This is a video illustration of a previous blog-post of mine: Watching Susan and Olivia from the Broom Closet

The passage, once again, is:

1930s, England. The year that marked the start of the age of the great zeppelins. A mysterious story is spreading among the children in one town. “The park is dangerous after dark. You’ll be eaten by stray dogs. People who are eaten are confined to a zeppelin in the sky and can never leave.

My insight came about while I was analyzing what it was that seemed to me to ring so false about the passage.

I didn’t have a problem with the idea that, during Jennifer’s forgotten past, the children of the town might have come to hear some variant of the Stray Dog legend. What I had a problem with was the idea that the legend of Stray Dog, during Jennifer’s forgotten past, had somehow become associated with the idea that people who are eaten are confined to a airship in the sky and can never leave. I could think of no satisfying explanation of how such a variant of the legend would come about… and then it hit me.

It makes no sense (in my opinion) as a feature of Jennifer’s forgotten past, i.e. what we might think of—in the context of the Rule of Rose story—as real life. But it DOES make sense, I think, as a feature of Jennifer’s dream fantasy.

Does it make sense to think that, in Jennifer’s dream imagination, people who had been eaten by Stray Dog had afterward become occupants of an airship in flight? It does, I think, if Jennifer regards the massacred orphans as having been eaten. And I think that, in Jennifer’s dream fantasy about the massacre, Jennifer does indeed regard the orphans as having been eaten.

Although, in previous blog-posts and comments, I proposed that we see only the empty clothes of the orphans, during the Stray dog boss-battle, because  Jennifer self-censored her memories—the true memories of seeing the corpses of her friends being too painful—I now propose that the clothes are empty because, in Jennifer’s fantasy about the massacre, Stray Dog completely gobbled up the orphans.

We can find support, for the idea that Jennifer fantasizes that the massacre resulted in the orphans being eaten, in the “Stray Dog and the Lying Princess” storybook.  That storybook ends:  “…and so they were all gobbled up.”

I propose that Jennifer’s dreaming mind is the true “author” of the storybooks that she finds, and that Jennifer’s dreaming mind has also concocted the Stray Dog boss-battle, and so it makes sense that these products of her dreaming mind are consistent with each other in both expressing the fantasy that Stray Dog gobbled up the orphans.

The idea that the airship chapters of the game represent a time AFTER the orphans have been gobbled up can be regarded as related to our finding, in the Smoking Room of the airship (in every airship chapter after “The Unlucky Clover Field” chapter), this newspaper article:

20 December 1930

A tragic multiple homicide has occurred at an orphanage in Cardington resulting in the deaths of all the children housed there.
Among the dead was one adult, Gregory M. Wilson, a local resident.
Analysis of the crime scene suggests that Wilson shot himself with a pistol.
Police have identified him as their prime suspect in the murders of the children.

The scene with Jennifer in the coffin (at the end of “The Little Princess” chapter) might signify—in regard to the Dream-Plot of the Rule of Rose game—that Jennifer has to “die” (at least symbolically) in order to join the others on the airship because the others are all already dead.

In this new light, I wonder if Olivia’s statement to Jennifer, “You deserve to be gobbled up!” (made during “The Unlucky Clover Field” chapter) might express—as at least one of its meanings—the idea that Jennifer should have perished with the other orphans (and not have been a sole survivor). Such a thought would be natural enough for Jennifer to have, about herself, as an aspect of her survivor-guilt.

Returning back to the passage on Atlus’s Rule of Rose site, I think that we can find advertising reasons for the passage to have been modified away from this truer understanding.

1930s, England. The year that marked the start of the age of the great zeppelins. A mysterious story is spreading among the children in one town. “The park is dangerous after dark. You’ll be eaten by stray dogs. People who are eaten are confined to a zeppelin in the sky and can never leave.

The “mysterious story” is taken out of the context of Jennifer’s dream, and given to “children in one small town” in order to avoid revealing the spoiler (and getting entangled in the explanation) that Jennifer is reliving her own forgotten past in a dream. Likewise, “Stray Dog” is replaced by “stray dogs” in order to avoid having to explain who and what Stray Dog is—this is something to be revealed gradually during the game, and would require a too complicated explanation for advertising anyway. And there is a precedent in the game plot for the Stray Dog legend getting distorted into a story about stray dogs. Hoffman wrote in his diary:

“March 2, 1930

Recently, the children have been engaging in odd activities and spreading disturbing rumors—rumors about creatures that come after children who don’t clean up and stray dogs that kidnap small tots… It’s all very bizarre.”

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In the Perrault version of Cinderella, in the Brothers Grimm version of Cinderella, and in the Disney animated movie version of Cinderella, there are only two step-sisters for Cinderella.

In the “Rag Princess” storybook, however, the illustrations show that the rag princess has three step-sisters. Why this change in the number of step-sisters? I propose that there are three step-sisters because the story here is depicting the relationship between Amanda and three orphans: Diana, Meg, and Eleanor.

In the airship, during the “Unlucky Cloverfield” chapter of Rule of Rose, after coming up the stairs and entering through the door into the First Class Guest Sector, one can find a sign hanging on the wall to the left which describes “Social Rank”:

Social Rank
Refined Class
Duchess…..Diana
Countess….Eleanor
Baroness….Meg
—Lower Class—
Poor………..Amanda
Beggar…….Jennifer

The text of the Rag Princess storybook tells us:

Her stepsisters wore beautiful dresses and went to the ball.

The girl stayed at home and her jealousy festered

I propose that the “real life” situation being described is this: in the Aristocrat Club, the girls Diana, Meg, and Eleanor are ranked socially as “Refined Class (“wore beautiful dresses and went to the ball”), but Amanda is ranked “Lower Class” and desperately wants to move up to “Refined Class” rank (“stayed at home and her jealousy festered”).

We see, in the storybook illustration, a castle off in the distance. This is the site of the ball and indicates that the ball relates to aristocracy.

Why don’t we see the names of Susan or Olivia listed on the “Social Rank” sign?

I propose this explanation:

Diana, Meg, and Eleanor are full-fledged members of the Red Crayon Aristocracy. Amanda and Jennifer, on the other hand, are candidates seeking to become full-fledged members.  They are like pledges for a sorority. Susan and Olivia, however, are not even candidates yet (perhaps they are too young), so they aren’t included on the list.

