liquidspeed
Member
1 The breed of the horse is an Andalusian Horse. Because it is white, and the field of flowers is white, it represents purity."
2. Boss gives Big Boss the Patriot and says something like its vital"
(Note I havent played mgs1 or 2 YET**)
Later he betrays his country and looses his patriotism (based on what ive heard)
3. The Old, Dead trees in the field of white living flowers
This is a Juxtaposition of living and dead: 1 must live, one must die
The field of flowers represents the cycle of life; the flowers die, and reseed in the same location. The Boss dies, and Naked Snake becomes Big Boss. "
4. Ocelot says: "whats your name?" Then Jack says "Snake" Ocelot then says "NO we're men with names"
A major theme in the game is one of "what is a soldier" and should he/ she be patriotic or go with personal alliances?
This statement helps solidify that snake and Ocelot are people. It humanizes them.
Some other Themes and symbols: Some of these I came up with myself while some are from others.
This is by no means everything, but a lot
East vs. West (Over Arching Motif) Cold War
The Boss says: "I want to make the world whole again. The world Use to be whole. The world was torn apart"
Flower pedals are falling in the back ground. They are Pieces of a flower. Flower pedals are symbolic of the parts of the world... The world torn apart. Just as the world is torn apart, so are the flowers.
La li Lu le lo: symbolizes control of information (probably mainly a theme in MGS2, which I havent played yet) (wiki source)
Virtuous Mission (The title of the mission that precedes the main game) Naked Snake mentions it just after he deploys. Additionally, when he encounters Boss, she says "This isnt America you don't have to be virtuous here." The mission was really a virtuous mission: a quest to save a betrayed scientist.
Boss' Sons: they COULD be viewed as symbolizing snake's emotions and the emotions that war brings about. They also show The Boss' feminism in the she mothered them. From MGS: the unofficial site as well as popmatters.com (Christopher Willings and Christopher Williams)
The Boss C- section scar: Following quote From popmatters.com: reveals her biological "female-ness" through her exposed breasts and her biological mother ness through a long jagged scar, evidence of a battlefield c- section when she had to give up a child and seemingly with it her female-ness to be a soldier"
The scar is in the shape of a snake across her abdomen. It turns into a snake and slithers off of her body: This could symbolize several things:
a. It could symbolize that Snake no longer needs his mentor. This is corroborated with The boss' statements just before the final battle in which she says (paraphrased)"I've raised you, loved you, given you weapons taught you techniques, endowed you with knowledge. There is nothing more for me to give you. All thats left for you to take is my life by your own hand."
b. IT could symbolize that through her (the Boss') death, she is at peace: The Pain and sin of the world is gone. She no longer has to deal with abuse, betrayal, and the world's problems
The Boss' Gun: The Patriot. She was the Greatest Patriot. She gave her life for her country realizing that she would receive no credit for her actions and that she would actually be hated for them.
Field of flowers:/ flower pedals falling from the sky: Could be seen as showing life's fragility. The fact that the flowers are white symbolizes her Purity and LACK of Mal-intent. The fact that the battle takes place in a field of white flowers could also foreshadow her Emotion: that she doesnt hold any anger or hatred against snake; that she had GOOD INTENT in her battle
Flower pedals falling from the sky, blowing in the wind: The Boss said "the foibles of Politics and the march of time can turn friends into enemies just as easily as the wind changes. Yesterdays ally = todays opposition." The Flower pedals falling to the ground are fluttering around in the wind and are symbolic of how easily friends can become enemies and vice versa. (The Boss also holds one in her hand as she points this out. Then the Camera pans to the flower pedals blowing in the wind)
The Black Cloak that The Boss usually wears could be seen as symbolic of cloaking her true intentions. Cloaking her purity (the Black Cloak Hides a white suit. Similarly an evil, traitorous guise hides her pure, patriotic intent)
The White suit that she reveals in the final battle is also symbolic/ foreshadowing her purity.
When the flowers turn Crimson/ Red, they symbolize snake's sorrow, as well as what Boss Did for her country. She gave her life for her county. She poured out her blood four her country. There IMHO could even be comparisons made to what she did and what Jesus did (Both made the ultimate sacrifice for their people) (Later on, other Biblical references and comparisons are made.
When Snake is holding on to one last crimson pedal and then lets it fly away: IT COULD be seen as him letting go of his sorrow.
MGS: MEME (1) GENE (2) SCENE (3) Sense (4) FROM http://www.metalgearsolid.org/show_features.php?id=1382
Also from this link: "The overall theme of Metal Gear Solid is not a statement, it is a question. That being: What makes us who we are? Memes, Genes, Scene, and Sense are all factors that work in different ways to make us who and what we are. But which of these is the most important? That is the other question and possibly the greater question."
Snake Eater: Naked Snake is literally Eating (defeating) the COBRA UNIT. The Cobra unit is the explicit antagonist in the game.
The following quote is From MGS: the unofficial fan site: After defeating the Fury, Snake Eater's Symbolism comes into play. The power of The Furies anger manifests its self in a flaming head that makes a last ditch attempt at killing naked snake. Prior to this The Fury exhibits no supernatural abilities. Nothing that connects him to the ability to explode into a flaming ball of well, fury. The player is left wondering how these things are possible, but strangely Big Boss is not."
Later in the game it mentions that "Scholars say the 1st spy was a snake in the Garden of Eden....." That the first spy in history was the Evil Snake.
