Schizophrenia in Joker Joker is a story following a clown and aspiring stand-up comedian named Arthur Fleck in the fictional Gotham City. Although it is never directly stated, the film appears to be set sometime in the 1970s or 1980s. Arthur is self-described as a “mentally-ill loner” (Phillips, 2019, 1:45:00). He does not have any true friends and he rarely gets along with the other clowns he works with. His uncontrollable laughter at inappropriate times makes many people around him uncomfortable. He lives in an apartment with his bed-ridden mother who he cares for. They both enjoy watching the talk show host Murray Franklin. Arthur seems to have developed an obsession with Murray and fantasizes about being on his show. Arthur loses his job …show more content…
Arthur has little interaction with people outside of his mother or people he works with. Considering his boss’ remarks about Arthur making people uncomfortable, it becomes clear that the condition is impacting his relationships. Additionally, Arthur is very thin in stature. His ribcage and spine are exposed and even his mother commented on his need to eat. Arthur does not respond to her comment and seems disinterested. Disinterest in eating is a schizophrenic symptom. While it is never clearly stated how long Arthur has been experiencing these symptoms, there are indications that it has been longer than six months. At one point, his therapist asks him to recall when he was hospitalized. While it is not entirely impossible that Arthur went from a psychiatric hospital to functioning in society with a job in less than six months, it is fairly unlikely. Arthur’s childhood was far from ideal. He was abandoned by his biological parents, and adopted by his mother Penny. Penny is diagnosed with narcissistic personality disorder so she often suffers from delusions. On top of this, one of Penny’s boyfriends was severely abusive towards her and Arthur. The police found Arthur handcuffed to a radiator. This very traumatic upbringing could have triggered Arthurs schizophrenia. Also, the years of delusions from his mother surely added to Arthurs confusion and warped