Obsession

mind shatteringly beautiful portrayal of male selfishness being the catalyst for the loss of a woman’s autonomy and sanity. “love only a branch of a willow tree could conjure” as Nikki put it, romance and a love story are two different things. Bear’s desire is not for Nikki to love him, but to possess and control Nikki. He is a prime example of a person that drives their partner to insanity and leaves them to deal with the consequences of their own making. You may see this as a love story, but romance is absent. She was never given a chance to make that decision consciously, despite asking Bear whether he liked her upfront, which ultimately lead to him being a coward and Nikki giving up on any form of romance there could have been. Bear’s wish did not create romance, it created a prison. Nikki was a reflection and direct product of Bear’s true intentions. She was forced to consistently endure torture within her own body, pleading for freedom and being continuously ignored for Bear’s convenience. He was only ever concerned about himself, attempting to alter the wish rather than freeing her, sleeping with her despite her lifelessness and his knowledge of Nikki not truly being there. He didn’t love her, he loved the idea of possessing her- owning somebody like “her” despite his perceived inferiority. Violating her, keeping her at all costs despite her suffering, and eventually leaving her with the aftermath as he ends his life. This speaks to the vast amounts of women that have endured sexual assault and have been left with the haunting of it. Women that have endured abuse, loss of identity, loss of autonomy and mental distortion at the cost of a person that will never take accountability. They are left completely alone, having to piece themselves together for a sliver of the person they once were. Nikki was robbed of being Nikki, and that is the horror. She was cursed to serve a purpose she was denied the choice to.  “What’s so bad about being with me?”  “I’ve never been with you Bear”.