As candidates, or pledges, Amanda and Jennifer are subjected to hazing as part of the qualifying procedure.  They are called “poor” and “beggar”.  They are called “stinky” and “filthy”.  They are forced to torment each other with the rat-stick.

Presumably, at some time in the future, Susan and Olivia would have had to undergo similar hazing too, once they were allowed to become candidates for full-fledged membership as Aristocrats.

When Jennifer finally got initiated into the “Refined Class”, the ceremony included the pouring of water on her to symbolically remove her “filthy” status. This is what we saw at the very end of the “Little Princess” chapter of the game.

For a discussion of the water-pouring scene as part of an initiatory ceremony, see my blog-post: The Mystery of Jennifer in the Coffin.

I previously mentioned the idea that the water pouring was to ceremonially remove Jennifer’s “filthy” status in my blog-post “The Cell of Bliss Mystery
(Part 2)“, where I wrote:

A possible indicator that Jennifer’s initiation raised her up to a position of high status in the Aristocrat Club might be seen in the procedure of pouring water on Jennifer during the ceremony. Diana says, while doing this, “Just look at you! You’re filthy.” The pouring of water on Jennifer might signify that she is having her “filthy”-status removed.”

~

(Left side):
in the storybook itself:

Until one day, when she was sent away to a strange house.

subtitle given:

And the poor little girl was sent away to a strange house.

The accompanying illustration is of a man pulling the girl by the arm as he walks, and the girl is holding the little princess doll by the hand with her other hand. An interesting feature of this man is that he has a mustache. This is interesting because neither Gregory Wilson, nor Mr. Hoffman, are depicted as having a mustache at any point in the Rule of Rose game… and those two men are the only adult males that we ever encounter during the game.
The illustration also shows a couple of trees to the left, near one of which stands Stray Dog (standing like a man, but having the head of a dog). In the distance is what appears to be a house behind a wall… presumably the orphanage.

This is where the storybook ends when Jennifer is at the bus stop during “The Little Princess” chapter of Rule of Rose. The page on the right doesn’t appear until Joshua (in the attic of the orphanage, during “The Little Princess” chapter of Rule of Rose) asks Jennifer to read more of the storybook. Now the page on the right will temporarily mark the ending of “The Little Princess” storybook, until the text once again extends. See my blog-post: “The Continually Growing Storybook (‘The Little Princess’)”
~

(Right side):

At her new home, the Aristocrat Club lived by the Rule of Rose. But the girl found herself very much alone.

The accompanying illustration shows seven girls standing amidst seven long-stem roses:

The tall girl with a kerchief-tie is Diana.

The girl with the birdcage is Eleanor.

The girl wearing glasses is Meg.

The rotund girl is Amanda.

The girl with pig tails is Susan.

The small girl remaining is presumably Olivia.

Clara is not depicted here, or anywhere else in this storybook.

Wendy is not ever depicted in this storybook, at least not as a little girl. Does the little princess doll, later on in the storybook, represent her? I’ll discuss that question in a future blog-post.
~

There are a number of mysteries that we now face in trying to explain the story of “The Little Princess” storybook:

1. If the Princess “disappeared” (as we were told on the previous page of the storybook), why is she back in the story now?

2. Who is the man dragging Jennifer by the arm?

3. Who sent Jennifer to the orphanage? And from where was she “sent”? Or is the word “sent” a mistranslation?

4. Why aren’t Wendy, Clara, or the boys represented in “The Little Princess” storybook? Or is Wendy represented by the little princess doll at some point?

5. What is the significance of Stray Dog’s appearance in this storybook?
~

Related: “The Little Princess” Storybook (Part 2): Airship Crash“

After the Hoffman boss-battle ends (in the “Sir Peter” chapter), if Jennifer goes to the Sick Bay of the airship, she can find a couple of entries in Hoffman’s diary that couldn’t be found there earlier.

7 April 1930

Every day, that child gives me a headache.
Shirking her duties, doodling on walls, making Olivia cry, etc, etc.
What a wretched child!
(Sick Bay—after boss battle, Sir Peter chapter, Hoffman’s diary)

~~~

12 April 1930

Today, I gave that child a good scolding.
When I found out she let the rabbit escape, that was the last straw.
As I took out my pointer to punish her, she started quibbling again…
…However, she’s still young.
She gave in and apologized, so I let it go at that.
I’m such a kind, understanding teacher.”
(Sick Bay—after boss battle, Sir Peter chapter, Hoffman’s diary)

Could it possibly be that the incident that Hoffman describes in his diary entry of the 12th of April is the very same incident, as seen from Hoffman’s point-of-view, that inspired Jennifer’s dream of the Hoffman-boss battle (at least, in part)?

In literary and film criticism, there is a term called the “unreliable narrator,” which describes a story in which the reader, or viewer, gets a version of events that differs from how they really occurred.

Here is a link to a short Wikipedia article: Unreliable narrator.

According to the above article, “This unreliability can be due to psychological instability, a powerful bias, a lack of knowledge, or even a deliberate attempt to deceive the reader or audience.”

Although Jennifer may be dreaming in the mode of her being a character in a story written by Gregory, if Jennifer truly is dreaming then she is herself the author of the story… it is her dreaming mind that creates the story, puts words into the mouth of the seeming-narrator, etc.

And if Jennifer is the true narrator of the story, we need to wonder how reliable her account of events is.

Does Jennifer have a lack of knowledge? Yes, she has forgotten her past more than once. During her time at the orphanage she had forgotten about her life before and during the airship crash. And after the orphanage massacre, she apparently forgot about her time at the orphanage and the people that she knew there.

Does Jennifer have a powerful bias? I suspect that most young children will normally tend to interpret events from a biased point-of-view, and her memories may well reflect her biases from those times.

Does Jennifer have psychological instability? I would think that she does. She had the trauma of her parents’ death and being on an airship that crashed. She forgot those memories. She was kept in a cellar for about 9 months in the care of a crazy man, Gregory. Then she was hazed by children at the orphanage, had her beloved dog killed, and experienced a massacre of the orphans in which she sole survivor. Not to mention that she lived in the orphanage with concerns about child molestation. And forgot all of those memories too.

So lets look at Hoffman’s diary account, in that light.

He says, “I took out my pointer to punish her, she started quibbling again…”

In the boss-battle, Hoffman’s weapon is his pointer. Could it be that, in Jennifer’s imagination, she has glamorized her quibbling-defense against the dreaded pointer to the degree that she remembers it as a physical battle? And that her apology, that saved her from getting spanked with the pointer, was seen by Jennifer, in her imagination, as a splendid victory in physical battle?

If we accept that Jennifer is dreaming, then it would make sense that events in the dream might be built out of a simultaneous fusion of multiple influences. It might be that her concerns, or fears, over the possibility of being sexually molested by Hoffman manifested as the seeming sexual-motions that he makes during the boss-battle. And it might be, if the orphans did eventually kill Hoffman, and if Jennifer saw or participated in that killing, then some memories of that event might also be present in the boss-battle that we see.

If we can begin to understand the influences, and distortions, that make up this boss-battle, it might give us helpful guidance in when we attempt to understand how the other boss-battles relate to Jennifer’s forgotten past as well.

If Jennifer tries to enter the Filth Room at this time, Susan and Olivia force her out and shut the door.

You can watch what Susan and Olivia are doing in the Filth Room by taking Jennifer into the Broom Closet and having her look through the peep-hole.

The Broom Closet peep-hole is the same peep-hole by which Joshua/Wendy watched Jennifer when she was tied up to the post in the airship’s Filth Room.

The Broom Closet is also the room where Jennifer worked the control that lowered the rusty scissors (in the Filth Room) that she used to cut free Brown when he was tied up and hanging in the Sector 9 Turbine Area.

Next time you’re finishing up the “Goat Sisters” chapter, check it out.

Some of these names–Basil, Ida, Hector, and Leo–also appear as names assigned to passenger cabins on the airship.

Who are these people?

Here are the relevant entries from Amanda’s diary:

Sunday, October 5
After all that time I spent sewing it!
Basil, Fanny, George, Hector, Ida, Leo, Paul!
Why must they always bother me so?
Oh, woe is me!
(Working Class Luggage, “Rag Princess Sews”, Amanda’s Diary)

