The Significance of the Stuffed Animals in Saw III

The Significance of the Stuffed Animals in Saw III

        The symbolic and thematic significance of the pig imagery in SAW III as well as the rest of the film series is something we are all well aware of given that the production staff tell you this in every conceivable way. However, there is a symbol that occurs throughout the film in many different shapes and forms. That symbol is toys be it the scenes with Billy the Puppet, the plastic dinosaurs in Dylan's room, the plush pig, and the rest of the plush toys belonging to Jeff's children. There are instances the film use those objects to symbolize the parallelism between John Kramer and Jeff Denlon in terms of losing what they have by using people as tools to get what they desire and foreshadowing Jeff losing his family by following the path of Jigsaw. In this essay, I will bring up scenes that contain the objects as well as how other scenes relate to the shot of the toys in hopes of illustrating this idea the filmmakers were possibly hinting at.

       But first, I feel it is important to go over what children's toys represent symbolically and what role they play in our world and in human development. When discussing the difference between technological and traditional toys and how they affect childhood development, Brenna Hassinger- Das in the PsychINFO article she has co-written 

     "The Transforming Toybox Examining the U.S. Infant Toy Market," states that "Primarily, Traditional, non-electronic toys foster three types of play: pretend play, object play, and physical play (Hassinger-Das 15). According to Hassinger, pretend play is the form where action figures, figurines, plush toys, and dolls are tools children use to play in a part be it an army soldier or a princess, and as a means to grow a deeper understanding of human behavior  (Hassinger-Das 15). Object play involves toys like building blocks are tools for children to learn spatial skills as well as to express themselves in a way that is unique to them (Hassinger-Das 15). Finally, we have physical play which involves any sports equipment all in aid of children's physical health development (Hassinger-Das 15). Given all that, it's safe to come to the conclusion that toys act as a universal symbol of childhood as well as innocence and development, as they are tools used for human development be it physical or psychological. 

    So this is how all of this ties into how the toys symbolize and foreshadow both the parallels between John and Jeff and both characters' downfall. In the first flashback scene from Jeff's side of the story, we are greeted with a back-lit eye-level shot of the character acting out his revenge fantasy on his son's killer that he plans on acting out once meeting him. Though not a toy itself, we see Jeff use the pistol in what Hassinger regards as object play as he uses it to express his anger and sorrow for his lost son, and practice his position when he meets his killer. During this scene, the toys in the background (the possessions of his lost son) are less focused than in the foreground object which is focused in. That and the use of backlighting and low-key lighting hints at what Jeff will lose in the process of his self-destruction due to vengeance consuming him.

    The background objects being out of focus suggests that Jeff is so consumed with rage and vengeance, that he forgets what is important in his life, what he can control, and what he has now. Thus, it foreshadows his daughter eventually being lost due to this. Low-key lights are staples in the horror genre and are famously known for being used for moody or atmospheric scenes (Mamer 294). This is important to bring up as the harsh shadows in this scene you see in old noir and German expressionist films unconventionally used to show anger and desperation then a sense of fear or imposing doom as you see Jeff act out his revenge fantasy. But it's used effectively because the shadows are symbolic of the parallels between John and Jeff's morality. Two sides of the same coin use the will of people to compensate for their shared misfortunes. Those shared misfortunes are the loss of both John and Jeff's son. So the toys in the background being cast into the shadows and are in less focus both symbolize what they lost, as toys can act as a symbol of childhood and human development.

    Now let's discuss the scenes where the toys are in focus, as well as the stuffed animals themselves. But first, let's briefly go over the psychological significance of stuffed animals and what they're placed in human culture. Though this was stated in regards to neglection in childhood, in terms of discussing attachment towards companions of animals or stuffed animals, M. Rose Barlow argues in her 2012 Anthrozoös article "Childhood Neglect, Attachment to Companion Animals, and Stuffed Animals as Attachment Objects in Women and Men" that "While attachment to companion animals has been found to be in many ways similar to attachment to humans, toy stuffed animals have been conceptualized to serve more as comfort object than as a replacement for human attachment" (Barlow 113).  This is relevant to the scene when we meet Corbett Denlen (Jeff's Daughter) as she uses her brother Dylan's (Jeff's dead son) doll to sleep with.

    Symbolically, the stuffed pig doll represents the companion role for children to get attached to in stuffed animals, but as a coping mechanism for her broken family. Saw III as well as its sequel are about broken familial ties more than anything. Corbett has lost her brother due to an accident, her mother whom she lost due to cheating on her husband, and her father who we see is mostly absent in her life due to acting out revenge fantasies. The pig she sleeps with represents an individual she can rely on and feel a sense of comfort and familiarity as it belongs to her brother so in her mind, the pig is her brother.

