This post is part of a series of psychoanalytical interpretations I've been sharing on MAL, my first (and currently only) one (besides this) being the following (in case you're interested):
Be reminded this personal interpretation is not necessarily the "right" one, nor exhausts this work's intelligibility or majesticity, though. After all, I'm just a psychology student yet, who became enamorated by the works of Lacan and Jung, particularly, in my studies, and took an interest on this most splendid novel (which I shall be focusing on here, bear in mind).
If you have any questions, feel free to ask them here down in the comments. Below is a glossary with common, important terms used throughout the text.
Glossary:
Collective unconscious: it's the part of our unconscious which refers to impersonal experiences. i. e., those of humanity, or to simplify — that relates to the most instinctive, human domain, namely of drives and emotions, therefore being less prone to influence from the environment.
Persona: an archetype of our psyche as formed by our social relationships. Being born as almost a "blank slate," (except for the impersonal unconscious) much of an individual's identity is therefore formed by the psychological processes (and associated behaviour) of their parents —like desires and language —, giving rise to consciousness and affecting how the subject presents himself to the world (read also Erving Goffman for further elaboration on this, besides Jung and Lacan).
Anima: it's the traditionally "feminine" aspect of our collective unconscious; in practice leaning to our most instinctive, intuitive, emotional side — and to an extent aguably even the Imaginary (see "Introduction").
Animus: it's the traditionally "masculine" aspect of our collective unconscious; in practice leaning to our most intellectual, inventive, headstrong side — and to an extent aguably even the Symbolic (see "Introduction").
The Grand Mother/Father: the former is just a symbolic subrepresentation of the anima, essentially, and entails exactly what it supposes to; its animus equivalent constituting the latter (often referred by Jung as "The Wizard," because of its usual cultural and mythological unconscious representations, albeit such a term would only confuse you).
Shadow and light: the “shadow” is a Jungian term for any psychic material pertaining to the unconscious, generally speaking. Contrary to the body, most humans think their minds cast no such thing under the "sunlight" (or consciousness), though.
Prelude:
Lacanian (and, to another extent, Jungian) psychoanalysis deals mainly with themes of psychological emancipation and alterity. As human beings we are born with some natural reflexes and cravings, but not much further from it, thus a lot of our identity is modulated by our environment; specially the social one: parents, siblings, friends, partners, society, culture etc.
Like the letter "a" and the word "tree" have nothing intrinsical to what they actually represent, functioning just as arbitrary symbols provided perceived phenomena, so are we; our image (as in behavior, personality, appearance etc.), whose reflection represents by itself little to no intrinsic meaning; in fact being prone to all forms of symbology, adhered from such social environment, which helps us navigate this world with some sense of direction and self-organization.
Most times, the subject will have little to confront this, and often won't even desire it, pleased to satisfy their (for example) parents' wishes in order to gain their acceptance and love. Thenceforth, other individuals' desires become ours, just like those emerged from our genes, whence we undergo a (questionably) necessary process of alienation towards education and civilization. Only slowly this process gets questioned more with maturity, albeit little undertake such effort consciously.
Jungian psychoanalysis touches on the subject of the impersonal unconscious, which is genetic and predetermined (along with our human condition), inescapable to many and understandable to few, for it is the elemental force of our psyche, comprised of symbols (just like Lacan was fond of), but different in nature — in this case no longer pertaining to the immediate social environment, but so to speak the secular, archaic one.
Thus, when you put feelings into words (or genuinely any symbol), you're adding an extra layer to your mental experience of reality in order to better grasp it. Such symbols are not truly yours though, but like already said, given to you (as in a metaphor to everything apprehended and introjected from your environment, like already suggested), and the same can be said of emotions themselves. Lacan and Jung propose analyzing the mind in order to comprehend one's truthful subjective to become genuinely oneself.
In that sense, the subject so to speak truly becomes the Subject of language; not its object, reorganizing his mental experience according to his own perception, albeit not divorcing himself from language or symbolism, of course, but taking an authentic, unique handle of it. Jung adds the extra layer of not just becoming master of one's Symbolic order, but also one's Imaginary one (which Lacan also touched a bit upon, but never properly developed; either way his theory inevitably leads to Jung's eventually, in my opinion). As a principle, humanity has a drive towards such self-integration and individuation.
Introduction:
Here I'll first present my (psychological) theory of the events actually taking place in the universe of Umineko and then, after a brief interlude, shall proceed to the psychoanalytical-philosophical analysis. If you ever consider droppping the former while reading it, please skip to the middle of it so that my assumptions (might) look less outrageous to you (for there's a catch in them).
