Sharp Objects: An Insight into Trauma, Fear and Suffering

By: Ariba Bhuvad

HBO’s “Sharp Objects” is airing its Season One finale tonight and, boy, has it been a rollercoaster of a season. But before we dive into the nitty gritty of the series, let us explain what the premise is of the show. Starring Amy Adams, “Sharp Objects” is based on the book (of the same name) written by Gillian Flynn and tells the story of Camille Preaker (Adams) who returns to her hometown of Wind Gap, Missouri to investigate the mysterious murders of young girls. “Sharp Objects” is not your typical crime drama nor is it anything like what you may expect from a murder mystery. While the primary focus is honed in on these murders and trying to figure out who the killer is, there is something way, way deeper and traumatizing going on with Adams’ conflicted character. There is so much beneath the surface of every female character on this show–this repressed anger, fury, and pain that is eating away at their very being. That is truly what this show is about; the ability of females to push down their fears and anger to a point where it gets the best of them and stays deep within them for years to come.

While every female character has this vibe about them in “Sharp Objects,” Camille is at the heart of all the suffering this show presents. Her scars are not only outwardly, but internally and are depicted through a series of childhood flashbacks that slowly piece together who she is.But even though the season finale is upon us, we can’t really say we truly understand who Camille is or what caused her to become who she is as a person. She carries a deep pain within her and, as we see in the season premiere, the scars are just as prominent, literally, on her body. A brief shot shows us that Camille has etched in scars all over herself with various words including “vanish,” which was the title of Episode One.

The title of the first episode was aptly named considering that is how Camille has felt all her life – a person who has vanished into the background as a result of an overbearing, odd mother while dealing with the death of her younger sister who was her best friend. We come to learn about why Camille’s sister, Marian (Lulu Wilson), died when it is revealed that it was at the hands of their mother Adora (Patricia Clarkson) who suffers from Munchausen Syndrome by proxy. This psychological disorder causes the caregiver (usually a mother) to seek attention by placing a person in their care (usually their own child) under constant medical help. This may result in the afflicted individual creating exaggerated symptoms for the person they are caring for so they can tend to them and get attention via this method.

Adora most certainly suffers from this as we come to learn through the flashbacks showing Marian always falling ill as a result of constantly being poisoned, which inevitably takes her life. And this remains true in the present with Camille’s half-sister (Eliza Scanlen), who has recently been a target for Adora to repeat the mistakes of the past. This reveal led us to understand why Camille is so distant from her mother and why she feels so damaged. It wasn’t until the penultimate episode that Camille learns the truth about Adora, but prior to ever knowing this she maintained a distance from Adora’s constant coddling and as a result Adora looked to Marian.

There is something to be said about the way “Sharp Objects” explores a women’s anger and the way it chose to illustrate this anger through Camille’s self-harm. What is even more compelling is the series doesn’t just make females the object of harm, but they are also the ones causing it. It’s a very personal approach by the series creators and it is apparent through the intended focus on the female body (Camille’s scars). One has to wonder if Camille’s self-harm started out as a way to rebel against Adora and to show her mother that she is her own person and not someone she can coddle and suffocate.

The series doesn’t just stick to a one-sided aspect of the story either. The females in the show cause just as much harm to others as they do to themselves and are at both ends of the spectrum, so to speak. This is unique for television shows as they often opt to show females as the victims, but never the other way around. This is illustrated in every episode through the character of Adora and it is safe to say she scares us to our core.

Additionally, “Sharp Objects” doesn’t glorify, romanticize or mislead the audience into a notion that is inappropriate, like many other shows have done, with topics such as suicide and rape. Camille’s psyche is damaged in a way viewers can’t understand and, honestly, that feels like the case in our daily lives. We don’t always understand or know the reasons for a person’s behavior and often we are quick to judge, but there is something about Camille’s traumatic childhood that feels so real and honest and visceral.  

Shows like “Sharp Objects” dive deep into the concept of trauma and/or repressed memories. And even though Camille can’t recall the details of her childhood, the effects of it have been long-lasting well into her adult life. That is an interesting aspect to grasp, but her adult behaviors are a direct result of what she experienced as a child and the study of psychology would better explain why and how.

A great example of this is depicted in the first season of USA’s “The Sinner” starring Jessica Biel. Side note: If you have not seen the first season of “The Sinner,” stop reading now. Her character, Cora, is at the beach on a sunny day when a song comes on. Something about the song triggers her and she murders someone as a result of a repressed memory. It is such a complicated concept, but shows like “The Sinner” and “Sharp Objects” are very similar in regards to discussing and presenting the deep corners of our psyche and illustrating how our mind protects us from the brutal memories of our past. It also shows what happens when those memories come rushing back to us.

“The Sinner” can clearly be compared to “Sharp Objects” as both shows have damaged, conflicted female characters who are haunted by their past and can’t seem to grasp stability in their present. Both Cora and Camille had mothers that played a role in how they ended up and both lost sisters, albeit two very different ways, but the loss was still felt by both as they were extremely close to their sisters. It’s uncanny how alike the two characters are and how their trauma and experiences shaped who they went on to become. Cora had a very turbulent life and, as we come to learn in the first season, one particular incident sets her off in a way that changes her life forever. Camille’s journey mimics that of Cora’s in terms of family and while their traumatic experiences aren’t exactly the same, it is a similar damage. Both shows represent the threshold of female anger and what can occur as a result of bottling it all in–and it ain’t always pretty, boys. Case in point, Cora’s dangerous outburst and Camille constantly self-sabotaging.

Moreover, both shows are extremely important ones to watch because they provide a deeper understanding to a very complicated and complex idea. There is so much to understand about our mental state of mind and our psyche and “Sharp Objects” and “The Sinner” do a commendable job of trying to help explore and understand that. Humans are conflicted creatures that can mold and break just as easy as a porcelain doll and if either series has taught us anything, things can go from great to horrific in no time, especially when the past is involved.

As we prepare for the season finale of “Sharp Objects” tonight, we hope that we finally get an understanding of what is happening in Wind Gap – who the killer is and why he/she/they did it. We also hope to see if Camille will be able to leave her former home. But most importantly, we want to know what the future holds for Camille and if she will ever get past the anger she feels and clings onto because of her mother. It has affected Camille her entire life and manifested in tragic ways from relationships to friendships and even just with herself.

With all of this in mind, we must applaud “Sharp Objects” for taking a brave, controversial approach to a topic many shy away from or fear to explore. Mental health is complicated. The ability to understand who we are and how our past has shaped us is an area in life many either don’t want to explore or don’t have the heart to endure. “Sharp Objects” has definitely paved the way to bring attention to it and we look forward to seeing how the story will end.