~~~

Sunday, October 12
Oh, why can’t they all just go to hell!
Basil, have a nap on the railroad tracks!
Fanny, take a dive off the roof!
George, I’ll hang you upside down!
Hector, get run over by a carriage!
Ida, I have some fancy poison jam for you!
Leo, walk across an open manhole!
Paul, get smothered by a great rug!
And lastly, that girl!
The Aristocrats will have their way with her!
Oh, how very delightful life is!
(Working Class Luggage, “Rag Princess Sews”, Amanda’s Diary)

My intuition is that these names are alternative names for the other orphans. They are people that bother Amanda, and they are not themselves “that girl” (Jennifer), but Amanda seems to thinks of them and “that girl” in a related way: they belong together on a list of people that bother Amanda.

I will even propose a tentative identification of two orphans to match two of the strange names:

Basil = Thomas

Fanny = Eleanor

The basis of this identification is the specific nature of the “curses” that Amanda wishes for Basil and Fanny.

“Basil, have a nap on the railroad tracks!” seems to match Thomas because he loves to play with toy trains and draws train tracks on the orphanage floors.

“Fanny, take a dive off the roof!” seems to me to match Eleanor because we find her on the outside balcony of the orphanage during “The Funeral” chapter, and Jennifer tells us the following about Eleanor (in the “Once Upon a Time” chapter):

Balcony:

–At the birdcage:

“The red bird in the cage… The doll Eleanor treasured. ‘If only we could fly like birds and go wherever we wished,’ she whispered softly. Yet, no matter how much Eleanor wished, she’ll never be able to just fly away from this orphanage. Poor Eleanor… She was burdened by her own frozen heart.”

I don’t see a way to link names to orphans based on Amanda’s other curses, but maybe one of you have some ideas? I’d love to hear them.

The arrangement of names assigned to passenger cabins in the “1st passenger corridor” area is:

~~~

********************************************************************************************************************

——————————————————————————————————————-**********

———Nicholas*****************Diana———- Ida or Leo******************Amanda———-**********

———(yellow)****************(green)——— (yellow) *********************(yellow)———–**********

———*********************************———–****************************************———–**********

———-Leo or Ida**************Olivia———– Margaret (Meg)**************Basil————-**********

———-(yellow)***************(yellow)——— (green)**********************(yellow)———-**********

——————————————————————————————————————-********** ———-*******************************DOOR*************************************BARRICADE*********

———-Hector ************************——-**********************************Clara————–**********

———-(yellow)***********************——-*********************************(yellow)————**********

———-*********************************——-**************************************————-**********

———-Wendy ***********************——-***************************************————-**********

———-(yellow) **********************GUEST ROOM HALL——————-*****————-**********

*****************

~~~

DOOR= 3-leaf Clover door

Corridor space is indicated by ———– lines. So Wendy, Hector, and Nicholas have cabins on the windowed side corridor. Diana, Olivia, and Meg have cabins on the next most interior corridor. Amanda, Basil, and Clara have cabins on the next corridor over from that, but Clara’s cabin is isolated from the other cabins by a barricade.

~~~

I’m having trouble deciding which name tag is “Ida” and which is “Leo”. Please let me know your opinion on the matter. The name tags are hard to read, so I suggest you go to “options” first and put the contrast on highest (9) and the “noir filter” on lowest (1).

The colors “yellow” and “green” refer to the colors of the name tags. Diana and Margaret (Meg) are the only two with green name tags. I don’t know what the colors signify.

From the name tags, I think we can reason that:

Diana is not Hector, Ida, Leo, or Basil.

Meg is not Hector, Ida, Leo, or Basil.

Olivia is not Hector, Ida, Leo, or Basil.

Wendy is not Hector, Ida, Leo, or Basil.

Nicholas is not Hector, Ida, Leo, or Basil.

Clara is not Hector, Ida, Leo, or Basil.

And from Amanda’s diary we know that neither she nor Jennifer are Hector, Ida, Leo, Basil, Fanny, George, or Paul.

There isn’t a match between the number of female “strange” names and female orphans, so we may need to consider which female orphans might have taken a male “strange” name. I think that Diana might have. When Meg wrote her love letter to Diana, she wrote:

“O, Diana, Diana! Wherefore art thou…?” this line echoes Juliet’s line from Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet… which would seem to imply that Diana is Romeo.

Please, everybody… post your theories about the strange names in the comments section.

