Abusive Relationships and Stockholm
Syndrome:
This article has discussed at length the relationship from Joker's perspective for the reason that it is the one in question; we all know Harley adores him and loves him utterly.
But it is still worth discussing: will Harley ever get over him? Will she ever truly shake off the infatuation and overriding passion and regain her sanity and a normal life?
I have to say: No.
The relationship is similar to both an Abuser/abusee relationship and to the Stockholm Syndrome, but I feel it goes far beyond both. Abusers will generally wear down their victim's self-esteem and self-respect, teaching the abusee that their lives are worthless without them there. Often an abused will not leave a relationship out of fear of retaliation. Harley’s life is in more danger when she is with Joker than when she is not. And whilst Joker frequently insults, belittles and undermines her, this is usually him following his rampant emotional trail through rather than a concerted attempt at manipulation.
Stockholm Syndrome involves a captive becoming romantically attached to their captor; Harley is definitely a captive of Joker's in a way, trapped by her love for him and sucked deeply into his world of insanity and chaos; however she is there voluntarily and not without awareness. So yes, there are many shared elements between both situations, but the relationship could not be said to be precisely one or the other.
For the extent to which Harley has taken her devotion goes further than those patterns. There is absolutely no evidence to suggest Harley was involved in abusive relationships in her past, or indeed that she was anything but in control of most interactions with men she encountered. From everything we've seen, Harley was well-adjusted and had a privileged upbringing. There is no past evidence to indicate why she chose The Joker, one of the most feared and dangerous criminals of her world, to fall in love with. Not just in love, but dangerously, obsessively infatuated with.
So passionately enamoured, that she gave up her privileged life and followed him on his path of destruction. Harley has shed blood and aided Joker in truly horrendous acts. She endures a chaotic life with little stability, and does it cheerfully because it is paramount to her to be near her love.
It is important to emphasise that Harley loves her life of crime and repeatedly fails at attempts to rehabilitate. She thrives on the thrill and the excitement and is frequently shown to be anything but an innocent little angel, having a vicious malicious streak of her own and more than her own cup full of crazy. Her going insane and following Joker into his world in many ways actually increased her confidence and sense of power – she ‘threw off the restraints of society’ and found freedom. In a way, she blossomed when she became Harley Quinn and Joker both approves and condones this. In crime and in her relationship with Joker she found a sense of self and self-worth she had been suppressing.
This article has discussed at length the relationship from Joker's perspective for the reason that it is the one in question; we all know Harley adores him and loves him utterly.
But it is still worth discussing: will Harley ever get over him? Will she ever truly shake off the infatuation and overriding passion and regain her sanity and a normal life?
I have to say: No.
The relationship is similar to both an Abuser/abusee relationship and to the Stockholm Syndrome, but I feel it goes far beyond both. Abusers will generally wear down their victim's self-esteem and self-respect, teaching the abusee that their lives are worthless without them there. Often an abused will not leave a relationship out of fear of retaliation. Harley’s life is in more danger when she is with Joker than when she is not. And whilst Joker frequently insults, belittles and undermines her, this is usually him following his rampant emotional trail through rather than a concerted attempt at manipulation.
Stockholm Syndrome involves a captive becoming romantically attached to their captor; Harley is definitely a captive of Joker's in a way, trapped by her love for him and sucked deeply into his world of insanity and chaos; however she is there voluntarily and not without awareness. So yes, there are many shared elements between both situations, but the relationship could not be said to be precisely one or the other.
For the extent to which Harley has taken her devotion goes further than those patterns. There is absolutely no evidence to suggest Harley was involved in abusive relationships in her past, or indeed that she was anything but in control of most interactions with men she encountered. From everything we've seen, Harley was well-adjusted and had a privileged upbringing. There is no past evidence to indicate why she chose The Joker, one of the most feared and dangerous criminals of her world, to fall in love with. Not just in love, but dangerously, obsessively infatuated with.
So passionately enamoured, that she gave up her privileged life and followed him on his path of destruction. Harley has shed blood and aided Joker in truly horrendous acts. She endures a chaotic life with little stability, and does it cheerfully because it is paramount to her to be near her love.
It is important to emphasise that Harley loves her life of crime and repeatedly fails at attempts to rehabilitate. She thrives on the thrill and the excitement and is frequently shown to be anything but an innocent little angel, having a vicious malicious streak of her own and more than her own cup full of crazy. Her going insane and following Joker into his world in many ways actually increased her confidence and sense of power – she ‘threw off the restraints of society’ and found freedom. In a way, she blossomed when she became Harley Quinn and Joker both approves and condones this. In crime and in her relationship with Joker she found a sense of self and self-worth she had been suppressing.