Silent Hill 2 Characters & Monsters Book 2

Lying Figure (Monster)

Other Names: Armless Man

Health: Medium

Locations: Streets of Silent Hill, Wood Side Apartments, Blue Creek Apartments, Silent Hill Historical Society, Toluca Prison, Labyrinth, Lakeview Hotel and Baldwin Mansion

Weapons: None

Attack Methods: Sprays acid mist and Charging at legs

Description: Lying Figures are skulking humanoid monsters in Silent Hill 2.

They Lying Figure is the first monster James Sunderland encounters, after following trails of blood through Silent Hill. He confronts it in a closed tunnel after retrieving the radio, where it is seen feeding on a corpse.

They Lying Figure SHOULD NOT be confused with the Straightjacket in Silent Hill: Origins, to which it shares similarities, but the latter has some significant changes.

                                                                                 Appearance

Their entire bodies appear to be trapped in a straitjacket of flesh, complete with stereo-typically  feminine legs and visible buttocks. On their feet they wear a pair of what seem to be platform heels encased in flesh, they make a high-pitched wailing noise that sounds like the scraping of metal against cement. They seem to have zippers on their faces.

                                                                                  Character

They attack by spewing a spray of poisonous mist from an opening in their chest which will knock James/Maria back and force him/her to recover for a few seconds before being able to resume his attack. Because of this, it's best to deal with them from range, preferably by using the handgun, as a few good shots can down the creature. However, if melee is the only option, it's advised to use the steel pipe while strafing left/right to avoid the poison.

They are slow-moving while standing upright; however, when knocked down, they can easily hit James/Maria by skittering very quickly along the ground, easily outrunning the player. It's best to flee if the situation arises.

                                                                                 Symbolism

They Lying Figure represents the image of a hospital patient squirming in agony. This is a manifestation of James's internal suffering. They were created from feelings of confinement.

The Lying Figure was meant to be similar to how Mary saw herself: suffering in agony and trapped in its own inescapable body.

As well, its main means of attack is spitting an acid-like mist at James/Maria; this is suggestive if vomiting, alluding further to the theme of illness. However, this may also be suggestive of how Mary spat hateful words at James during her illness. The Lying Figures seem to have zippers on their faces, which could be symbolic of a straitjacket; however, it could also be symbolic of James wanting Mary to "zip it" (her mouth) due to her verbal treatment of him.

As the creature appears to have its arms restricted, it can be assumed that it represents James's frustration from being unable to touch or hold Mary during her illness. They way that it skitters along the ground and screeches like grating metal also likens it to a pest. This could point to Mary being burdensome and disgusting to James.

The prevalent theme of sexual frustration ties in, as this beast is practically unclothed, trapped, writing, has effeminate legs and buttocks, has feet that look like platform shoes, and spews a spray from its chest, possibly mirroring male ejaculation. In extension, the Lying Figure could also represent James's disgust with his own growing sexual yearning in the face of Mary's illness, and the figure symbolizes this by having both of its hands thrust down its underwear, easily noticeable in the creature's concept art.