James Sunderland
From Silent Hill Wiki
| “ | Mary...could you really be in this town?
- James, to himself. | ” |
James Sunderland is the protagonist in the Konami video game Silent Hill 2. As the game begins, James states that his wife, Mary Shepherd-Sunderland, has been dead for three years. Regardless, James has received a mysterious letter in Mary's handwriting, stating that she is alive and waiting for him in their "special place," somewhere in Silent Hill. When James arrives at the town, he becomes ensnared in a series of bizarre and nightmarish events which force him to question his sanity.
Contents |
Personality
Due to the player's actions during gameplay and their own interpretation of James, his personality can be viewed differently. Mary describes James as a little surly sometimes who doesn't laugh much, but also states that underneath, he's really a sweet person. It has been speculated that James may be somewhat of a patriotic man or a war enthusiast, considering he wears an allied US Army, WWII jacket. His jacket may be have been passed on to him from a relative, most likely his father, Frank Sunderland, or grandparent.
Biography
According to the Konami publication "Book of Lost Memories", James was a clerk prior to his arrival in Silent Hill. His known family includes Frank Sunderland, from Silent Hill 4: The Room who is revealed to be his father. Not much information about James before Mary came into his life is known. Before Mary and James were married, James would listen to Mary play the piano. Mary liked to play the piano and even though she wasn't very good at it, James still loved to hear her play anyway.
Prior to the events of Silent Hill 2, Mary and James vacationed in Silent Hill. They stayed in the Lakeview Hotel, where James recorded a videotape of Mary. Mary stated in the videotape that she loved the town and would love to go to Silent Hill again one day. James accidentally forgot the videotape in the hotel and the couple left Silent Hill.
Three years prior to the game, Mary was struck with a terminal disease, and she eventually deteriorated to the point of having violent mood swings. This led James to drinking alcohol, in order to get away from his pain and loneliness, but it never changed anything. James questioned Mary's doctors about her illness and voiced his disbelief about them letting Mary die. He would often search through medical books for information about Mary's illness, but would never find anything useful. James rarely visited Mary in the hospital because the disease caused Mary to lash out at James. James eventually felt sexual frustration (which is later expressed by several creatures during James' quest in the town). The emotional pain and emptiness left James in a constant state of mourning. Eventually James snaps and walks to Mary's bed at their house and kisses her on her forehead, but suddenly suffocates her with a pillow because she had become a burden to him and he wanted his "life back". James later regretted what he did.
James then receives a mysterious letter in Mary's handwriting, stating that she is alive and waiting for him in their "special place," somewhere in Silent Hill. James is disturbed and confused about this letter and questions if Mary is alive, or if someone is playing a hoax on him. Later in the game, the handwriting on Mary's letter disappears, revealing itself to be a piece of blank stationery (it becomes an empty envelope and then finally vanishes from James' inventory completely). This is because the letter never existed and was only a creation out of James' delusion.
Silent Hill 2
James then drives to Silent Hill, with "Lost Memories" suggesting he came to kill himself in the town they cherished. James is not the only one "called" to Silent Hill; two others, Eddie Dombrowski and Angela Orosco, have been drawn to the town by similar forces. However, before he arrives, his mind snaps from the trauma of killing Mary and he represses the memory. Instead, he becomes convinced not only that Mary has been dead for three years but that he has received a posthumous letter from her. It is at this stage that the player takes control of James, to discover the real events leading up to this point during gameplay.
James discovers the main road to Silent Hill is blocked and takes a stop in the Observation Deck's restroom. He takes a moment to stare deeply at his own reflection in a mirror. He exits the restroom, reminds himself of Mary, and then enters the town via hiker's path, a trail the designers created to be purposefully long in order to increase the players sense of isolation. On the way he meets a young woman named Angela Orosco, who has also just arrived in Silent Hill. James disregards Angela’s warnings about the town and reaches the main roads only to discover that the entire area is covered in fog and infested with grotesque monsters. He tries to find the "special place" mentioned in Mary's letter, where she is waiting for him.
