My Little Dashie = Metaphor of mental illness?

[Spatsi 151]

I know there is already a topic about MLD, but this one's going to be a bit different

 

So, I've just read My Little Dashie (yeah, I'm still crying), and I have some weird theory about it.

 

I think everyone would agree that this kind of story's not possible - ponies are just cartoon and they're not real (I know, it's sad). But, in my opinion, this story will become fully realistic if we take it in different way.

 

Ok, so let say that main character has mental illness. It's possible since he's constantly dealing with loneliness and depression. He also has huge urge to have a real pony. Thus, I think he hasn't found Dashie - he only imagined her. Call it Tulpa, imaginary friend, or whatever you want. Note that nobody but main character has seen Dashie. I know, the city isn't very crowded, but she is a flying Pegasus! It's impossible that she has remained unnoticed for 15 years! I think that's another evidence that Rainbow Dash exists only in main character's mind.

 

Let's talk about ending now. After Dashie returns to her world we can notice that everything look like she has never existed in our world. I think this is the moment in which main character becomes a little more sane. He still remembers all that "happened" but he begin to perceive world normally. The only sign of Rainbow's existence is her letter, but I think it's possible that he wrote it and then convince himself that it's from Dashie.

 

I don't know if author meant it or is it just my crazy analyzing but I think in this way MLD becomes much more valuable - It's not only a depressing story about man who loses his "daughter", but a story about a man who can no longer deal with sad, depressing and gray reality, so he enters the world of fantasy and is no longer capable of seeing a difference between real and imaginary world.

 

Oh, I didn't expect it to be so long. Anyway, tell me what do you think about it? Is it possible or is it just my

stupid theory?

Edited August 21, 2012 by Spatsi

[Valureon 93]

Hmmmm thats not a bad theory..... I guess it is possible....

........ Dammit now you have me thinking about..... and now im gonna have to read it again with that in mind

[Demiurge 108]

I'm pretty sure the author didn't write it with this in mind but it definitely is an interesting and plausible theory.

Plus I love over analyzing things such as pokemon, mlp and such.

[PonyEcho 1,610]

its a good theory but it has one thing that send that theory mute, when RD did her first sonic rainboom it cause damage to the area were they were (broken windows car alarms, ect) so mental illness doesn't seem possible unless it was all a dream which explains the unrealistic dead world the main character is in ,and the incredibly stupid cameo of the mane 6 and Celestia

 

to me MLD continues to be a overrated story with a depressing opening and good father daughter like story middle and a terrible ending that could have been dealt with and not leave more plot holes then a changeling.

[Nenni 27]

I am only half way through so this is an interesting idea for me to keep in mind while I am reading this but from what I am gathering from the above comments it could have some faults. HOWEVER I do enjoy these kind of concepts and I will be reading more into it as I read MLD!

[Spatsi 151]

when RD did her first sonic rainboom it cause damage to the area were they were (broken windows car alarms, ect)

 

Yeah, I missed it. But I think it can be explained somehow. Maybe he just imagined all these damages? I know it begins to sound pitiful but I just try to defend my theory somehow .

And I agree that MLD is overrated. It made my cry, but it's not a hard task since I'm oversensitive. It's quite good, but nothing special.

[Cocodrillo 1,565]

I have to quote something for this topic..

"I was recently (a week or so ago) diagnosed a paranoid schizophrenic. I’ve known for a long time, but I put off telling anyone so long because Pinkie Pie was always there for me when I needed her and she would keep away all the negative voices and hallucinations away. A couple of days after starting medication, she started to fade away and I don’t want her to go. Two nights ago, the last time I heard from her (I’ve seen or at least heard her voice every day for months) she told me everything would be okay, and that she had to leave so I could get better. I wish she was still here to keep the bad hallucinations away from me because they aren’t leaving yet."

 

(source)

[Valureon 93]

Yeah, I missed it. But I think it can be explained somehow. Maybe he just imagined all these damages? I know it begins to sound pitiful but I just try to defend my theory somehow .

And I agree that MLD is overrated. It made my cry, but it's not a hard task since I'm oversensitive. It's quite good, but nothing special.

 

You dont have defend yourself so hard and make sure everything fits perfectly cause it wont.... Pretty much all the theories about things like this have problems like that They all have some holes somewhere... thats why they are only theories .

[Ad Foedera Cresco 188]

I honestly think that the author didn't put THAT much into the story. Though, it would've defintely made it a lot more sad if they told you he was just seeing hallucinations for 20-21 years, and that Dashie never existed . It'd be a very brilliant twist, but I don't think the author really went so far as to that, looking at how well written the story is anyway.

