In Love With My Captor:
Stockholm Syndrome
What is Stockholm Syndrome?
Stockholm Syndrome is a psychological disorder which describes when captured individuals express empathy and sympathy, and other positive emotions towards their captors. This syndrome is actually a survival technique for hostages. It is so common that police officers expect it and support it because it can keep a hostage alive. Police officers have also related this with women who fail to press charges against their husbands even after they have been beaten by them. They also connect it with women who fight against police when they try to take them out of potentially dangerous situations. People with Stockholm Syndrome also tend to have these emotions towards their abusers who are in a position of power.
Stockholm Syndrome
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Even though One Direction isn't the most reliable source, Stockholm Syndrome is a real disorder where someone falls in love with their captor. The song starts out with rhetorical questions. They are asking who is holding them and who is whispering to them in the dark. Of course, because they are singing, they do not expect an answer. These questions are setting the scene. The next paragraph starts with line, "I know they'll be coming to find me soon," which is a common line that captured individuals say. They are keeping their own hopes up by convincing themselves that someone is coming. However, they continue on to sing that they want to stay. The fear that they first experienced has turned into a sort of love.
The next section of the song explains what the captured individual is feeling. One Direction uses repetitive lines to set a mood. It makes the captured individual seem confused but convinced. Some how the captured fell in love with the captor. One direction sings "look what you've done to me," expressing his disbelief and fear at having fallen in love with someone who he should fear. The song goes on to mention that he use to sing about being free but he's changed his mind and wants to stay. The psychological disorder he has is then revealed. The song then explains the reasons that he might have fallen in love. The main reason is that he was once alone and that once he is with captor, he doesn't want to go back to that loneliness. With his captor he feels appreciated. |
Patricia "Patty" Hearst
How does this connect?
This whole project is about the rhetoric of fear. It is based around the idea that fear is used to convince people to do things that they usually wouldn't do. Fear is the ultimate rhetoric device because people are drawn to it even when they are trying to avoid it. Stockholm Syndrome is a perfect example because it shows how fear can cause people to psychologically change. The fear that hostages experience can cause them to relate to their captor and even fall in love. Fear is such a persuasive and powerful tool because it is able to alter individually's mentally instead of physically.