James' first guess as to Mary's "special place" happens to be his first destination, Rosewater Park. Because all direct routes are destroyed or barricaded, he must cross through an abandoned apartment complex, where he meets Eddie Dombrowski. The apartments are also the scene of James' first encounter with Pyramid Head, a relentless persecutor who hunts down and attacks him at several points in the game. James also repeatedly runs into a mysterious little girl named Laura, who knows of Mary's name and James wants to find her and ask her about it.
When James reaches Rosewater Park's lakeside observation deck, James thinks he sees his wife, but is mistaken when the woman introduces herself as Maria. James agrees to let Maria accompany him for safety's sake. He remembers his other "special place", the Lakeview Hotel. While tracking Laura to Brookhaven Hospital, Maria stops to rest in a patient's room, claiming to have a mild hangover. James eventually finds Laura who then convinces him to get a letter from Mary in a room. She then locks the room trapping James in with some creatures called Flesh Lips. After defeating the monsters, James quickly finds that the hospital has been horribly transformed to the "Otherworld". He finds Maria and they try to find a way out of the hospital. In the basement, Pyramid Head reappears behind both of them, and Maria is killed by the creature's spear while James is helpless to save her. James is saddened by her sudden death and refocuses on finding Mary.
After leaving the hospital and exploring the town, he finds a key that lets him into Silent Hill Historical Society, which according to the map is also a port to get to the Lakeview Hotel. However, he soon finds a series of disturbing secret entrances and bizarre holes that lead him into Toluca Prison. Eddie resurfaces again in the cafeteria, now armed with a revolver and is once more sitting in close proximity to a human corpse. James attempts to reason with Eddie, but his reasoning has no effect on him.
As James explores the empty prison facility, he finds himself within a maze. James finds Maria, locked inside a cell, alive and unscathed following her death in Brookhaven Hospital. Maria comes onto James and beckons him to find a way into her cell. She undergoes a change in personality, switching between Mary and Maria's personalities at random. Maria also drops clues regarding Mary's "special place" and a videotape she and James made together. James soon relocates Angela, who is about to be attacked by the Abstract Daddy, a creature representing Angela's abusive father. After injuring the monster, Angela finishes it off in a series of violent attacks and has a tense confrontation with James.
Eventually, James locates an alternate route to Maria's cell, but upon entering, finds Maria lying dead on the bed. James exits the cell, and jumps through a hole representing his future grave. He stumbles upon Eddie surrounded by bullet-ridden corpses. Eddie gleefully admits the solution to his problems is killing. When James protests, Eddie says that James is making fun of him too and attacks him. Eddie reveals that both he and James were summoned to the town for a similar reason. James is then forced to kill Eddie in a gun battle inside a meat locker.
Emerging at an old pier at the edge of Toluca Lake, James sees a bright light that is visible from the northern shore; he boards a rowboat and makes the journey to the opposite side. The light is emanating from the Lakeview Hotel, which looks exactly the same as when he stayed there with Mary. James finds Laura there and she hands him a letter that was written by Mary. It states that Mary and Laura became friends one year ago and James realizes that Mary couldn't have died three years ago. Laura then leaves him again to find the other letter.
James locates the old videotape mentioned earlier by Maria, and finds his way to Room 312, where he and Mary had stayed on their vacation. Inserting the tape into a player, James watches a static-ridden video of himself as he smothers Mary to death with her pillow. Laura enters the room and asks James if he has found Mary yet and James tells her the truth, causing Laura to yell at him and run out of the room. Exiting the room, James finds the hotel flooded and burnt-out and eventually comes across Angela on a stairwell surrounded by fire. Angela and James speak for the last time and despite James’ pleas, Angela proceeds up the stairs which are blocked by the flames.
