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Crime and Punishment
Long story short: James killed his wife. It was a mercy killing but also one borne of frustration as James couldn’t handle the stress caused by Mary being ill, in more ways than one. It’s perhaps no surprise that Silent Hill 2 is about morality with Dostoevsky’s Crime and Punishment serving as an inspiration. Whether James was justified in his actions or not, whether he deserves to be punished and whether he’s actually worthy of remorse is the main goal of the narrative rather than just discovering the truth. It forces the player to really examine James and come to their own conclusion regarding his character.
