Repression of the truth due to stress and/or trauma is incredibly common, and can sometimes come off as mental instability.
There are stories (although their validity is suspect) of a parent becoming so distressed at the loss of one child that they convince themselves that that child never passed away, and that the younger sibling -is- the child.
In this case, it may well be that Zoey has, somewhere in the back of her mind, the knowledge that her father ran away/died/got sent to the moon, but has repressed that knowledge and replaced it with a falsehood (assuming her father is playing Hide and Seek).
Sanity (and lack thereof) is almost never readily apparent to the naked eye.
You know, the way it’s explained here, it sounds like it’s intentional, but I really don’t think it would most (usually). My aunt died at 30, leaving behind 4 young boys. My grandmother doted on her, even in death, and would constantly mistake my sister for my aunt (I do admit, there are some rather eerie similarities, but there’s a whole generation gap). My aunt’s death triggered an early-onset dementia, which is possibly something to consider in those parents described in your response.
I was really young when all this happened, but I do believe there was an episode where my grandmother freaked out at my sister’s haircut, thinking she was my aunt and had chopped her own hair off. She would often call my sister by my aunt’s name, as well. It was completely unintentional, and (in some aspect) understandable – my sister is the only one of the grandkids on that side of the family that shares my aunt’s bright red hair (and happens to share my aunt’s birthday).
Genetics: they’ll fuck your mind in ways you’d never believe.
Thanks for the clarification. Like I said, the validity of the stories I’ve heard are suspect– I only recall one situation (other than your aunt’s, now) that wasn’t a dramatization of some sort– a scene in a movie, or a side-quest in a video game, or a running subplot in a book– and even then the details are fuzzy, as it was the subject of a History Channel thing from maybe five or six years ago, before they were overrun with Ancient Aliens and Sasquatch Hunters and all manner of other cryptid nonsense.
I meant to imply that the likeliest cases would be entirely unintentional, but I have a habit of inserting words as I write things that are there in my mind but very much not there in what I wrote, or phrasing something in a way that makes sense to me (because I know the context intended) but from a not-me standpoint might not make sense. I usually catch it on the second read-through. Guess I shoulda read over it again. ^_^;
The term “dementia” didn’t seem right to me, but I suppose that would be what it is; a few wires get crossed, and suddenly Jane is now her older sister Miranda to her father– who believes Jane passed away in a car crash she wasn’t even involved in. T’would be the best description of what may have happened to Zoey. Perhaps her father often played Hide and Seek with her when she was little.
Of course, it could also be that, if her father disappeared before she was born, her mother told her he was playing Hide and Seek and was really good at it as a way to “protect” Zoey from the knowledge that her father was gone. The human mind is quite susceptible to delusion. If Zoey was homeschooled, for instance, that would mean a lot of formative early years spent in the company of only the parent (and maybe nobody else around to call the matter into question).
All the dramatizations I’ve seen it used in take the dementia to the extreme, to the point of the afflicted forcing aspects of the deceased onto the individual they’ve mistaken for them– a closet full of blue things because “you always loved wearing something blue”, redecorating the mistaken child’s bedroom into a study or something because the afflicted came to terms with the loss of (the wrong) child, et cetera.
As to why nobody other than the afflicted does anything about it, there’s usually some throwaway line about it having been tried before or those witness to it feeling too sad for the parent to shatter the delusion (irrespective of the effect on the child).
They usually wrap up the storyline with a Lifetime Original Movie ending where the mistaken child comes home dressed completely different from how the parent forced them to dress, and seeing them standing there with a defiant/sad look on their face flips the broken “switch” in the parent’s mind and they have a tearful hug while the parent apologizes a thousand times.
I should rephrase: Zoey does not seem sufficiently crazy to allow for her innocence and naivete, given her physical attractiveness as a character. Especially given Chase’s personality.
I know this is irrelevant to this strip in that Mr. Mills is not in this strip, but i came across this other webcomic and instantly knew Mr Mills had competition from panel 3 http://www.junipercomic.com/comics/2012-11-12.jpg
I just started reading this comic today (clicked on a random panel to start), and I must say, I’m already attached to these characters. 🙁 I will definitely be bookmarking. <3
I was laughing and smiling at this. And then that last bit took it all away.
why… why did I look at the link? my eyes!!!
…It was staring right at me…so cold…
Oh, sweet, naive Zoey.
Wow first! Scary picture, but rather cool.
Awww you made me have a feel! I luffs Zoey even more now!
D: Poor Zoey!
That’s awful… I LOVE IT!!!!
Aww. Poor Zoey. Is it just me, or has been getting prettier every time she appears?
Has she*
I won’t lie, Zoey seems unbelievable. Crazy can negate hot, but she hasn’t been shown to be sufficiently crazy.
Innocent, yes. Naive, yes. But not crazy.
Repression of the truth due to stress and/or trauma is incredibly common, and can sometimes come off as mental instability.