Because Hideo names his Main Character as Snake, could this be interpreted to mean that spying/ espionage is evil? There is a definite connection here. However, it may have been used to create the irony of Eva Tempting Naked Snake. IN the Bible The Snake Tempted Eve. This is clearly an ironic reversal of the roles, and thus intentional
2. Boss gives Big Boss the Patriot and says something like its vital"
(Note I havent played mgs1 or 2 YET**)
Later he betrays his country and looses his patriotism (based on what ive heard)
3. The Old, Dead trees in the field of white living flowers
This is a Juxtaposition of living and dead: 1 must live, one must die
The field of flowers represents the cycle of life; the flowers die, and reseed in the same location. The Boss dies, and Naked Snake becomes Big Boss. "
4. Ocelot says: "whats your name?" Then Jack says "Snake" Ocelot then says "NO we're men with names"
A major theme in the game is one of "what is a soldier" and should he/ she be patriotic or go with personal alliances?
This statement helps solidify that snake and Ocelot are people. It humanizes them.
Some other Themes and symbols: Some of these I came up with myself while some are from others.
This is by no means everything, but a lot
East vs. West (Over Arching Motif) Cold War
The Boss says: "I want to make the world whole again. The world Use to be whole. The world was torn apart"
Flower pedals are falling in the back ground. They are Pieces of a flower. Flower pedals are symbolic of the parts of the world... The world torn apart. Just as the world is torn apart, so are the flowers.
La li Lu le lo: symbolizes control of information (probably mainly a theme in MGS2, which I havent played yet) (wiki source)
Virtuous Mission (The title of the mission that precedes the main game) Naked Snake mentions it just after he deploys. Additionally, when he encounters Boss, she says "This isnt America you don't have to be virtuous here." The mission was really a virtuous mission: a quest to save a betrayed scientist.
Boss' Sons: they COULD be viewed as symbolizing snake's emotions and the emotions that war brings about. They also show The Boss' feminism in the she mothered them. From MGS: the unofficial site as well as popmatters.com (Christopher Willings and Christopher Williams)
The Boss C- section scar: Following quote From popmatters.com: reveals her biological "female-ness" through her exposed breasts and her biological mother ness through a long jagged scar, evidence of a battlefield c- section when she had to give up a child and seemingly with it her female-ness to be a soldier"
The scar is in the shape of a snake across her abdomen. It turns into a snake and slithers off of her body: This could symbolize several things:
a. It could symbolize that Snake no longer needs his mentor. This is corroborated with The boss' statements just before the final battle in which she says (paraphrased)"I've raised you, loved you, given you weapons taught you techniques, endowed you with knowledge. There is nothing more for me to give you. All thats left for you to take is my life by your own hand."
b. IT could symbolize that through her (the Boss') death, she is at peace: The Pain and sin of the world is gone. She no longer has to deal with abuse, betrayal, and the world's problems
The Boss' Gun: The Patriot. She was the Greatest Patriot. She gave her life for her country realizing that she would receive no credit for her actions and that she would actually be hated for them.
Field of flowers:/ flower pedals falling from the sky: Could be seen as showing life's fragility. The fact that the flowers are white symbolizes her Purity and LACK of Mal-intent. The fact that the battle takes place in a field of white flowers could also foreshadow her Emotion: that she doesnt hold any anger or hatred against snake; that she had GOOD INTENT in her battle
Flower pedals falling from the sky, blowing in the wind: The Boss said "the foibles of Politics and the march of time can turn friends into enemies just as easily as the wind changes. Yesterdays ally = todays opposition." The Flower pedals falling to the ground are fluttering around in the wind and are symbolic of how easily friends can become enemies and vice versa. (The Boss also holds one in her hand as she points this out. Then the Camera pans to the flower pedals blowing in the wind)
The Black Cloak that The Boss usually wears could be seen as symbolic of cloaking her true intentions. Cloaking her purity (the Black Cloak Hides a white suit. Similarly an evil, traitorous guise hides her pure, patriotic intent)
The White suit that she reveals in the final battle is also symbolic/ foreshadowing her purity.
When the flowers turn Crimson/ Red, they symbolize snake's sorrow, as well as what Boss Did for her country. She gave her life for her county. She poured out her blood four her country. There IMHO could even be comparisons made to what she did and what Jesus did (Both made the ultimate sacrifice for their people) (Later on, other Biblical references and comparisons are made.
When Snake is holding on to one last crimson pedal and then lets it fly away: IT COULD be seen as him letting go of his sorrow.
MGS: MEME (1) GENE (2) SCENE (3) Sense (4) FROM http://www.metalgearsolid.org/show_features.php?id=1382
Also from this link: "The overall theme of Metal Gear Solid is not a statement, it is a question. That being: What makes us who we are? Memes, Genes, Scene, and Sense are all factors that work in different ways to make us who and what we are. But which of these is the most important? That is the other question and possibly the greater question."
Snake Eater: Naked Snake is literally Eating (defeating) the COBRA UNIT. The Cobra unit is the explicit antagonist in the game.
The following quote is From MGS: the unofficial fan site: After defeating the Fury, Snake Eater's Symbolism comes into play. The power of The Furies anger manifests its self in a flaming head that makes a last ditch attempt at killing naked snake. Prior to this The Fury exhibits no supernatural abilities. Nothing that connects him to the ability to explode into a flaming ball of well, fury. The player is left wondering how these things are possible, but strangely Big Boss is not."
Later in the game it mentions that "Scholars say the 1st spy was a snake in the Garden of Eden....." That the first spy in history was the Evil Snake.
Because Hideo names his Main Character as Snake, could this be interpreted to mean that spying/ espionage is evil? There is a definite connection here. However, it may have been used to create the irony of Eva Tempting Naked Snake. IN the Bible The Snake Tempted Eve. This is clearly an ironic reversal of the roles, and thus intentional