~~~

Also: thanks, to the anonymous poster who pointed out that the strange names can be found on the nameplates of these cabins.

And, worth noting, Oghma pointed out an interesting pattern: none of the orphan names and strange names have the same first letter.

This is the time period from 20 March 1930 to 20 December 1930.

This is a follow-up to Document-based Time-line: Before Jennifer Arrived at the Orphanage

Four of the documents presented in this time-line, by the way, are ones overlooked in the GameSpot/GameFAQs game-script faq. I marked those documents with ###.

I also included two of Jennifer’s memories that relate to precise dates.

The last of Amanda’s diary entries have no dates. They consist of one written passage and numerous drawings. I included the diary passage, and a summary description of the drawings, out of sequence at the end of this post for completeness. These should date to no earlier than 19 October 1930.

I also left two dated headlines, attributed to the Daily Flamingo newspaper, out of the sequence: I don’t think that these share the reliability of the other documents. But I have included them at the very end of the post, for completeness.

If I have made any errors, or have left out a document that should be here, please let me know in the “comments”.

TIME-LINE:

~~~

Sunday, March 20

Things are going wonderfully!
Today they called me out to the backyard.
As long as that girl is here, I won’t ever be last.
What a relief!
(Working Class Luggage, “Rag Princess Sews”, Amanda’s Diary)

~~~

20 March
From J to W

Wendy,
I’m here now, but I’m kind of afraid.
Everything is new to me.
I’m worried if I’ll get along with everyone.
(Sick Room, “Once Upon a Time”, letter on nightstand)

~~~

25 March
From W to J

My Dear Jennifer,
There is nothing to fear.
I am always by your side.
I will never betray you.
We made an oath remember?
(Filth Room, “Once Upon a Time”, letter on shelf)

~~~

Sunday, April 4

Maybe there really is something wrong with me.
What have I done wrong?
I tattled on Mr. Hoffman as they told me to do, but I failed again.
I’m still lower class, even after that girl came.
I’m scared. I don’t know what to do.
(Working Class Luggage, “Rag Princess Sews”, Amanda’s Diary)

~~~

###7 April 1930

Every day, that child gives me a headache.
Shirking her duties, doodling on walls, making Olivia cry, etc, etc.
What a wretched child!
(Sick Bay—after boss battle, Sir Peter chapter, Hoffman’s diary)

~~~

###12 April 1930

Today, I gave that child a good scolding.
When I found out she let the rabbit escape, that was the last straw.
As I took out my pointer to punish her, she started quibbling again…
…However, she’s still young.
She gave in and apologized, so I let it go at that.
I’m such a kind, understanding teacher.”
(Sick Bay—after boss battle, Sir Peter chapter, Hoffman’s diary)

~~~

Sunday, April 18

I’m as happy as can be today!
They showed me the symbol of the Aristocrats.
If I can get the red crayon, I, too, will be one of them!
But that girl will NEVER get a crayon.
She’s far too uncouth.
In any case, I’ll never be last again. I’m sure of it.
(Working Class Luggage, “Rag Princess Sews”, Amanda’s Diary)

~~~

Sunday, June 1

NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO
NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO
Those awful things got into my mouth!
She’ll be sorry the next chance I get.
But why me again?
What have I done?
(Working Class Luggage, “Rag Princess Sews”, Amanda’s Diary)

~~~

22 July
From J to W
Dear Wendy,

I have great news. I found something wonderful!
I look forward to every morning now, and hope you will too.
(Sick Room, “Once Upon a Time”, letter on nightstand)

~~~

25 July
From W to J
My dear Jennifer,

I am so relieved that you are well again!
Is that why I couldn’t find you yesterday morning?
It’s no use trying to fool me!
I can see right through your pranks.
Anyway, thanks in advance.
Tee hee hee.
(Filth Room, “Once Upon a Time”, letter on shelf)

~~~

Sunday, July 27

I HATE HER I HATE HER I HATE HER
I HATE HER I HATE HER I HATE HER
Oh, my! I’ve got to sew the rags…
(Working Class Luggage, “Rag Princess Sews”, Amanda’s Diary)

~~~

13 August
From J to W
How are you, Wendy?

You haven’t said anything to me since I showed you the surprise…
Do you like my cute little puppy Brown?
Let’s take care of him together.
(Sick Room, “Once Upon a Time”, letter on nightstand)

~~~

16 August 1930

Today, I was busy catching up on my work, when Clara came by to offer me a hand.
I guess my teaching paid off.
I was grateful for her kindness.
In the wee hours of the morning, she was still working, so I gently took her to bed.
I can hardly believe it. My little Clara, bless her heart, is already 16 years old.
She tells me she wants to stay at the orphanage and help with the daily chores.
Maybe I should seriously consider the offer.
Tomorrow, I’ll discuss it with Martha.”
(Headmaster’s Room, Hoffman’s diary, “Once Upon a Time”)

~~~

20 August
From J to W
My dear Wendy,

This little guy is just so adorable.
When I call his name, he comes bounding to me.
I know you’ll like him too.
(Sick Room, “Once Upon a Time”, letter on nightstand)

~~~

24 August
From W to J
Jennifer,

Thank you for introducing me to Brown.
…But, such a filthy dog is not a good match for you and me.
Just give it to Nicholas or something, and let’s just be content with the two of us.
(Filth Room, “Once Upon a Time”, letter on shelf)

~~~

24 August 1930

This is inexcusable!
My precious koi is gone.
The children must be responsible.
I won’t stand for this.
Where is Diana?
What’s she been up to?
My opinion of her will suffer because of this.
(Headmaster’s Room, Hoffman’s diary, “Once Upon a Time”)

~~~

Sunday, August 31

I HATE HER I HATE HER I HATE HER
I HATE HER I HATE HER I HATE HER
Oh, my! I’ve got to sew the rags…
(Working Class Luggage, “Rag Princess Sews”, Amanda’s Diary)

