Template:Infobox SH monster Grey Children are child-like, knife-wielding monsters that inhabit Midwich Elementary School in Silent Hill, and are also found in its film adaptation and Silent Hill: Book of Memories. They are exclusive to the North American version of the game and do not appear in the European or Japanese version. They are instead replaced by Mumblers in these versions.
Appearance
In Silent Hill, the Grey Children appear as child-like creatures with pale grayish-green skin wielding long knives. They have gap-like mouths and a series of slits where their eyes would be.
In the film, they have dull, grey-colored skin and staring eyes. Their faces are twisted on the sides of their heads. They continuously burn from the inside out, shrieking the scream of a child in immense pain.
Character
These creatures, similar in stature to Mumblers, haunt the schools and alleyways of Silent Hill's Otherworld. They can walk quickly and generally attack in pairs or groups of three. They are slender with long arms, and each wields a long knife. As they approach a target, they leap at their victim, grabbing it by the legs and pinning it while they attack and laugh. A ghost form of these monsters, called Stalkers, later appear in Nowhere. Unlike the non-aggressive Larval Stalker, these ghost forms are just as deadly as their grotesque counterpart.
The Grey Children are the first creatures to be encountered in the town by Harry Mason. After a transition into the Otherworld, Harry is cornered and overcome by Grey Children in an alley, but wakes up at the Cafe 5to2 diner, apparently rescued by officer Cybil Bennett. Grey Children reappear prominently later on in Midwich Elementary School.
Symbolism
Grey Children are the distorted, disturbed perception of Alessa Gillespie's classmates as seen through her eyes, reminders of the torment and ridicule they abused her with, such as scribbling "GO HOME" and "DROP DEAD" on her desk. This is supported by the Grey Children's childish laughter whenever they attack Harry. They also resemble children in how they hug his legs as young ones occasionally do. They latch tightly to Harry, possibly a symbol of how relentless Alessa's bullying was.
Silent Hill film
The Grey Children appear in the beginning of the film, swarming Rose Da Silva in the Otherworld version of an alleyway. The Grey Children reach out and try to grab Rose, ripping off her jacket in the process. They disintegrate as the Otherworld lifts and the Fog World is reinstated.
While Rose runs away from them, the Grey Children do not particularly seem to want to harm Rose on purpose, acting instead like a child in pain who is trying to get their mother's attention. The first one Rose sees reaches its arms out to her, acting as though it wants to be held, and only when Rose starts running away and tries to kick them off do they start to act with more aggression. They would most likely burn Rose if they held her any longer than the ones who held her ankles did. The monsters may not realize they would burn or injure Rose and instead only feel the pain of the burning and a longing for a mother to comfort them. It is possible they are attracted to flame, as Rose is holding a lighter when they first appear.
The Grey Children are the classmates of Alessa, who bullied her in school. After being burned alive as a witch, Alessa dragged her classmates into the Otherworld and turned them into monsters who were constantly tortured by the same pain she felt while being burned by the cult. Alessa's classmates told her to "burn", and the Grey Children appear to be burning internally as a form of revenge.[1]
Trivia
- In the PAL and NTSC-J version of the game, these creatures were replaced by Mumblers, as their appearance was deemed too similar to that of a child by censors.[2] However, their Stalker form still appears in the sewers and in Nowhere.
- In the film, the Grey Children are played by a dancer named Yvonne Ng in a costume with CGI burning effects added. Several shots of Yvonne were made and then superimposed onto each other to make it appear as though there were several Grey Children attacking Rose. Yvonne and Gans came up with the idea for the monster to walk with its toes in and arms out, since small children just learning to walk will often stick out their arms to help balance themselves.
- The Grey Children, as well as being the first monsters in the series, are the first monsters in the series to be seen using weapons, in the case of their knives.
References
- ↑ Gans, Christophe (2009). Silent Hill: Metropolitan Édition Haute Définition [Blu-Ray; Disc 2/2]
- ↑ Lost Memories: The Devil
Gallery
Silent Hill
Silent Hill: Book of Memories
Silent Hill film
v · e · d |
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Characters |
Major Characters |
Rose Da Silva - Christopher Da Silva - Cybil Bennett - Dahlia Gillespie - Thomas Gucci - Anna - Christabella - Sharon Da Silva - Alessa Gillespie - Dark Alessa |
Other Characters |
Sister Margaret - Eleanor - Adam - Colin - Lisa Garland - Jennifer Carroll |
Monsters |
Armless Man - Colin - Creeper - Dark Nurse - Grey Child - Red Pyramid |
Locations |
Brahms - Brookhaven Hospital - Church - Da Silva House - Gans County - Grand Hotel - Midwich Elementary School - Nathan Drugs - Pete's Bowl-O-Rama - Sacrificial Chamber - Silent Hill, West Virginia - Smitty's - Toluca County Archives - Toluca County Mining Museum - Toluca County Orphanage - Toluca Lake |
Terms |
The Brethren - Monster - Flashlight - Manifestation - Otherworld - Fog World - Real World - Siren - Great Knife - Welcome Sign - Brethren Symbol |
Archives |
Soundtrack |