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Originally Posted by simonleezombie
So I have this weird idea about the movie after watching it. I wasn't a huge fan, but it's grown on me a bit. Obviously I'm going to be talking spoilers here so a fair warning to anyone who happens upon this and hasn't seen it.
I think the Babadook could represent any number of conditions she suffers from, but for me it seems like severe, clinical depression. Having suffered from it all my life myself, she had all the hallmark symptoms (with some obvious flair added in to make the movie more horrific). Namely, not feeling connected to those around her, not feeling joy in the things she does anymore (most obvious in how she interacted with her son), insomnia, lack of energy, and just the sadness of her life. The way the people in her life pushed her away too is something that rang very true to me, even family members will not want to be around you.
Now her snapping and seeing the Babadook could have been brought on by any number of these symptoms causing too much stress.
For me the most interesting analogy to depression being the Babadook is at the end when she feeds it worms every morning to keep it locked up. A lot of people seem to think the ending is strange. "OMG, like WTF" is what I've heard in response to the ending. But the worms are a stand in for the morning medicine a lot of us clinical depressives have to take, lol. Feed the monster its meds and it stays locked up. Hell, the meds themselves are so stigmatized when people find out you take them they act like you eat a bowl of nasty worms for breakfast sometimes or that you're that sick.
I may be way off, but it seemed like a pretty clear allegory to me. Anyway, it was interesting in this lens for me. I wonder what the films creator would have to say on it.
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I like that analysis. I think it's a good theory.
I too didn't mind the ending. Whatever the symbolism is, clearly she has chosen not to rid herself of the monster, but rather to hide and appease it.