~~~

10 September
From W to J
My stubborn Jennifer,

Is Brown that important to you?
It’s just a dog. A filthy animal.
Please stop sharing your wonderful smile with that thing…
Please smile only at me.
(Filth Room, “Once Upon a Time”, letter on shelf)

~~~

24 September
From J to W
How are you doing, Wendy?

Are you alright?
We’ll always be friends, and Brown can be our friend too.
I know you don’t understand, but I can’t just abandon him.
(Sick Room, “Once Upon a Time”, letter on nightstand)

~~~

Sunday, September 28

I HATE HER I HATE HER I HATE HER
I HATE HER I HATE HER I HATE HER
Oh, my! I’ve got to sew the rags…
(Working Class Luggage, “Rag Princess Sews”, Amanda’s Diary)

~~~

1 October
From W to J
Jennifer the Heartless,

Why didn’t you come?
I waited and waited for you.
Why can’t I see you every morning?
I think only of you…
Are you avoiding me?
(Filth Room, “Once Upon a Time”, letter on shelf)

~~~

Sunday, October 5

After all that time I spent sewing it!
Basil, Fanny, George, Hector, Ida, Leo, Paul!
Why must they always bother me so?
Oh, woe is me!
(Working Class Luggage, “Rag Princess Sews”, Amanda’s Diary)

~~~

6 October
From J to W

You’ve got it all wrong, Wendy.
This isn’t how it’s supposed to be.
I never expected you to react this way.
All I wanted is for us to live happily ever after together.
(Sick Room, “Once Upon a Time”, letter on nightstand)

~~~

Sunday, October 12

Oh, why can’t they all just go to hell!
Basil, have a nap on the railroad tracks!
Fanny, take a dive off the roof!
George, I’ll hang you upside down!
Hector, get run over by a carriage!
Ida, I have some fancy poison jam for you!
Leo, walk across an open manhole!
Paul, get smothered by a great rug!
And lastly, that girl!
The Aristocrats will have their way with her!
Oh, how very delightful life is!
(Working Class Luggage, “Rag Princess Sews”, Amanda’s Diary)

~~~

Sunday, October 19

That wretched girl will do my dirty work.
I’ll work her to the bone!
Oh, I feel wonderful today!
(Working Class Luggage, “Rag Princess Sews”, Amanda’s Diary)

~~~

20 October 1930
Re: Mr. Gregory Wilson
Dear Ma’am,

Please forgive the delay in our response.
In your letter, you report suspicious activity on the partof Mr. Gregory Wilson.
After investigating the matter, we have come to the following conclusion.
There is little to indicate that the said individual is connected to the recent kidnappings.
Mr. Wilson is father to a son who closely matches your description in your letter.
Therefore, we have determined that there is insufficient evidence to warrant further investigation.
We appreciate your cooperation and understanding in this matter.

Anthony Doolittle
Cardington Police

~~~

31 October (corrected date, see this post for details)

From W to J
My dear Prince,

Yes, you are my Prince.
A Prince and a Princess must be together, after all, Jennifer, you are my eternal companion.
Just promise to stay by my side, and save your smiles for me.
That’s all I ask.
We don’t need a filthy dog!
We can’t let anyone come between us.
(Sick Room, “Once Upon a Time”, letter on nightstand)

~~~

(Memory that can be dated to October 31)

“On Halloween, we all dressed up in costumes…
Everyone else wore bags over their heads, and stared at me through tiny holes…
Their blank faces and muffled voices…
It scared me like you wouldn’t believe…
‘Is it really you under there?’ I asked, fearing it was something else.
But, no one would answer me.”
(Closet Room, “Once Upon a Time”, memory at the clothes hangers)

~~~

###November 1930

The children are spreading rumors about a killer named “Stray Dog.”
They say, “He comes at dusk under the cover of darkness and devours the children he kidnaps.”
Disturbingly the rumors seem to be motivated by the recent disappearances that have the public in a panic.
However, I find that the rumors I use to get the children to do their cleaning are working splendidly.
The orphanage is spotless.
I’m such a clever teacher.
(Headmaster’s Room, Hoffman’s diary, “The Funeral”)

~~~

11 November 1930

I’m leaving the orphanage.
Clara’s here to look after things, and the children are quickly growing up.
I’ve done right and fulfilled my duty.
…Bloody hell!
All the trouble started when that wretched child arrived…
I’ve done nothing to deserve this!”
(Headmaster’s Room, Hoffman’s diary, “Once Upon a Time”)

…That’s the end of the diary. We never saw Mr. Hoffman again.

~~~

24 November
Officer Doolittle,

My name is Martha Carol, and I work at the Rose Garden Orphanage.
In the past month, I have sent six letters to your attention, but have yet to receive a response.
Have my letters reached you?
I ask that you please investigate this matter at once for the safety of our children.
Yesterday, I saw them together again… Mr. Wilson and Wendy, a child at our orphanage.
I am very concerned for her safety.
The two of them have been acting quite strangely.
Oh, it’s terribly odd.
By strangely, I mean… Mr. Wilson walking on all fours and nodding… and Wendy appears to be scolding him…
I don’t know how to explain it except that it resembles dog training gone wrong.
Ooo… it gives me the shivers just thinking about it.
Please come investigate this matter as

~~~

28 November
From W to J

You still have that filthy dog?
I’ll never forgive you.
Have you forgotten your oath, the rule of rose?
Good-bye, Jennifer.
You will regret choosing that dog over me.
(Sick Room, “Once Upon a Time”, letter on nightstand)

~~~

###20 December 1930

A tragic multiple homicide has occurred at an orphanage in Cardington resulting in the deaths of all the children housed there.
Among the dead was one adult, Gregory M. Wilson, a local resident.
Analysis of the crime scene suggests that Wilson shot himself with a pistol.
Police have identified him as their prime suspect in the murders of the children.
(Smoking Room, Sir Peter chapter, Goat Sisters chapter, newspaper)

~~~

Front gate:

–At the orphanage sign to the left of the gate:

