Shutter Island illustrates the significance guilt and grief can have on someone's mental health. The cause of Teddy's mental health decline is his family's death. His wife struggled with mental health issues, which caused her to murder their three children, which then led to Teddy murdering her.

What is the main idea of Shutter Island?

Shutter Island is a novel by American writer Dennis Lehane, published by HarperCollins in April 2003. It is about a U.S. Marshal who goes to an isolated hospital for the criminally insane to investigate the disappearance of a patient who is a multiple murderer.

What is the deeper meaning behind Shutter Island?

In that respect, Shutter Island is a complex study of grief and trauma, and the lengths the human mind will go to in order to medicate itself from harsh reality. Guilt and hurt are what cause Andrew to invent a secondary persona — one in which he is still a war hero and a federal Marshal named Teddy Daniels.

What was the realization in Shutter Island?

During the ending scene, Andrew and Dr. Sheehan sit down on some steps for a smoke. Andrew was just told that he had made up his entire identity as US Marshal Edward "Teddy" Daniels in order to escape from the reality that he had killed his wife. Andrew, in short, had realized who he really is.

What mental disorder does Shutter Island portray?

Shutter Island does a great job at depicting Teddy's particular case of Delusional Disorder accurately, but unfortunately, without proper understanding of the 1950s context, may end up doing more harm than good to the representation of psychology in modern film.

The Big Clue Everyone Missed Early In Shutter Island

Why does the woman write run on Teddy's notepad?

Finally, the old woman writes 'run' on Teddy's notebook, not because Ashecliffe is running experiments on its patients, but because she knows that this is Teddy's last opportunity to escape the mental hospital.

What crime did Teddy commit in Shutter Island?

Teddy/Andrew was incarcerated on the island after he murdered his manic depressive wife Dolores, who drowned their three children.

Was he faking it at the end of Shutter Island?

In the end of "Shutter Island," it's revealed that the main character, Teddy Daniels, is actually Andrew Laeddis, a patient at the mental institution. He has been experiencing delusions and hallucinations, which were orchestrated by the staff to help him come to terms with the truth of his past.

Is there a mistake in Shutter Island?

Revealing mistakes

Obvious green screen images when Teddy and Warden are in a jeep coming back from the hidden cave. Obvious green screen images when on the ferry boat and when entering the island on a jeep passing in front of several buildings.

Who is the woman in the cave in Shutter Island?

Some believe that the Rachel Solando in the cave was real; others believe that she was a figment of Teddy's imagination. It is possible that he fabricated the Rachel Solando in the cave, because what she says was everything he wanted to hear, which gives him a reason to find everyone suspicious on Shutter Island.

What does water symbolize in Shutter Island?

Water in the film is used in opposition to fire, it is used to represent Teddy's sanity, the truth, reality. Water in this case often gets in Teddy's way of finding the truth. The truth of what is going on, what Teddy is really looking for.

Why Shutter Island is a masterpiece?

First and foremost, the writing was simply great--very intelligent and well-crafted. It really makes you think and doesn't underestimate the audience's intelligence. Second, the acting is really good. DiCaprio was excellent, but having Ben Kingsley and Max Von Sydow REALLY made this a wonderful picture.

Was he hallucinating in Shutter Island?

Shutter Island is a film that shows so many evidences of hallucination experienced by the main character, Teddy Daniels. Teddy Daniels had bad experiences in the past which lead him to change his identity in order to forget his past.

What is so good about Shutter Island?

"Shutter Island" is simply a masterpiece. The beginning of the movie suggests a very basic plot of a detective story, possibly a thriller. As the movie progresses, the plot becomes bigger and bigger with more and more complexity added to it. The way this happens is incredible.

Who is the 67th patient in Shutter Island?

He explains that Andrew Laeddis is an anagram of Edward Daniels and that he murdered his wife, Dolores Chanal (an anagram of Rachel Solando), two years before after she drowned their three children during a manic episode. This is the answer of the code "the law of 4" and Laeddis is the 67th patient at Ashecliffe.

Is Shutter Island based off a true story?

In this thriller, Lehane created a fictitious hospital island with nefarious happenings. Though the later film used Peddocks Island as the backdrop, Lehane's true inspiration likely comes from other islands that have long histories in institutions and social services, such as Rainsford Island and Long Island.

Why did the glass disappear in Shutter Island?

DiCaprio's character is part of a role-playing experiment to help him overcome repressed memories, which is why the glass appears to be invisible. From Teddy's perspective, he blocks out the water because it reminds him of a traumatic experience.

What did George tell Teddy while they were in Ward C?

Teddy & Chuck get into building C. Teddy finds George Noyce, He tells Teddy that the only way he can save Noyce is to forget his wife and Laeddis. Noyce tells him that Laeddis is no longer in C building, but that they have taken him to the lighthouse, where they are planning to do a lobotomy on him.

Who is right at the end of Shutter Island?

Cawley explains that Teddy is actually Andrew Laeddis, their "most dangerous patient." He was sent to the island after murdering his manic-depressive wife, Dolores.

What is the last line of Shutter Island?

The film ends with him being taken to be lobotomized. As the film ends, Andrew utters a line that's nowhere to be found in the original book. “This place makes me wonder, which would be worse,” he says. “to live as a monster or to die as a good man?”

What does lobotomized mean in Shutter Island?

The quote suggests that Edward knows who he is now but is continuing to act as Teddy because he can't face murdering his wife. Edward is saying he would rather be lobotomized, which he is comparing to the death of his old self, than accept that he is really Edward and live his whole life knowing that he is a murderer.

Who killed Teddy's wife in Shutter Island?

Teddy Killed His Wife Dolores After She Drowned Their Children In Shutter Island. Teddy ultimately finds out that it was he who killed his wife, shooting her dead after she drowned their three children in a lake.

What was wrong with Teddy's wife in Shutter Island?

Dolores was a wife of Andrew Laediss and had three children with him. She suffered from depression and delusions and her state had been worsening over time. At one point, she set their apartment on fire, which caused the family to move out.

Was Teddy really a US Marshal in Shutter Island?

Teddy Was Not A Real US Marshal In Shutter Island

The title comes from his delusion and his masculinity problems. Teddy doesn't want to face what he did or be vulnerable by allowing his doctors to help him, so he creates another identity that allows him to feel powerful and in control of his life.

Who was the real Rachel in Shutter Island?

Rachel Solando is a fictional character appearing in the 2010 film Shutter Island. She is portrayed by Emily Mortimer.