    

 

 

    You can see a slight parallel with Billy the Puppet. Not only Billy the Puppet serve as an alter ego of John, but an object to get attached to cope with the shortcomings in his personal life like cancer and losing his son. I think this aspect of John is highlighted in the angel trap scene when he states to Kerry "You identify with a cold corpse then you do with a living human" (Bousman 14:30). Perhaps John picked Kerry as he related to the thoughts of relating and projecting your thoughts and fears into a nonliving thing. This sorta relates to Carl Jung's idea of the painting of animals in caves during pre-historic times, when he states that they have "function of a "double" by its symbolic slaughter, the hunters attempt to anticipate and ensure the death of the real animal" (Jung 235). This time in Jeff's flashbacks and the angel trap, the toys are the character's double. In the opening shot of Jeff's flashback, the toys out of focus are the double of his family and are figures that would soon be lost.

    Finally, we have the pig vat scene which is the final scene where the stuffed animals play a narrative and thematic importance. The toys are hung like the pigs in one shot, which symbolizes his family being slaughtered in the process of getting something we can't control. Very much how we use meat to cope with sorrows of a sad past we wish to change or slaughter the lives of animals to fulfill an ideal body image. 

 

    I also feel it is worth pointing out that there is a parallel to the first flashback scene where he sees jeff in focus in the forground, but the toys in the background are out of focus. But the difference is that in the pig vat scene, when Jeff is in those fantasies he acts out. The bottom screenshot which is the first flashback has the toys out of focus to foreshadow the burning of them. 

    Now, we enter the scene where the toys were burned and that is the pig vat trap. But, it is important to discuss what the sequence represents on three different levels. First, the toys burning represent the sacrifices we must make on a moral level. Saw III challenges viewers on an emotional level while the first one challenges the viewers on an intellectual level and the second one an emotional level. What I mean by that is that Saw III shows us the horrible acts of people that stem from personal vendettas and how they affects those around us so we can overcome them to benefit the lives of ourselves and those around us.

   Now during the sequence, there is a shot where we see a plush bear hooked near a picture of Dylan. This could hint that Jeff like a bear was an overbearing and protective parent that could have led to his downfall (Jeff being the bear metaphorically). Or, that Jeff was abusive and neglectful, as he was often violent and lashful like a bear. That could have led to why his son was lost as it would lead him to be unaware. The shot with the bear being hooked with the picture could act as a glimpse into it, or could be interpreted as such.

    Since the toys represent the Denlon family on a metaphorical level, for Jeff to truly redeem himself is to come to terms of how his family broke further apart thanks to letting vengeance and hatred consume him. Second, it symbolizes that we must make hard decisions to do what is right in the grand scheme of things. That can be childhood, as the toys represent comfort and familiarity. As seen in many online lol cows today, their degenerate acts partly stem from they never grow as they are in a constant state of childhood comfort and never take care of themselves. The toys burning might represent that.

    Third, they hint at John's backstory. Since the plush toys stand for childhood on a metaphorical level, the toys burn to symbolize but also give the audience a glimpse of John's personal stance when making these traps. The traps are done not only because he wants people to cherish their life, but to get revenge on the drug abusers as a drug abuser by the name of Cecil took his son away from him. Thus, the toys burning could be read as the son John has lost on a metaphorical level.

     So in conclusion, this wraps up every possible way the scenes with the stuff animals represent serve based on my interpretation. From the metaphors they act as Jeff's family be it for Corbett to have a stand-in family member to depend on and for Jeff representing the bear plush, the toys out of focus in the background both foreshadow the burning of the toys and symbolize his path to vengeance, the parallelism towards John and Jeff and how they use objects an a "double" in the Jungian sense, and how the toys burning shows how Jeff and John are in opposite sides of the same coin. All relate to what toys served in human culture according to Brenna Hassinger-Das and M. Rose Barlow. I hope I have made you look at Saw III in the franchise through a new lens and I plan on doing more essays on the SAW franchise in the future. Until then, this is SugarBooger flicking off! 

Works Cited:

Barlow, M. Rose, et al. “Childhood Neglect, Attachment to Companion Animals, and Stuffed Animals as Attachment Objects in Women and Men.” Anthrozoös, vol. 25, no. 1, Mar. 2012, pp. 111–119, https://doi.org/10.2752/175303712x13240472427159.

B‌ousman, Lynn, Darren. Saw III. Lionsgate. 

B‌ousman, Lynn, Darren. Saw IV. Lionsgate. 

Hassinger-Das, Brenna, et al. “The Transforming Toybox: Examining the U.S. Infant Toy Market.”                 American Journal of Play, vol. 15, no. 1, Jan. 2023, pp. 14–34. EBSCOhost, research.ebsco.com/linkprocessor/plink?id=f97e4e48-f6ba-3311-9cc2-06935168a5ba.

“Man And His Symbols : Carl Gustav Jung : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet             Archive.” Internet Archive, 1964, archive.org/details/B-001-004-443-ALL/page/n231/mode/2up.