The crux of my "archetype theory" (as I fancy it being called) is that Beatrice, Bernkastel, Lambdadelta, the seven stakes (or imaginary friends) of purgatory and so on didn't actually exist, just like Shannon, Kanon, Ange, Lion, Rosa, Maria, Tohya, Eva, Rudolf, Kyrie and even Battler, all different "personas" from the story's genuine protagonist: Sayo Yasuda (whom I shall refer to as female, albeit her gender and even real identity [in all its details] is somewhat unclear, like you're going to see), abandoned by Kinzo (both her father and grandfather) and Natsuhi (her fostermother), who took revenge on the Ushiromiya family while sacrificing its household's staff; likewise her beloved George and Jessica (as a way to free herself from the Shannon and Kanon personas), whom she knew could never be with her due to social barriers (caused by being treated like "furniture" just like other employees, whom she probably takes as having "freed" in the process of ther deaths).
Nonetheless, due to the events previous to that, Sayo Yasuda already suffered from severely poor mental health, to the point of developing (as suggested) multiple personalities, in a "fantastical" (and frankly full-blown schizophrenic, as likely passed down genetically by her [grand]father) fashion, as throughout the story we face both her psychic and moral struggles concerning coming to terms with the murders commited by her. Her first personas created, due to the mutilated genitals, were therefore Shannon and Kanon, much before them.
"Beatrice" though represents the one she took for the different assassinations, with the effort of making them seem unreal to (someone like) herself. Such self-deceit is met with another "imaginary (boy)friend," namely Battler (and to an extent Rosa, with Maria noticeably serving as a counter against both) and Erika (and also to an extent Bernkastel and Lambdadelta), who through fantasy or realism try to crack up what happenend on Rokkenjima (because of Sayo Yasuda). And as shown by the "Eva-Beatrice" blend, Eva also doesn't exist (at least after the massacres), but configures just a "realistic" (more grounded) internal alibi for what happenend on the island through delusion and projection.
Battler's case also highlights another psychic defense of her imagination, namely by fantasing an "ideal man" to her (as maybe she wished to become) with the twisted glasses of how Kinzo fell for her mother and grandmother, the only concept of love she knew of growing up. As a consequence, both Kyrie and Rudolf also don't exist in reality, being representatives of how she takes families in general to be like (as was possible to her).
After commiting the murders, Sayo takes on the persona of "Ange," who's supposedly got taken care of by the only survivor, namely "Eva" — albeit an imaginary equivalent's been made up through Tohya Hachijo and his namesake caregiver. Despite the already presented evidence of none of them actually existing, it'd make little sense for her to adopt the (suspected) murderer, therefore it frames her as another coping mechanism for Yasuda.
When Eva passes away though (that is, from Sayo's mind), it signifies the "adopted child" being ready to move on and try finding out what happenend in the island, through the attempt of (as showcased with Tohya) recovering from her apparent amnesia (which is likely a denial defense/coping mechanism, as Eva's [I suppose] fabricated dairy), like seen in all the possible "events" and "games" played throught the narrative — which mostly only diverge her [and us] from the truth, initially, while also occasionally giving away some tips.
She thus attempts coming back to the exploded island and with some reflection; now "closer" to her memories, Sayo realized her scheme of taking advantage of Kinzo's delusions with his mistress (and maybe to an extent the other servants' submission) to use it against him and everyone there, therefore drowning both "Beatrice" and "Battler" (whose name must not be taken coincidentally) into the depths of Yasuda's unconscious to rest.
As she comes back, other personas of hers are killed (in the "Trick Ending" and the events before that), while no one can really frame her for the murders, nor probably knows of the gold she "inherited," both it and her true indentity (as also part of the Ushiromiya family) unknown to the general public (likewise to an extent herself, honestly), and the island being blown-up, therefore covering up all the evidence. Her amnesia (or [self-]denial) helped on the way, and now back (as shown in the equally genuine "Magic Ending"), Yasuda's ready to make up yet another persona to live by (as she's only known to do thoughout her seriously difficult life).
And Lion? She just represents an alternative reality envisioned by Sayo free from all the struggles above, based on Jessica's free-spirited nature, but also in accordance to Natsuhi's daughter ideals (and Sayo's vision of what could have made her actually be accepted by Natsuhi, perhaps).
In that sense, the only real characters are Kinzo, Genji, Nanjo, Kumasawa, Gohda, Natsuhi, Krauss, Jessica, Eva (to an extent), Hideyoshi, George and "Sayo" (or however she should be called). Nonethess, all charactes I named "fantasy", "unreal" etc. are indeed Real, though.