“The Rose Garden Orphanage…
That day, I was escorted from the scene by Officer Doolittle.
At first, it was reported that there were no survivors…
Then, word got out that, miraculously, I had escaped the tragedy…
When rumor spread that I was also the sole survivor of a horrific airship accident in which the passengers were all presumed to be dead,
the media went into a frenzy.
And so, the tragic murder of the residents of a rural orphanage was instantly bumped from the front cover of the daily newspaper to an obscure corner…
I’m sorry everyone.
You don’t deserve to be forgotten…
But I’ll remember you.
Thank you all for the precious memories.”

~~~

END OF TIME-LINE

~~~

~~~

(Amanda’s diary, undated last written entry, the entry preceding it was dated 19 October):

I’m so worried…

I just don’t know what’s going to happen…

(Working Class Luggage, “Rag Princess Sews”, Amanda’s Diary)

Drawings by Amanda, apparently of herself, follow this entry. In these drawings more and more stars surround Amanda and she is smiling, then she sprouts wings and flies up, at first happy, but then she apparently crashes. The subsequent drawings consist of scribbles that are hard to interpret: the last scribble might be Amanda dead and buried, but that is a speculative interpretation by me.

~~~

~~~

~~~

July 21, 1930

Daily Flamingo

Husband “Borrows” 60 Pounds From Wife’s 365-Pound Bank Account.

(Room 26, “Bird of Happiness”)

~~~

(July 21, 1930)

Daily Flamingo

Husband Swipes 60 Pounds From Wife’s 365-Pound Bank Account.

(when you read the above article from your inventory)

~~~

July 1930

Daily Flamingo

Husband Borrows Yet Another 30 Pounds From Wife’s Bank Account

(Room 9–Clara’s Cabin, “Bird of Happiness”)

But previously I’ve only made connections, in my forum posts, between specific orphans (always the Aristocrats, or Amanda) and certain “special” types of imps: fish imps, bird imps, pig imps, rat imps, etc.

About the “generic” types of imps I’ve only said that these relate to the non-Aristocrat orphans (other than Amanda).

For the first time, I’m going to propose that a particular “generic” imp individual, can be identified as a particular orphan: Olivia.

Olivia is the “Tearful Princess.”

On at least four occasions, we see her crying in a sort of squatting-posture.

In the “Unlucky Clover Field” chapter, we see her doing this next to the green butterfly.

In the “Sir Peter” chapter, we see her doing this in front of a chalkboard, after saying “Mr. Hoffman is really scary when he’s mad.”

In “The Funeral” chapter, we see her doing this in the kitchen.

In the “Stray Dog and the Lying Princess” chapter we see her doing this at the top of the staircase.

So, consider what the very first imp of the game is doing when we encounter it. It is in an almost identical posture as Olivia’s crying posture, and it is crying. And if you listen to its crying, you will hear that it sounds like Olivia.

I propose that the very first imp that we encounter in the game is an imp-version of Olivia.

And consider, too, that we encounter this imp, in the “Unlucky Clover Field” chapter, right after Jennifer takes away the green butterfly, and the fork, from Olivia, and right after Olivia tells Jennifer: “You deserve to be gobbled up.”

~~~

If you can think of another instance of Olivia adopting this posture, please let me know.

~~~

I’ll write more about the orphans “being” the imps soon.

This collection includes five of Jennifer’s memories/comments that were omitted in the GameFAQs game-script faq written by TheSinnerChrono. I marked these with “####” to make them easier to find (for readers only interested in these).

This post does not contain commentaries by me (unless some of my descriptive comments count as being commentary).

If anyone finds anything I missed, or any mistakes I’ve made, please let me know in the comments. Thanks!

Filth Room:

–At the shelf:

“This letter looks familiar… Yes. it’s one of the secret letters that Wendy and I traded.” (reads letters) “Wendy… You were always so lonely. Poor, lonely Wendy… I wonder if my letters ever reached her.”

–At the central pillar:

“Tied to this pillar, unable to move, I was all alone. It took a while, but I finally freed myself. I was always the slow poke… But, that won’t happen again. I’ll never let myself be tied up again.”

–At the suitcase:

“When I came here, this suitcase was the only luggage I had… I lost everything in the accident. My mother, my father, all my possessions, and even my memories.”

–At the sunny window:

“I spent so much time in this room… Who knows how many times I woke up here? The nights were lonely and cold, but you’d always greet me in the morning… Only you greeted me warmly. Thank you so.

–At the rubbish bin:

“It’s the detested rubbish bin. No one ever suspected that something precious was hidden inside it. Nor did they know that it was the only place where I could keep my things safe.”

–At the empty corner (where Bucket Knight had been):

“It feels as if something very dear to me was here. Someone or something that always looked after me… helped me.”

Hallway:

–At the laundry shelves:

“Everyone would put their dirty laundry here, and it was my job to wash it. How ironic… The one they called “filthy” washing their filthy clothes. It all seems so silly now.”

2nd Floor Lavatory:

–At the toilet that has an eye drawn on the toilet lid:

“‘We’re watching you.’ That’s what the picture meant. But it was still scary.”

–At Bucket Knight (by the sinks and mirrors):

“Bucket Knight… A makeshift knight that Nicholas and Xavier used for sword practice. Though they may have forgotten about it, I’ve always remembered. For, I yearned for a loyal knight to come to my rescue.

Hallway (Front Stairway balcony):

–At the empty picture frame:

“There used to be a picture here, of everyone at the orphanage. It was a picture filled with hope, taken the day I was brought here. I was afraid someone would try to steal this precious memory from me…so I took the picture down and kept it safe.”

Sick Bay:

–At the drawers (these look like the same drawers as had the forbidden drawer in the “Unlucky Clover Field” chapter):

“Clara was a quiet person. To me, she looked like just another student at the orphanage…except when she spoke to Mr. Hoffman or Martha. Then, she looked scary. I wonder if I’ll be like Clara when I’m older… Will I enjoy those days?”

Sickroom:

–At the rabbit cage:

“Peter the rabbit… He was the pet that Wendy suddenly decided to take care of. It was the same time I started looking after Brown… I wonder if Wendy really loved Peter… Was she sad when she had to give him up?”

–At the lamp:

“This letter looks familiar. Yes it’s one of the secret letters that Wendy and I traded. ” (reads letters)

Balcony:

–At the birdcage:

“The red bird in the cage… The doll Eleanor treasured. ‘If only we could fly like birds and go wherever we wished,’ she whispered softly. Yet, no matter how much Eleanor wished, she’ll never be able to just fly away from this orphanage. Poor Eleanor… She was burdened by her own frozen heart.”

