so light that she could fly. The muscle showing through his skin (or lack there of?) could just be emphasizing that she's concerned with bodily health and physical appearance. Then as she's walking to grandma's house she seems kind of unsteady. The dizzyness she experiences would go along with the idea that she's not eating properly.
The age range supports it, I think. Around age 11 is usually when girls start getting more concerned with their appearance. |
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| ~SerenRed~ |
| Posted: Sat Jun 16, 2012 12:12 pm |
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Joined: 01 Jun 2012
Posts: 5
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nightlock wrote: When I first played through as Rose I thought she might have an eating disorder.
The comments she makes about wanting to float, be free, be weightless, etc. sound kind of like she's obsessed with wanting to be lighter. Especially since in the house she sees all of the bathroom stalls it alludes that she might have been throwing up there.
As for the floating man, I thought that he was just a representation of something she wanted to be like--someone who could be so light that she could fly. The muscle showing through his skin (or lack there of?) could just be emphasizing that she's concerned with bodily health and physical appearance. Then as she's walking to grandma's house she seems kind of unsteady. The dizzyness she experiences would go along with the idea that she's not eating properly.
The age range supports it, I think. Around age 11 is usually when girls start getting more concerned with their appearance.
That makes sense. I like it.  |
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| Forty |
| Posted: Thu Jul 19, 2012 3:50 am |
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Joined: 19 Jul 2012
Posts: 10
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I took her route as her trying to embrace everything in pure love without hesitation. She embraces even the 'cloudman wolf' -who just about anyone else would not even attempt to- without any fear because she believes in the goodness of everything. I can not quite figure out what the cloudman wolf is.. but I do not think he tried to hurt her , it was just in his nature. He is kind of like an elemental or a spirit of some kind. I highly doubt he represents an actual person or animal. But whatever it was she tried to embrace it out of pure innocent love and it by its nature -though unintentional- killed her. Perhaps her ideals were set to high and she innocently loved something and it turned out badly - and she realized that the world is not based on fluffy happy things - causes the end of her innocence. She truly believed she could change anyone or anything with a caring heart as she says about the raven.
"Black dress and bitter voice. All you need is a little
care. And you'll feel better."
She deeply wants to embrace the world in pure love and she gets her wish but it ends up hurting her. Well, that is as good of a theory I could come up with. What do you guys think? |
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| Ailove |
| Posted: Thu Oct 11, 2012 5:12 am |
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Joined: 18 Sep 2012
Posts: 1
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| Well written, there is a lot to learn.Thanks to the author. |
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| PecanRed |
| Posted: Fri Jan 04, 2013 5:56 pm |
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Joined: 03 Dec 2009
Posts: 7
Location: Miami, FL
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Poppy wrote: I know the masturbation theory was brought up on the last page, but I thought I'd just post a link to this take on it.
I don't think the masturbation theory is supported by the game as much as the illness one, but I think it still has some merit.
I'm still trying to figure out Rose years later and I've heard about this theory before. Though it's not often discussed, obviously because of the taboo behind discussing such things, the more I think about it, the more it becomes the theory that makes the most sense to me/is the most universally relatable. :I Now I don't want anyone to think that I go around looking for ways to link topics about sexuality to a game about adolescents, but I was a young girl too once and Rose's age is pretty much around the time where I too, started thinking about this stuff. Not to mention the original Red Riding Hood story had some themes about discovering sexuality as well, so let's keep an open mind.
Now, maybe Rose's story isn't outright "omg she touched herself!!!!" but on the whole about her having her sexual awakening, and exploring herself might have just been the "trauma". She's portrayed as a young, naive girl, interested in very innocent things. Maybe it's that point in her life where her mind starts turning to other things all of a sudden, and she doesn't know what's going on. As said before she thinks she's done something wrong, and since she's never talked to anyone about it, she doesn't know why she's feeling these things, and is ashamed. Hence the whole air of mystery and feeling lost within the fog all around the house.
The bathroom imagery and the rain representing the shower was brought up before. The lake as a whole is a vast area of danger and mystery at first glance, but not so bad once you've actually explored it. Robin is much too young to go explore that lake, Ginger has probably taken a ride in it before and wasn't interested as much, the rest of the girls have probably ridden in it before and think it's no big deal now. Rose is at just the right age to explore that lake, and decides to, and who should she find but Cloud Wolf. At first it's seemingly just a ball of mist, but there's a clearly a man in it, not an actual man, just a fantasy-like idea of one. Rose is scared, but interested, and pursues the cloud of mist. The cloud provides a feeling she's never felt before, but she likes it, it lifts her up higher and higher, and then suddenly back down to earth. What just happened? Maybe she shouldn't have done that, and now she's ashamed.
It's too late, however, as Cloud Wolf has already spread his corruption, all over the house, in Rose's life. Everywhere she goes, these feelings she doesn't want to talk about keep pouring in, piling higher and higher until she's almost drowned in them. And where should Cloud Wolf appear to her again but in the bedroom? She wants him to go away, but she also wants to feel what she did before once more. She can't get rid of him, and he's suffocating her. ("death" pictures  )
I've heard and thought about many theories about Rose throughout the years before, but this one particularly stood out to me because everything seemed to perfectly click into place to support it. I'm glad the dude who wrote that article was brave enough to talk about it, honestly, because it's not unlike many young girls (myself included) to feel these things at that age and, never having talked about the birds and the bees, feel ashamed to discuss it with anyone.
Remember, keep an open mind and that the game is open to any interpretation with no right and wrong answer! |
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| DreamiMel |
| Posted: Sat Mar 16, 2013 7:36 pm |
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Joined: 16 Mar 2013
Posts: 1
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now for something completely different! This is my own theory, and though it is probably not possible and filled with holes, I think it has some merit.
Rose could've been pregnant.
Now, before you guys all jump on me, hear me out. Rose has a very caring and benevolent soul, she cares about animals and is very spiritual. She could have some religious beliefs. She is also seen as mature for her age, it could be possible that she did get her period before Ginger. (periods start between the ages of 8 and 15 so it could be possible. hell, my sister got her first period at 8 years old!) Now, I'm not all for the rape theories that surround this whole game, but Rose isn't like Carmen, so it's probably the only way she could've gotten pregnant. The fact that her wolf kind of looks like a fetus surrounded in clouds supports this. She wanted the baby, and her religious beliefs could've frowned upon abortion. However, due to illness and her parents, she was probably forced to abort it. From there, she went into a deep depression(depression is often described as a drowning feeling) and took happy pills and got addicted to various prescription drugs. took in animals to compensate for her lost baby. Due to her religion, she could've felt ashamed for what she did.
Her path through grandma's house shows the progression of what happened. The bathroom tells that she was in there most of the time. Either sick, or finding out about her pregnancy or both. The flooded green house shows her sinking into depression after she lost her baby, and the plants meaning the growth or raising things. The empty bird cage and the bird not too far behind it meaning the abortion. and her final room showing how crazy and chaotic she feels inside, or her hallucinating from the drugs and into addiction.
This theory isn't perfect, there are some holes and contradictions, but I believe in it. |
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