The Ordeals of Isaac Clarke

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Character Breakdown: Isaac Clarke
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The Ordeals of Isaac Clarke

Warning: Spoilers ahead!

Dude.  Isaac goes through, like, hella shit in his games.  Like, serious, break-your-mind level shit.  He’s in good company with our friend Alex Mason when it comes to “totally mentally wrecked protagonists.”  His first girlfriend commits suicide, then haunts him for another game.  His second girlfriend loses an eyeball, leaves him because he can’t get over the haunting of his ex, and then hooks up with someone else, only to come back to him again.  He has plans for a marker imprinted on his brain, and then forcibly extracted.  The dude is legally insane after his ordeals in Dead Space 1, and has his memory erased/suppressed while being held captive for three years.

So yeah, mentally, Isaac’s got it pretty rough.

Physically he goes through the ringer as well.  He gets stabbed, smashed, dragged, and even takes a needle in the eyeball.  Dude, I wince just thinking about that!

Through all of this, though, Isaac retains his humanity.  In doing so, he manages to save humanity, as well.  Isaac goes through more than any of us ever will (well, unless the zombie apocalypse actually does end up happening).  He carries the battle scars of this ordeal, both on his body and in his mind.  While it’s true that what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger, it also leaves lasting marks on your body and psyche.

If you’ve been through a hard time, you need to remember this.  I’ve been through my own ordeals in life, and they’ve left lasting marks on me, mentally, that I sometimes underestimate.  Coming back from a mentally damaging experience takes a long time, a lot longer than you’d expect.  I’ve been “free” from mine for three years, now, and I still notice the shadows of the experience echoing through my life from time to time.

Seeking professional help is not a bad idea, by the way.  It doesn’t make you weak, or dependent.  It’s not weakness to admit that you are sick, or need help.  Taking medication for a sickness in your brain tends to have a stigma in our modern society, but it shouldn’t.  If you had a disease, no one would look down on you for taking antibiotics.  Similarly, there is no shame in taking medication or receiving counseling for an assault on your psyche.

Above all else, Isaac faces unknown terrors repeatedly, and endures.  He is harried on all sides, even by his own kind, but he perseveres.  If we take any lesson from hims, it should be don’t give up.  There is always another tomorrow for you, as long as you let there be one.  Believe in yourself, and keep pushing.  Take help where you can, when you can, and don’t feel bad for it.  I’ve said it before, but I’ll say it again, I’m always just an email away.  Feel free to drop me a line if you ever feel like you need a boost.  I’m happy to help.

That’s really all for today.  A late double post on the first day of summer!  Well, the second day of summer, depending on what time zone you’re in, at this point.  Regardless, enjoy!  Sorry for the lateness.  I’ll see you again on Sunday, with a new fitness journey update!  You should look forward to it, too, there’s going to be some changes in the works!

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Dan “DaRatmastah” Wallace