Play Area:

–By the chair and train-track circle:

“Thomas was always playing with his trains…They were his only friends. There were no final stops on his railroad, for that would be devastating to him. It’s rumored that this obsession had something to do with his birth, but Thomas never spoke about it with anyone.”

####By the blocks:

“No one really played with the toys here because they were all old. Only Thomas was the master of this room. ‘A new girl, a new girl!’ he exclaimed when we first met. He seemed to enjoy teasing me.

Library:

–By the white goat doll:

“It’s a stuffed goat… The white goat Mary. The black goat Sally. When Meg found her letter to Diana torn apart, she was deeply wounded and cried in Diana’s arms, even though she was the one that ripped it up… And, when Meg’s notebook was found all scattered about, Diana made fun of her, saying, ‘Mary and Sally must’ve ate it.’ Poor Meg… She was bound by the shackles of foolish devotion.”

–By the painting of the airship:

“The future that people dreamt of never came and was soon forgotten. From the blue skies of hope, it sank into the depths of oblivion. The new life born from it was an existence devoid of hope. It slowly wriggles its large body and stares at the sky with a remorseful look… That’s its only purpose.”

Sewing Room:

–At the sewing machine:

“Amanda was fond of using the sewing machine. When she got absorbed in something, she’d think of nothing else, especially sewing, which was always on her mind. If we ran out of cloth or thread, she’d just sew rags with an empty needle over and over again… And then she’d smile at the tattered rag with satisfaction.”

Hallway (2nd floor):

–At the graffiti on the floor near the Sewing Room door:

“There are doodles everywhere. No matter how many we cleaned, more would show up the next day.”

Dormitory:

–At one of the two central tables:

“The night was quiet dark and scary. Yet it was a mysterious time that aroused excitement. Some nights, we’d stay awake in secret, hiding from the teacher, and draw pictures by lamplight. It made us feel very much like adults–something not possible during the day.”

–At the other central table:

“A mermaid doll… What a proud and pure creature. Diana yearned to become a beautiful lady, like a mermaid, but as she grew older, she realized that she was straying further and further from her ideal self. Poor Diana… She was trapped by her own ideals.”

Front Stairway:

####At the ladder:

“That day when Thomas couldn’t get down from the tree, the ladder, which had been collecting dust, sure came in handy. Back then, Mr. Hoffman was a kind and admirable teacher.”

Main Hall (first floor):

–At the vase of flowers:

“There used to be beautiful roses here, picked by Wendy from the rose garden. …But, as with all things, they wilted away with the passage of time.”

–At the potted fern:

“Miss Martha used to scold Nicholas for forgetting to water the plants, and then she’d turn her wrath on me, snapping, ‘What are you laughing at, young lady!?’”

Hallway near Classroom door:

–At a bucket-headed construct:

“A silent scarecrow… It stands there quietly, not meddling in the affairs of others. It sways in the breeze, like me…a cowardly girl who was unable to assert her true feelings.”

Men’s Lavatory:

####At the blocked-off toilet stall:

“Once, Susan started a rumor about voices coming from this room at night… It turned out it was only the door creaking in the wind, but one night, sounds came from the room even with the windows shut. Susan jumped out of her bed and screamed. It was really just a prank by Nicholas and Xavier. From then on, the room was believed to be haunted and was considered off limits.”

Classroom:

–At the blackboard (which has written on it: “Hitlerism is a form of government controlled by one man’s will / Democracy is a form of government controlled / Hitlerism is a form of government controlled by one man’s will”):

“I learned many things at this orphanage…The alphabet… words… how to clean and do laundry… But the most important thing I learned… was the lesson I received in exchange for my dear friend’s life… I finally came to understand myself. My beliefs and the will to stand up for them… I don’t want to lose those ever again.”

–At the drawings on the wall (a map of Great Britain):

“The map of this country… That day we flew from England… Those memories were buried deep inside of me… The airship…and the accident… Thereafter, the story of my life became a tale of misfortune. Even when the others played ‘airship’ I couldn’t bear to join them, so I was left out.”

–At the schedule of classes on the wall:

“A brat, a know-it-all, an introvert, a crybaby, and an elitist… I know misfortune, because I tolerated them all. I thought I was the only grown up, but we were all just kids, myself included. But what does it really mean to be a grown-up? Will I ever become one?”

–At the furnace:

“On cold winter days, we all used to gather here and talk… I, of course, couldn’t join in, so I sat off to the side. Even so, it felt so warm.”

Bathroom:

–At the mirror (looking at her own reflection):

“Jennifer, are you happy now, considering how bad it was for you, back then? …That tragedy you wanted to forget. Now that you remember everything, how do you feel? Is the answer inside you? Think carefully Jennifer.”

Wash house:

–At the sinks:

“I came to this room every day to do laundry… The water was so cold, and the soap would sting my eyes, but I didn’t hate it, because clean laundry is so refreshing.”

Kitchen:

–At the table:

“If Miss Martha had disappeared, there would’ve been no one to cook… If Clara had disappeared, there would’ve been no one to tend our wounds… If Mr. Hoffman had disappeared, there would’ve been no one to teach us. You can’t live life eating snacks all day, with no exercise or studying. If you look at it that way, even the Aristocrat club needed adults around… Our world was so small.”

Martha’s room:

–On the bed:

“There are a couple of letters here. It’s a letter from the police… “(reads letter) “It’s a letter from Martha…”(reads letter) “The letter ends there… Perhaps if the matter had been addressed publicly, things wouldn’t have turned out as they did. Adults are so selfish.”

Cafeteria:

–At a fork on the table:

“Olivia, the one who cried all the time, stopped crying completely when all the adults were gone. With no teacher to give her attention and no cleaning lady to scold her, there was no point in crying anymore. …Poor Olivia.”

Inner Court:

–Site of Brown’s burial:

“It all started here, when I dug up the mound… I sensed that something precious to me was buried here… and I couldn’t stop myself… The old me… the one who didn’t understand herself… I lost my friend because of her. If… If I could go back… I’d try to save him… but what has happened can never be undone. I’ll never break a promise again.”

