Dream Interpretation of an Infant and Feminine Monstrosity in Among the Sleep

Abstract

Among The Sleep (2014) follows an infant in his quest to search for memories of his mother. The game receives mixed opinions regarding its overly simple puzzles and confusing juxtaposition of the dream symbols; nevertheless, it is still praised for its storytelling and visuals used to build the momentum leading up to the resolution invoking strong emotions in players. Contrary to a popular belief that infants are incapable of understanding the events around them, in this game the infant can process his surroundings with the help of dreams and fantasies. In Freudian perspective, they will unconsciously affect an infant’s personality when growing up. This research aims to understand the infant’s dreams using Freud’s interpretation of dreams. The findings show that the dream elements are the wish-fulfilment part of the infant’s cognitive ability to cope with his surroundings. Moreover, using the concepts of abjection and hysteria, it is revealed that memories of his mother are often filled with feminine monstrosity to satiate her desire for having a penis by attempting to castrate him. Similar to many other video games, Among The Sleep carries a message through its storytelling elements, and it is to encourage the audience to tackle their own trauma.