The Babadook: The Man in the Closet and Childhood Abuse
TW: Abuse
Jennifer Kent’s 2014 masterpiece The Babadook touches on the themes of depression, grief, learning disorders and child abuse. This post will only look into the last of those themes, though the other three are immensely important to the film.
The movie follows widow Amelia, played by Essie Davis and her son Samuel, played by Noah Wiseman. We see Amelia’s exasperation due to her grief, depression and lack of knowledge on how to raise a son that reminds her of her husband’s death and has a serious learning disorder. The one moment of calm in their life is when she sits down at night to read her son a bedtime story. That is, until they find the book The Babadook. The book is the story of a monster by the name Babadook that haunts then possesses its victims. After the two read this storybook the Babadook begins to haunt them in their everyday lives.
Due to Amelia’s sister’s lack of understanding of Amelia’s grief and Sam’s learning disabilities she removes herself from their lives. She begins the process of isolating Sam with his mother. A reference to the isolation forced upon victims by their abusers. Towards the end of the film, Sam’s one friend - their elderly next door neighbor- asks if Sam would like to spend the night at her house. Amelia refuses the offer. And eventually cuts the phone lines when Sam tries to call the neighbor. Thus, completing the isolation.
After Amelia’s first attempt to destroy the book it returns, and it has changed. The story now has Amelia and her son, Sam in it as characters. The book depicts her killing her son, followed by herself. Like abuse, the book returns but changes to fit each situation. The creature itself makes itself known in her moments of exasperation. For example, when Sam is asked to leave his cousins birthday party. The two are in the car and they hear loud pounding on the roof. Amelia is at a loss at how to deal with her son properly. In this moment where she wishes to lash out the monster does it for her. Many abuse victim’s discourse shares the idea that an abuser becomes another person in moments of anger. This transformation from Amelia’s anger to the monster’s attacks is a literal interpretation of this idea.
The film takes place in the days leading up to Samuel’s birthday which is also the day his father died. Multiple characters reference Amelia’s behavior and mental status changes for the worse during this time frame each year. Her next door neighbor even asks if Amelia would like Samuel to sleep over at her home because she “knows this time of year is difficult” for Amelia. The abusive cycle is established not by the audience witnessing it throughout the years but by the character’s past knowledge. In the first scenes Samuel is removed from school for bringing a home made weapon. He has several in his and Amelia’s home. He says they are to protect him and his mother from the monsters, namely the Babadook. During the climax of the film he uses them against his mother in order to subdue her. She becomes the monster they need protecting from.
The second half of the film centers on the Babadook’s physical possession of Amelia. He jumps into her mouth as she lays in bed, thus making the transformation from mother to monster complete. In this half of the film there is no separation between her anger and the monster’s attacks. The audience gets to Amelia directly being the monster- the abuser. Sam tries to get through to her by tying her to the basement floor and reminding her that he loves her. But she has to stop the abuse herself. She talks to the monster (herself) telling it “You cannot have my son”. She has to fight with her own behavior to make sure it does not swallow her son. She fights for her son like she will fight for his forgiveness. This is how the monster is subdued, but not destroyed. There is no destroying this kind of monster. It lives on in perpetrator and victim alike. The Babadook is sent to the basement, slamming the door behind itself.
After monster is subdued we see Sam’s birthday party. During the preparations Amelia is gardening. She sees a single black rose. A beautiful yet dark thing. Like her relationship with her son. This is immediately followed by the scene of Sam and Amelia standing in front of the basement door. He hands her a plate of worms, which she takes downstairs. She seems to be feeding the Babadook. This moment may be the most important in the film. It shows that even though these two have overcome this monster (abuse) together it lives within their home forever. They must feed it, remind themselves of its existence, in a desperate attempt to keep it at bay and from ever returning. The cycle is continuing, even when there seems to be a light at the end of the tunnel.
