In The Three Faces of Eve (1957), a school teacher, wife and mother of one in early 1950s Georgia suffers from headaches at first and then, the rotation of full-blown multiple personalities (aka dissociative identity disorder). Joanne Woodward won an Academy Award for her performance, based on the real case of Chris Costner Sizemore (b. 1927).
This topic is explored in many books, movies, series and soap operas and remains fluid in interpretation. Also makes me think of some of the weird complexities of twins.
In The Three Faces of Eve, the husband (nicely played by Michigander David Wayne) is irritated and skeptical, even angered by his wife's behavior. When Eve Black, the "bad" girl alter ego of Eve White, brings home a pile of glitzy clothes, hubby goes ballistic. In a similar scene in HBO's Hung (2009), hubby Ronnie is equally irritated when his wife Jessie brings home glitzy clothes at the urging of her new life coach Lenore, who backs her up to his face. Times have changed, even during an economic downturn. Showtime's United States of Tara (2009; conceived by Diablo Cody of Juno fame) goes even beyond this: Tara's husband Max (played by John Corbett) provides complete support, though her sister is more skeptical.
Are multiple personality disorders social constructs, coping mechanisms, or something eerily deeper? Remember Flip Wilson playing Geraldine? "The Devil made me do it!"
Today's Rune: Partnership. See also Flip Wilson's album, The Devil Made Me Buy This Dress! (1970).
2 comments:
I once heard Gene Wolfe say he'd met a woman with several hundred personalities. Needless to say, I was skeptical.
I'd like to think it's some sort of coping mechanism; I'll ask my wife. Might get two or three different answers, but I figure she'd know.
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