[Juggler 345]

its a good theory but it has one thing that send that theory mute, when RD did her first sonic rainboom it cause damage to the area were they were (broken windows car alarms, ect)

 

That doesn't really break the theory. He is imagining a blue pony so he could also imagine broken windows, car alarms, etc. It's all through his perspective, what he sees, what he believes, and if you have such a serious mental disease that you are seeing a blue pony it's not weird to imagine windows breaking.

 

I think that's a really interesting theory. I will never see MLD the same way again.

[Hat988 108]

There is a joke fic called 'Little Dashie' that has a theme of coping capability and it actually does it quite well, even if it does so unwittingly. The third chapter is a bit weird though; you can stop reading after the second

In short, the main character takes Dashie to the vet where they put her down for a broken wing. It doesn't seem like the character is entirely aware of what the vet was about to do so he is really shocked afterwards. He gets a taxidermist to stuff Dashie and wheels her around on a cart pretending she is still alive. I think the cart gets tipped over and Dashie's button-eye falls out and the whole thing is really depressing.

It is only meant to be a spoof, but it had more of an effect than the original piece on me.

[Driz 1,552]

That's a very good theory, indeed. But I'm not very comfortable with the idea of giving MLD a realistic look. :|

 

I mean, I think that's what got so many people to like the fanfic. The idea of being in that part of your life where everything seems meaningless, and then something magical and unexpected happens that changes your life completely. We all know that it was impossible for that event to have happened, but I'm sure every single brony have always dreamed of something like that. And I'll be very honest now: Where is the fun in a dream when it is physically possible?

 

I respect your theory, but I still prefer to look at My Little Dashie the way it is: fictional.

[Jack Durango 119]

The author was writing a story on something either a) he wanted to have happen in his own life or focused on the feelings of paternal love, separation, and just generally trying to evoke emotion from the audience and/or himself.

 

"My Little Dashie" was what most fanfiction is: a way for people to gush out their dreams and emotions onto a Microsoft Word document and upload it for all the world to see. This is why 98% of all fanfiction is pure crap- people just want to focus on their immediate feelings, not the fundamental questions and morals of life that have made all the great reads in the world great. Not that "My Little Dashie" was bad, per se; it was a fairly decent read, something you could read through without feeling like you were wasting your time. It certainly made an impact in the MLP fandom. But it didn't exactly delve deep, either. Not too many things in it related to humanity or ethics, or even philosophies. It was just a story designed to make you feel happy, sad, and touched...in half an hour.

 

Now, anyone who's willing to argue that it did, in fact, teach morals and fundamentals, be my guest. I've only read it once, and beyond the top level of emotion, I analyzed it the way I would any other fanfic or story. In all, I'd have to agree most with the above post. Purely fiction and sticky, sappy feelings based around a character we all know and love (we could care less about the narrator). I'm glad you enjoyed the story, though! Keep on reading.

[Thunderbolt 35]

While I was reading it, I was wondering the same thing if it was all in head because he could no longer deal with his depressing routine and crossed the line into insanity

[TheFabulousPony 102]

Very possible. Just* finished reading it about 10 mins ago (I cried like a little bitch haha). It's totally reasonable to look at it in that way. Hell, maybe he lived in a crowded part of town and he was just so messed up he thought it was a slum

 

In seriousness, it's quite possible that it could have all been an illusion that his mind played in him from loneliness, grief from loosing his parents, depression from the previous things and from little human contact and what not. Plus how he saw the world... The real world;, a cruel, greedy a messed up place... His mind being so messed up from that and the other things probably could have just...broke down into a false reality to try and escape.

 

Not to mention his repetitive routine! My gosh... I used to be the same and got majorly depressed from that mixed with similar things, gladi broke out of it though.

Edited August 24, 2012 by TheFabulousPony

[Franksta 41]

although I wouldn't like to think about it like that, it is a very plausible theory. When Celestia used her magic to make it so it was like dashie never existed and for the main character(whos name slips my mind) to keep his memor dang it, I just thought of a hole in your theory

if he was just hallucinating then how did dashie's room turn into an office room with furniture and stuff that he didn't remember doing or buying?

[PlunderSteed 1,252]

It could have been an earthquake that his mind interpreted as a Sonic Rainboom. Throughout history, plenty of supposedly healthy/sane people have mistaken dramatic natural occurrences for something else, attributing them meaningful personal significance.

[DeiStar 248]

My theory is that this fic needs to die already, because it's nothing but a reader self-insert with wish of fulfillment to have a pony in real life.