Entering what was once the lobby, James finds Maria, alive and tied down, screaming for James as she is surrounded by two Pyramid Heads. For a third time, Maria is killed and James finally understands what Pyramid Head and Maria are. The Pyramid Heads are a part of James himself, created subconsciously to punish him for his sins. Refusing to flee from his opponents, he turns and attacks the Pyramid Heads. With James now seeking vengeance as opposed to punishment, the Pyramid Heads cease to function and they deliberately impale themselves on their spears.
James finally meets a woman who resembles Mary before the final boss fight. The outcome of this encounter is determined by the player's action during the game.
Endings
It is uncertain what happened to James during or after the events of Silent Hill 2. Like Silent Hill 1's character Cybil Bennett, James' fate is left ambiguous. Silent Hill 4: The Room revealed that James disappeared when he went to Silent Hill. Konami stated that James' fate is up to the player. [1]
Leave
The woman is Maria. James rebuffs her, because he "doesn't need her anymore". She states that he "deserves to die too" (relating to Mary) and transforms into the final boss. After killing her, James meets with Mary. She forgives him for killing her and gives him the letter and tells him to "go on with his life". In the next scene James is seen leaving Silent Hill through the graveyard with Laura ahead of him, possibly intending to carry out Mary's wishes to adopt the girl.
In Water
The woman is Maria. James rebuffs her because "she's not Mary" and won't be able to replace her. She states, that James "will never have his Mary back" and transforms into the final boss. After killing her, James meets with Mary. She tells James that he suffered enough for killing her. ("You killed me and you're suffering for it. It's enough, James.") and gives him the letter. Then she dies before James can properly make peace with her. James carries Mary's body to his car and arrives at a conclusion that he's unable to live without Mary and came to Silent Hill to take his own life in a place of memories ("Now I understand. The real reason I came to this town. I wonder... What was I afraid of? Without you, Mary, I've got nothing..."). Then he can be heard driving his car into the lake, killing himself to be together with his wife in death ("Now we can be together...."). This ending is ironic because James tells Angela that he would never kill himself.
Maria
The woman is Mary. She becomes furious with James "for all he's done" and transforms into the final boss. After killing her, James is seen looking down at the lake in Rosewater Park. Maria appears, resurrected again and asks James whether he killed Mary again. He reckons the encounter with Mary as an another illusion ("That wasn't Mary. Mary's gone. That was just something I...") and asks Maria to be with him. Maria then gives James Mary's letter. Before the credits, James and Maria are seen leaving Silent Hill. However, Maria coughs, meaning that she'll fall ill like Mary and the events that drove James to murder may repeat themselves. This is another ironic ending, because Angela told James that he found another woman.
Rebirth
The woman is Maria again. James states that he can't go on without Mary and Maria won't be able to replace his wife. She transforms into the final boss and James fights her. After killing her, James is seen rowing in a boat with Mary's body, going to perform a ritual to revive her, with an unknown result.
(Note: You can only get this ending by playing the game for a second time OR after finishing Born From A Wish Scenario.)
UFO
Silent Hill 2 continues the tradition of the UFO ending. James is in Room 312. Out of the sky, UFOs come. The first game's protagonist, Harry Mason appears holding the Hyper Blaster, pointing it at James. Harry says sorry, and asks James if he has seen his daughter, Cheryl. James is confused, and asks if Harry has seen Mary. James is then shot and knocked unconscious by one of the aliens. James is kidnapped by the aliens and Harry.
(Note 1: This is one out of two joke endings.)
(Note 2: You can only get this ending after finishing both scenarios. Just like in the first game, you have to use the Channeling Stone in appropriate places.)
(Note 3: This ending is only available in the Restless Dreams versions of the game)
Dog
James walks into a room to find a dog with headsets on. James realizes that the dog has been controlling everything that has happened in the game. He falls to a crawling position. The dog goes up to him and licks his face. The dog is seen making a mistake earlier and that is how James finds out.
(Note 1: This is one out of two joke endings.)
