Symbolism of Crazy People in Horror Movies

While speaking on a panel about horror movie history and symbolism, someone asked me about the symbolism of crazy people in horror movies. She wanted to know if there was a reason why crazy people always seemed to know what was going on, and would warn the characters about the menace. I had to chuckle when I was asked this, because I realized that most of the people in the room did not know the deeper revelations to be found in the token local crazy person in horror.

Lovecraft

H.P. Lovecraft was known for having "crazy" people in many of his stories. Often, it would be found during the story that the main character, or narrator, had been deemed insane when relating information about what secrets he had learned. Lovecraft's stories dealt with creatures and gods that would drive people insane. He set the groundwork for many of the aspects of horror, and this was one of them.

Loss of Logic

When we think about crazy people, we often will think of someone that has lost the ability to think logically. In horror, it is sometimes the opposite. Crazy people have had the logic portion of their brain turned off, so they are able to think more clearly about certain aspects of life. Instead of second guessing what they are seeing, or what they know, they realize that they have come upon the truth. This makes them the clearest thinkers when it comes to understanding the menace.

Who Would Believe Them?

The local crazy person in horror movies is usually looked down upon by members of the community. They never believe what comes out of that person's mouth. This makes the new people in town easy targets for the nut. If the new people have not heard of the person, how would they know not to believe him?

Interesting Circumstances

Sometimes, the crazy person is in the horror story to cause for humorous scenes. One of the best examples that comes to mind would be Christopher Moore's book, "The Lust Lizard of Melancholy Cove." The town crazy, Molly Michon befriends the huge sea monster that has changed life in the city and she feeds him whoever it is that upsets her for any reason whether it be the guy from the hardware store that makes passes at her or the annoying religious ladies who bother her to sign a petition to keep prayer in schools.

The Crazy People Stay Alive

Another reference back to Lovecraft comes in the form of the fact that the crazy people are usually still alive at the end of the movie. In many of Lovecraft's stories, the person who has gone crazy is still alive when you read the final few lines. Since they are able to think without that pesky logic, they are able to outlast all of those that laughed at them. A slight touch of indirect revenge is always a nice twist at the end.