There are stories (although their validity is suspect) of a parent becoming so distressed at the loss of one child that they convince themselves that that child never passed away, and that the younger sibling -is- the child.
In this case, it may well be that Zoey has, somewhere in the back of her mind, the knowledge that her father ran away/died/got sent to the moon, but has repressed that knowledge and replaced it with a falsehood (assuming her father is playing Hide and Seek).
Sanity (and lack thereof) is almost never readily apparent to the naked eye.
You know, the way it’s explained here, it sounds like it’s intentional, but I really don’t think it would most (usually). My aunt died at 30, leaving behind 4 young boys. My grandmother doted on her, even in death, and would constantly mistake my sister for my aunt (I do admit, there are some rather eerie similarities, but there’s a whole generation gap). My aunt’s death triggered an early-onset dementia, which is possibly something to consider in those parents described in your response.
I was really young when all this happened, but I do believe there was an episode where my grandmother freaked out at my sister’s haircut, thinking she was my aunt and had chopped her own hair off. She would often call my sister by my aunt’s name, as well. It was completely unintentional, and (in some aspect) understandable – my sister is the only one of the grandkids on that side of the family that shares my aunt’s bright red hair (and happens to share my aunt’s birthday).
Genetics: they’ll fuck your mind in ways you’d never believe.
Thanks for the clarification. Like I said, the validity of the stories I’ve heard are suspect– I only recall one situation (other than your aunt’s, now) that wasn’t a dramatization of some sort– a scene in a movie, or a side-quest in a video game, or a running subplot in a book– and even then the details are fuzzy, as it was the subject of a History Channel thing from maybe five or six years ago, before they were overrun with Ancient Aliens and Sasquatch Hunters and all manner of other cryptid nonsense.
I meant to imply that the likeliest cases would be entirely unintentional, but I have a habit of inserting words as I write things that are there in my mind but very much not there in what I wrote, or phrasing something in a way that makes sense to me (because I know the context intended) but from a not-me standpoint might not make sense. I usually catch it on the second read-through. Guess I shoulda read over it again. ^_^;
The term “dementia” didn’t seem right to me, but I suppose that would be what it is; a few wires get crossed, and suddenly Jane is now her older sister Miranda to her father– who believes Jane passed away in a car crash she wasn’t even involved in. T’would be the best description of what may have happened to Zoey. Perhaps her father often played Hide and Seek with her when she was little.
Of course, it could also be that, if her father disappeared before she was born, her mother told her he was playing Hide and Seek and was really good at it as a way to “protect” Zoey from the knowledge that her father was gone. The human mind is quite susceptible to delusion. If Zoey was homeschooled, for instance, that would mean a lot of formative early years spent in the company of only the parent (and maybe nobody else around to call the matter into question).
All the dramatizations I’ve seen it used in take the dementia to the extreme, to the point of the afflicted forcing aspects of the deceased onto the individual they’ve mistaken for them– a closet full of blue things because “you always loved wearing something blue”, redecorating the mistaken child’s bedroom into a study or something because the afflicted came to terms with the loss of (the wrong) child, et cetera.
As to why nobody other than the afflicted does anything about it, there’s usually some throwaway line about it having been tried before or those witness to it feeling too sad for the parent to shatter the delusion (irrespective of the effect on the child).
They usually wrap up the storyline with a Lifetime Original Movie ending where the mistaken child comes home dressed completely different from how the parent forced them to dress, and seeing them standing there with a defiant/sad look on their face flips the broken “switch” in the parent’s mind and they have a tearful hug while the parent apologizes a thousand times.
(Jeebus, I wrote a lot more than I intended.)
I should rephrase: Zoey does not seem sufficiently crazy to allow for her innocence and naivete, given her physical attractiveness as a character. Especially given Chase’s personality.
Then again, I’m probably just over-analyzing.
Zoey is so god damn cute!!!!!! also made me go “awww that’s sad…”
It sounds like there’s some backstory going on here…
Innocent Zoey is cute in a sad sort of way.
I know this is irrelevant to this strip in that Mr. Mills is not in this strip, but i came across this other webcomic and instantly knew Mr Mills had competition from panel 3 http://www.junipercomic.com/comics/2012-11-12.jpg
Zoey and Nergil need to get on that whole “I’m lonely, here let me comfort you…” thing. And by comfort, I mean make Nerglings.
Awwwwwwww….
you are so evil to poor Zoey ;____;
you distracted me from my sadness from the comic with a picture of a horrifying talking goblin shark. good move, fine sir.
Am I the only one to notice that Zoey has HUGE knockers?
Woah. Getting deep here.
Is that your artwork I see in that card game you’re advertising on your site? Very nice.
I like Zoey’s innocent optimism.
Ahhahaahahaahaaaaa!!
Goblin Shark! On a bike!!
God why do I click these links…….
This.. this is depressing..
25 Pigeon Years? Oh, her dad…
I just started reading this comic today (clicked on a random panel to start), and I must say, I’m already attached to these characters. 🙁 I will definitely be bookmarking. <3
poor Zoey