Why does Teddy arrive on Shutter Island by boat?

Why does Teddy arrive on Shutter Island by boat? - Crowd of anonymous tourists walking on sandy ocean beach near modern cruise boats moored on coast against cloudless blue sky

I'm having troubles with the beginning, we all know what the ending should be as explained perfectly here

But I simply cannot get my head around the fact that he arrived to the island on a boat if it was a role play. Why would they start this role play on the boat? Maybe he really was an agent and they did succeed in making him believe he killed his own wife. For me the whole boat scene is a give away to him actually coming there to investigate, but than again some things in the movie wouldn't quite make sense...

So should i just accept it that before the first scene, they got on the boat from the island, drove around a bit and then the first scene starts showing them arriving at the island? Or is there any ground for my suspicion?



Best Answer

In this great article, that also takes into account details from the book, the following information can be found:

  1. Doctors Cawey and Sheehan wait for a storm to start the roleplay
  2. They use large amount of psychotropic drugs to put Teddy to sleep
  3. Teddy awakens on the ferry

This means that after drugging him they put him on a ferry, move away from the shore and the whole thing starts.

Regarding why it's done this way: it seems logical that they need a clear starting point for the their story. If the whole roleplay started with Teddy already on the island it would be much less convincing for him.




Pictures about "Why does Teddy arrive on Shutter Island by boat?"

Why does Teddy arrive on Shutter Island by boat? - Green Trees on Island
Why does Teddy arrive on Shutter Island by boat? - Cruise Boats in the Sea 
Why does Teddy arrive on Shutter Island by boat? - White Boat on Sea Shore



How did Teddy get on the boat Shutter Island?

Doctors Cawey and Sheehan wait for a storm to start the roleplay. They use large amount of psychotropic drugs to put Teddy to sleep. Teddy awakens on the ferry.

Why was he on the boat in Shutter Island?

Plot. In 1954, widower U.S. Marshal Edward "Teddy" Daniels and his new partner, Chuck Aule, go on a ferry boat to Shutter Island, the home of Ashecliffe Hospital for the criminally insane, to investigate the disappearance of a patient, Rachel Solando (who was incarcerated for drowning her three children).

What is wrong with Teddy in Shutter Island?

However, in a radical twist, we find that Teddy is himself a patient at the asylum. He suffers from Delusional Disorder, creating a false world to escape the dark reality of his past. Shutter Island is one of the many films that present the ethical considerations of psychological treatment to a mainstream audience.

Where was Teddy going at the end of Shutter Island?

Teddy is Andrew Laeddis, a demented killer and a patient in the mental hospital he's \u201cinvestigating.\u201d His psychiatrist has encouraged Andrew to act out his delusions. However, this fails, and Andrew returns to his psychotic state. The film ends with him being taken to be lobotomized.



The Big Clue Everyone Missed Early In Shutter Island




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Images: Serg Zhukov, Rachel Claire, Rachel Claire, Fatih Turan