silver-crescent wrote...
You guys seen this? It's Jennifer Hepler's comment on an article about how DA2 handles stuff like race, discrimination, sexuality and mental issues.
"As the writer of Anders, and many other aspects of DAII, I found this an interesting and thoughtful examination of what we tried to do with the game. I do find it odd, though, that Anders is not discussed in regards to the treatment of the mentally ill. For me, that is primarily what his relationship is about — the difficulties of loving and trying to help someone who struggles with a part of himself that he cannot control and may never be able to control. It is certainly the experience I drew from when writing him, and I think it uses the fantasy setting in the way I most prefer to see — providing a magical metaphor for exploring real-world problems. To me, this is the central feature of his character — not whether he is gay or straight, but the inner demons (personified as Justice/Vengeance), which both he and you, as his lover, must struggle against every day."
http://borderhouseblog.com/?p=4823
Oh, I definitely think that part of his character comes across strong. The whole conversation in Act 3 with Varric where he tries to give away his mother's pillow comes across as very much someone who is suicidal. I had really bad, sinking feelings the first time I played through it. I kept imagining my Hawke going to Aveline and Varric (his closest friends), asking them for help with Anders. It was heartbreaking in many ways.
Actually, bipolar disorder runs in my family, and I was struck by the similarities Anders sometimes shows with this condition. It's not a perfect metaphor, of course, but it did remind me of it.