Character Analysis of Andrew Laeddis in the Film Shutter Island Essay

Throughout the film Shutter Island, the main character, Andrew Laeddis, tries to block out memories of his traumatic past. To deal with the past he creates the persona Edward Daniels, a US Marshal from Boston investigating a case on the island which later turns into a conspiracy in his own mind. As Edward Daniels, Laedis does not have to face the trauma of the liberation of Dachau, his manic-depressive suicidal wife that killed their children, and murdering aforementioned wife. However, in order to overcome his trauma, he must face these realities that are being blocked. The charade that Doctors Sheehan and Cawley have put together on the island lets Laeddis stay in a relatively comfortable mental state as he explores and investigates. To get Laeddis to face his reality, the doctors try to trigger memories of his traumas through the role play they have made for him. These triggers, and Laeddis reactions to them, can be seen throughout the film.The case that Laeddis is investigating involves the escape of Rachel Solando, a patient at the asylum whose backstory is exactly the same as Laeddis wife, Dolores Chanal. In fact, the two are the same. This is an attempt by the doctors to trigger Laeddis memories of his wife and what had happened between them. When Rachel Solando is miraculously found, Laeddis goes to question her about what had happened, but Sheehan and Crawley have trained Rachel to act in such a manner that would help to trigger his memories. In a defensive reaction, Laeddis continues to act in his persona of Daniels and believes that there is a conspiracy taking place on the island. Later on, Laeddis investigation of Ward C and encounter with former cellmate, George Noyce, sparks yet another memory trigger. Although he is Andrew Laeddis working through the persona of Edward Daniels, he has created a personification of everything about himself that he can not deal with directly named Laeddis. In his...

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