What is Reality? Lacan argues that "Real" (or the "blue truth," in Umineko's terminology) is that which exists "out there," but cannot be fully grasped by our psyche (due to its limitations), as real as it is. When one looks at an apple, for example, one sees nothing but one's mental image of it. For that we have therefore what he calls the Imaginary.
The Imaginary (or "gloden truth") is "out here," and it's real too, but one cannot come in contact with it in itself either, if not for the intervention of the Symbolic (or "red truth") order (just like on the Real), whose assets are used to cover for both the Mind's and Reality's shortcomings when it comes to us remotely better comprehending (and thefore adapting to) it.
What is therefore the Reality of the "unreal" ones? Namely that they're Real to our psyche, yet as figures which cannot be comprehended in themselves, become thence juxtaposed by symbols who take on their roles in its many different forms and manifestations, leading the (genuine) protagonist to a psychic battle of "cosmological" proportions just like the ones experiences by ancient and moderns cultures alike on mythology and religion — as cleverly noticed by Jung.
Here, therefore, it won't be taken into account the real existences of witches and whatnot in Umineko's universe (just like for Jung it didn't matter whether Jesus was really the son of God when it came to studying what he represented to the Western society and culture's psychological development), but only their paradigms on Sayo's mind, who seems to be the central figure; the Hero archetype (Jungian reference) of this story in her struggle for (lack of) individuation (as you shall see). Witches are indeed Real (for their associated psychological phenomena cannot be grasped otherwise by her psyche).
Analysis:
Sayo Yasuda and "Lion":
"Sayo Yasuda" was the first persona "Sayo Yasuda" took, therefore making it its purest form. Constituting her name since being taken into the orphanage, I shall nonetheless also be considering for the time being what came before that (for disambiguity's sake with her highly fantasized "character concept" of "Lion," to be adressed later).
In fact, Sayo was already highly influenced by the expectations (or "desires," like Lacan terms) of her fostermother in such a way Yasuda's personality and identity already began being molded by it (like any child's), but as suggested, coming up to such was challenging (just like it was to Jessica), thenceforth already creating a dichotomy on whom she really was (Yasuda) and whom Natsuhi wanted her to be ("Lion," in the athletic and academic way fantasized by her; thence her fosterchild).
Nonetheless, as Yasuda got pushed from the cliff, a discontinuity was created in the way she viewed herself, due both to the mutilated genitals and how she felt about Natsuhi. Henceforth , (and this is a reference to a Jungian book's name), Sayo went looking for a "soul"; a self which she could call hers; beyond the rejection of any lesson she as a human being could have taken concerning forming her own identity and personality.
In such regard, I guess Ange's case should have already been clarified enough.
Shannon and Kanon:
"Shannon" and "Kanon" might constitute, on one hand, also adaptations of Sayo's own identity to the "Umwelt" (as requested by the work of "furniture"), but on a more individual level, they mirror her own struggles with coming up with a "personality," despite the utter lack of any psychological support from her environment (without which any kid's mind is unable to reach the level of their peers; adults), and the genital mutilation after the murder attempt by Natsuhi.
Psychologically speaking, the former in fact represents a part of her "anima" (see "Glossary"), while the latter, her "animus" (see "Glossary"), each embodying not only traditional Japanese social expectations (and to an extent Jessica and George alike, her main romantic interests) regarding gender, but also Sayo's overall struggle with both synchronising and harmonizing these psychic instances (a byproduct of her other difficulties faced up until now).
Such cases highlight the most fundamental problems faced by Sayo on her psychological development, lacking both access to (as already suggested) her "most instinctive, intuitive, emotional side — and to an extent arguably even the Imaginary" (whose deficiences had obvious repercussions or her very poor grasp of Reality) and her "most intellectual, inventive, headstrong side — and to an extent aguably even the Symbolic" (whose deficiences also had obvious repercussions or her very poor grasp of Reality).
Rudolf and Kyrie:
Rudolf (representing a merge between Krauss and Eva) and Kyrie (representing a merge of Sayo's mother and Natsuhi) represent respectively projections of Sayo's Grand Father and Grand Mother archetypes, as reflected by her familiar experiences with the Ushiromiya, since the resemblance cannot be taken coincidentally. Jung proposed, after all, that all of us are born with a "preconception" of what mother and father figures are (or should be), without which we'd be luckly to reliably survive the first months of our lives.