Cell of Remorse:

(nothing)

Cell of Pleasure:

(nothing) film projector

Cell of Repentance:

(nothing)

Cell of Solitude:

–At the central chair:

“One time, Diana was absorbed in deep thought here. She was the prettiest, the most mature of the Aristocrats. She wanted so much to be an adult… and yet she was also afraid of growing up too fast.”

Cell of Bliss:

–At the table:

“The spooky things… The scary creatures that everyone talked about… They’ll come and clean if you don’t, sweeping bad children away like dust… Well, they actually came and attacked me… I knew what they really were… but that wasn’t the problem. The real problem was my weak heart. My weakness was what drew them here.”

Closet Room:

–At the clothes hangers:

“On Halloween, we all dressed up in costumes… Everyone else wore bags over their heads, and stared at me through tiny holes… Their blank faces and muffled voices… It scared me like you wouldn’t believe… ‘Is it really you under there?’ I asked, fearing it was something else. But, no one would answer me.”

–At the mirror:

“Amanda was always more sensitive about her looks than anyone else. One day she was given a severe scolding by Miss Martha. That’s because Miss Martha’s lipstick had gone missing. The lipstick was never found, but I know Amanda took it. I’ve seen her applying it late at night.”

Hallway (ground floor, connecting Headmaster’s Room and Closet Room):

####At drawing on the floor of a big donut-shaped one-eyed person (near cabinet):

“This sloppy drawing must be Thomas’s. See what happens when you give him chalk? The walls, the floors… To him, it’s one big canvas.”

####At drawing on floor of spooky things (nearest the Headmaster’s Room):

“The spooky things… They swept away everything that’s dirty, including disobedient children. It was a scary story that started as a rumor and spread like wildfire.”

####At drawing of spooky things (nearest the Closet Room):

“The spooky things love to clean. That’s why they always carry mops and brooms. They’ll kidnap you if you don’t clean. At least, that’s what everyone says.”

Headmaster’s Room:

–At the PA system:

“Mr. Hoffman loved to broadcast over the PA system… while we were cleaning, while we were eating, and even after we were in bed. He always announced our names in the order of his favorites. We’d try our best to win his approval and be the first one to be called. But he never called my name, not once. I thought it was all rather silly, anyway.”

–At the desk:

“The book is open… ” (reads Hoffman’s diary entries). “At the time it seemed so frightening… Were those scary things that attacked me just figments of my imagination…?” (another entry) “..The diary continues, but the last page is particularly interesting… It’s Mr. Hoffman’s last entry before he disappeared.” (another entry) “…That’s the end of the diary. We never saw Mr. Hoffman again.”

–At the fish tank (a fish swims inside):

“I know you’re in a very stinky place, because that rag Diana put to my face smelled just awful. But, no matter how clever or fast you are, there’s no escaping. You’re like a mermaid in captivity… adapting to a new reality. Leaving your home behind…did you find happiness?”

Headmaster’s Closet:

–At the shelf that has shoes:

“That day, Mr. Hoffman disappeared, like he was running away from something. He had tried too hard to be someone he wasn’t. The expectations were too much for him… and he wanted to escape those restrictions. However, children and adults live in the same world, and we must both play by society’s rules.”

Reception Room:

–At the record player:

“The record player is brand new. Playing a record would fill the room with sweet music.”

–At the fireplace:

“It was a cold, winter night… I had been scolded as usual, and called into the headmaster’s room. I didn’t like being scolded, but I didn’t mind so much when it was in front of the fireplace, which was warm and cozy.”

–At the vase on the central table:

“All of us loved red roses. Even the name of the orphanage was befitting of an Aristocrat… It wasn’t until I swore the oath of the rose that I learned roses have thorns.”

–At the dish cupboard:

“This is Mr. Hoffman’s prized collection of fine dishes. We would sometimes sneak them out and play house with them in the attic, but that’s our little secret.”

–At the graffiti covered portrait:

“This is a picture of Mr. Hoffman when he was a young man. He was so proud when he showed it to us… He never caught the one who doodled on it though. But, I know who did it. I saw Thomas trying to move the ladder on the day it happened.”

Women’s Lavatory:

–Toilet stall with bird drawing:

“Red bird drawings. A red crayon and… a red broach… A red rose and… red blood… Red is the most beautiful color, yet it comes at a price. It is my most favorite color and my most hated color.”

Entrance-way:

–At the lockers:

“It’s a small locker, but it was just for me. My name was even on it. They made me feel welcome. I was so happy… I’d move my shoes in and out, over and over again.”

–At the umbrella stand:

“We never used umbrellas. On snowy days, we’d go out for snowball fights. On rainy days, we’d go out and play in the rain, and get soaking wet. Every time, Xavier would trip and get himself all muddy and we’d laugh. It was so much fun.”

–At the portrait of Hoffman:

“One day, Mr. Hoffman suddenly disappeared. Clara and Miss Martha soon followed, leaving me and the other orphans alone.”

Front gate:

–At the orphanage sign to the left of the gate:

“The Rose Garden Orphanage… That day, I was escorted from the scene by Officer Doolittle. At first, it was reported that there were no survivors… Then, word got out that, miraculously, I had escaped the tragedy… When rumor spread that I was also the sole survivor of a horrific airship accident in which the passengers were all presumed to be dead, the media went into a frenzy. and so, the tragic murder of the residents of a rural orphanage was instantly bumped from the front cover of the daily newspaper to an obscure corner… I’m sorry everyone. You don’t deserve to be forgotten… But I’ll remember you. Thank you all for the precious memories.”

Fork In The Path:

####At the sign:

“The sign has been broken ever since I came here. I guess it doesn’t matter: no one comes to visit anyway.”

Bus Stop:

–At the bus stop sign:

“That bus that brought me here… Should I try to take it the other way? …No, that’s not right. There are still things I have to do here. Wait for me, Brown.”

Outside the rickety shed:

–At the door:

“Please wait for me. I’ll be there.”

Inside the rickety shed:

(Spoken to Brown) “My dear friend… I never want to lose you again. I’ll protect you… forever and ever until I die.” (Writes on chalkboard: “everlasting/true love/ I am yours”) “I’ll protect you… forever until I die.”