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Many of us have grown up watching cartoons throughout our childhood. Of the many cartoons on television is Batman. This cartoon has been on television for many years. It is a story of a man who is a successful businessman during the day and a mysterious superhero by night.
Bruce Wayne is the man who is this mysterious man with the two identities. He is both Bruce Wayne and Batman. Only a selected few know both of his identities. Many of us have grown up thinking that he is a great man and a great superhero.
Yet, why is it that we do not question how unusual the whole situation is? If we take a closer look, we can find that he is a disturbed man who may be suffering from dissociative identity disorder. After witnessing the death of his own parents, Bruce Wayne was raised by the family butler Alfred Pennyworth. After growing up to his latter teen-age years Bruce decided to explore the world.
After years of study he became a black belt in every martial art and gained education in several areas. Returning to Gotham City, he took up the mantle of the bat. He strikes fear into the hearts of all villains and thugs. Now he is one of the most powerful of all heroes (Internet 1). Dissociative identity disorder can be brought on by a traumatic event (Durand/Barlow 162).
This is true for Bruce Wayne. When he was young, he witnessed the murders of his parents death. Deaths of his parent are awful enough but he had to witness this incident. This made a huge impact on the rest of his life. A lot of people may have gone through therapy and deal with everything but Bruce could not.
It appears that he is trying to escape this terrible memory. The birth of his other self, Batman, came to be about because of his parents. He has dedicated to getting rid of the criminals in Gotham City. This may be due to the fact that he is trying to avenge his parents death. During one of the episodes, there was a device that could show the deepest secret of a person and Bruce Wayne used this device. From this it was revealed that a major reason for him becoming Batman was because of the incident.
Throughout many of the episodes, this theme appears many times. There are many other reasons as to why Bruce Wayne is not just a superhero but rather a person who has a disorder. When he switches from Bruce Wayne to Batman, he does not even notice. It is almost as if it is automatic.
Nobody realizes that the respectable businessman Bruce Wayne is Batman by night. It appears that he is Batman for many reasons but a major one is that he fears that something terrible will happen to other people just like it happened to him when he was younger. He tries to save others from getting hurt from outlaws and evildoers. In one of the Batman movies, Bruce Wayne goes to see a psychologist to get help for this need to be Batman. He describes how he wants to get better and be himself but theres something stopping him. Him being Batman does interfere with his everyday life.
Also, it is the host that is seeking for help and not his other identity (Durand/Barlow 163). It looks as if because of his night job, it is more difficult to find love. He must be wary at all times to make sure that the woman does not have a motive. Also, he is afraid that if he does end up loving someone, she will be in danger at all times because of the fact that he is Batman.
He keeps people at a distance and does not allow anybody to get close to him for fear of finding out his secret. For this reason, he does eventually end up alone in the end. There are a few who do know his secret identity. His friend and butler, Alfred and of course his sidekick, Robin.
Robins story is similar to that of Bruce Wayne. Maybe that is the reason they end up together as superhero and sidekick. Even as he grows older and is no longer able to be Batman, he finds somebody else to take his place. A college student by the name of Terry assumes the identity of Batman and therefore Batman lives on and Bruce Wayne does not give up his identity.
He is able to live vicariously through Terry to keep avenging his parents death. It appears that he cannot give up Batman and Batman must live on somehow. There is so much evidence that suggests that this man show signs of dissociative identity disorder. There was a traumatic event involved that aided him to develop this secret identity. This traumatic event does not leave him but remains with him through all his life. It is so surprising that a man like Bruce Wayne can be somebody like Batman.
It is as if they are two different people. Nobody would guess that these two identities could be the same man. Many may say what Bruce is doing is normal and is his way of coping but there is too much evidence suggesting that Bruce Wayne is suffering from dissociative identity disorder. 1. Durand and Barlow. Abnormal Psychology: An Introduction.
Brooks / cole , 2000 2. Internet 1: web
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