Besides, both here offer further supports for Yasuda's continued attempts to wrap her mind around what happened on Rokkenjima by forging (as many times before) a theory that both were responsible for the assassination, while in fact unconsciosly giving away that deep inside her heart (or mind, if you will) it all felt like her (true) parents' fault. It was thence all psychic projection (like when on ep. 5 the narrative focused so hard on framing Natsuhi for everything, whose mirror by the way could expose "Beatrice's" [as both Sayo's mom and persona] genuine "fault" [in quotes for the first case]), in its most refined (and unbeknownst to light) way.
And that way, both Tohya and Eva (whose biblical name shouldn't be taken coincidently) serve as substitute mother-figures, helping Sayo develop her anima (see "Glossary") as any good mom would during such tough psychological times (therefore mostly according to filogenetic predispostion, rather than personal experience, albeit still limited by her overall underdeveloped psychic apparatus).
Beatrice and Battler:
Sayo therefore almost inevitably takes on the light-hearted tales of Kumasawa (strenghtened by Kinzo's own emotional torments) on "Beatrice, the Golden Witch," blaming on her all (and, unconsciously, also on Yasuda's namesake [grand]mother) the misfortunes faced by the young girl during duty, her psyche knowing after all no better on rationalising Reality, which became ever more elusive to Sayo, working heavily despite the very youthful age, instead of playing as more appropriate to this stage's still meek psychological capabilities (as due). "Battler," on the other hand, "fantastically" pushes her psyche towards an ideal lover she'd be more on condition of dating and marrying, personalizing both aspects of George and Jessica, feminine and masculine, as her "soul" much hungers (but much staggers due to the twisted, incestuous notion of love passed down by Kinzo).
Thus, Beatrice represents a deficit on the Symbolic order; the animus; the capability of aprehending phenomena through symbols as a way of healthy refinement, while Battler, on the Imaginary one; the anima; the capability of adding preconceived taste (or intuition) to Reality (like affection; emotion) heathily. But more than animus and animus though, as has already been covered by Shannon and Kanon (who likewise weren't limited to personas), the former must also seen as Sayo's "shadow" (as an archetype of her unconscious aspects), like Battle her own "light" (as an archetype of her conscious ones), bridging a further major divide (or "Gaap," sorry) in Yasuda's mind.
"At journey's end," though, both are integrated into "drowning," and as water symbolizes to Jung (according to intercultural observation) the unconscious, both got fully harmonized with each other (as he begs), but under the light (or underwater, literally), explaining Sayo's continued attempts, as hinted on the Trick ending, to "elaborate" newfound "personas" (whose term I only used generically to ease up my explanation) further, therefore being, as expected, still far way from developing good; stable mental health. As Bernkastel declared in red before: "This game won’t have a happy ending".
Rosa and Maria:
Rosa and Maria represent on a more secondary level respectively Sayo's belief-disbelief system on her own (self-)narrative of the events, with the latter obviously leaning mostly towards the fantastic side, while the former presenting herself as more dubious (if not violently) of it, besides both representing a projection of the abuse suffered under the Ushiromiya family (and their supposed dyad itself). "Bernkastel" and "Lambdadelta" entail a similar pararell on the "meta-world", who like them eventually uniting and finding more common ground, harmony and integration inside Sayo's psyche (portraying the fantasy side overtaking her mind until the final showdown, and still markedly after it).
Conclusion:
Umineko stands out amongst most stories because of its theme of borderline "desinviduation," insfantead of individuation (or Subjectivity), like most tales follow — showcasing some redemption for our genuine main lead, while still being realistic on the fact that, due to circumstances, she wal all too unprepared for undertaking better measures, psychologically and pragmatically speaking, therefore I take this novel for its value in illuminating the public on a criminal's (very complicated) mind such as few narratives, real or not (no puns this time), would be able too.
My conclusion is that witches exist, not in reality but inside of all of our hearts, made of archetypes; drives passed down by human evolution which take different symbols at different epochs and times without losing heart of their prime; utmost instincts; hence why Umineko manages to touch all of us, despite any eventual prior academic knowledge on such philosophical and psychological theories (perhaps even from the author's part). It was magical, but likewise also a trick, in a sense.
Epilogue:
As a note of curiosity, if you check out my profile, Umineko isn’t in my favourites (at least in the present), despite my time devoted to interpret it. That's because said novel follows like a (very beautiful and well-constructed) murder mystery, and I just don’t like such story genre, personally. It's objectively good, as far as art, creativity and narrative go, but personaly I'd rather delve myself into works showcasing the ups of reality more than its lows.
My tastes might nonetheless change in the future, and I’d like to invite all of you to send me a friend invite in case this text was of any appreciation and importance in your personal opinion. Let us make a most wonderful discussion in the comments, please.