(Note 2: You have to get In Water, Leave and Maria endings OR one of them plus Rebirth to unlock Dog ending.)
Silent Hill 3
James appears briefly in the UFO ending of Silent Hill 3. First hiding behind a curtain in Harry and Heather Mason's house, he holds a wooden board which Harry karate chops with his foot.
Creator's comment
| “ | In the initial stages of the scenario, he was a character who had two personalities, "Joseph" and "James." The name "Joseph" was borrowed from the name of a man suspected of being Jack the Ripper, and "James" is a derivative. | ” |
Quotes
- "Don't worry, I'm not crazy... at least, I don't think so."
- James: "Eddie! Have you gone nuts?"
- Eddie: "I knew it. You, too! You're just like 'em James."
- James: "Hey, I didn't mean anything."
- "Angela, okay. I don't know what you're planning, but there's always another way."
- "I understand now. It's time to end this nightmare."
- "This town is full of monsters! How can you sit there and eat pizza!?"
- "My name's James, James Sunderland."
- "Mary!? ...No. You're Not."
- "Maria. I want you... I want you with me..."
- "You'd better do something about that cough..."
- "I was weak. That's why I needed you.... Needed someone to punish me for my sins.... But that's all over now.... I know the truth.... Now it's time to end this."
- "That's why I did it, honey. I just couldn't watch you suffer. No! That's not true... You also said that you didn't want to die. The truth is... I hated you. I wanted you out of the way. I wanted my life back...."
Notes and trivia
- The save menu's background is of James' face, stained with red (which could represent anger or murder). His face appears to be blurred by water or glass. It could simply be James' reflection on the Save Point's glassy surface.
- It is noteworthy that the majority of James' actions as well as the areas he enters are ones someone in a normal mind frame would not attempt or investigate, while James himself seems to show no worry (i.e. leaving the driver's door of his car open, sticking his hand in a dirty toilet for an object, jumping into dark holes, or stuffing his hand in a hole after being poked by something in it).
- In the Dog ending, James has a tattoo of a heart on his left arm.
- In the Wood Side Apartments, the body of a man sitting in front of a TV is foreshadowing of the truth. The game's creators said that the man sitting in the chair is actually James himself, representing what could happen to him if the journey goes wrong. The television can also be showing that James will find out that he killed Mary through a video tape he watches on the television.
- In Brookhaven Hospital, James finds records about three patients: Jack Davis, Joseph Barkin and Joshua Lewis. It is not a coincidence that James and the three patients names start with the letter J. Jack represents the part of James who is normally a model person, yet also has suicidal feelings, although at one point James tells Angela Orosco that he would never kill himself. Joseph represents the part of James who feels guilt and regret for killing Mary and the delusions James is immersed in. Joshua represents the part of James who feels he needs to be persecuted and also represents his violent self (i.e. the act of killing).
- In Silent Hill 3, Douglas Cartland mentions a man who went missing in Silent Hill and he was never found. It is possible that the man is James.
- In Silent Hill: Homecoming, one of the achievements you can earn is known as "Shades of James", unlocked if you defeat a Siam, a strong monster that looks like a horrible fusion between a Bubble Head Nurse and a Mandarin, from Silent Hill 2.
- James' beta design (shown in the gallery below) depicts him with slicked back, brunette hair. This hairstyle made him, appearance-wise, very similar to Harry Mason.
Gallery
 James speaks to Maria through her cell bars |
 James in the hospital |
 James puts his hand into a hole |
 A B&W pre-release screenshot of James |
 A pre-release screen of James |
 James encounters the Lying Figure |
 James tries to pry the elevator doors open |
 A limited edition figurine of James and a nurse |
 James' original design, according to Lost Memories |
![[1]](http://silenthill.wikia.com/index.php?title=Special:Outbound&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.translatedmemories.com%2Fbookpgs%2FPg50-51SH2Ending.jpg){kind=link}