The Spiral Staircase, marked as 'Ever Downward' at its entrance, refers to the long, Otherworldly staircase that Henry Townshend and Eileen Galvin descend in Silent Hill 4: The Room. Henry first enters the staircase after rescuing Eileen from the impending danger in the Otherworld St. Jerome's Hospital. Henry and Eileen encounter the spiraling stairs many more times towards the end of their journey. Presumably, the spiral staircase was created and used by Walter Sullivan to access the many worlds his dark rituals had formed.

Design

The stairs are kept in a neat cylindrical form and are only interrupted by an occasional path jutting towards the center that leads to a portal hole. The staircase connects Walter's Otherworlds so that after exiting a certain world, Henry and Eileen are taken to the staircase where they can reach the next world. At first, fog surrounds the spiral, but as the stairs are followed down, the atmosphere takes on a more sinister and dark appearance. Occasionally, disturbing displays can be seen off the side of the staircase, including twitching dolls and animals. At the bottom of the stairs is the door to Room 302 of the Past, where Joseph Schreiber stayed before Henry took up the apartment.

Symbolism

The staircase can be described as the manifestation of Walter Sullivan's inner mind: his dark intentions, his disdain of reality and his fractured childhood spiraling out of control. Descending down the stairs can also represent the dive into Walter's psyche. The frequent displays around the stairs also alludes to Walter's childhood and fears. Physically, the spiral staircase can also be likened to an umbilical cord, another symbol of Walter's desires. Like the Greedy Worm, the spiral staircase is long, continuous and connects to the various Otherworlds Walter created. The darkness that builds up as Henry and Eileen descend can also be representative of the darkness Walter harbors in his heart, or his clouded obsession with his mother, which gets darker through time and eventually culminates into his mass murders.

Gallery

Figures bowing to an angel.

Drawings of eyes, and a hanging female mannequin.

Hanging mannequin doll.

Body silhouettes hanging off from steel.

A bloody table.

Another view of the bloody table.

A figure shrouded by fog.

Cages with doll heads.

A hanging figure, also seen in South Ashfield Height's lobby.

More figures.

Strange flesh-like objects on a wall.

Another view of the flesh-like objects.

A bloody gurney.

A sheep.

A sheep.

A figure sitting on a toilet holding a baby.

A room.

An empty room.

Butterfly wings attached to the hole on the left.

Add a photo to this galleryAdd a photo to this gallery