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ℰ𝘹𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝑜𝘧 𝓉𝘩𝘦 𝑒𝘯𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨.

By Bella ✝

The conclusion of "Martha Is Dead" presents an overwhelming deluge of information, not all of which can be regarded as reliable. Here's an explanation of its significance.

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Bella ✝
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Category: Achievements, Characters, Classes, Co-op, Crafting, Game Modes, Gameplay Basics, Loot, Maps or Levels, Modding or Configuration, Multiplayer, Secrets, Story or Lore, Trading, Walkthroughs, Weapons, Workshop

Languages: English

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Updated

10 Mar, 2024 @ 5:58pm

5 Apr @ 12:33pm

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Guide Index

Overview

𝘐𝘯𝘵𝘳𝘰𝘥𝘶𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯.

𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘭𝘰𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘴𝘦𝘲𝘶𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦.

𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘥𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘺 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘢𝘮𝘪𝘭𝘺.

𝙂𝙞𝙪𝙡𝙞𝙖 𝙠𝙞𝙡𝙡𝙚𝙙 𝙈𝙖𝙧𝙩𝙝𝙖.

𝙈𝙖𝙧𝙩𝙝𝙖 𝙣𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧 𝙚𝙭𝙞𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙙.

𝘐𝘯-𝘥𝘦𝘱𝘵𝘩 𝘷𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘰 𝘦𝘹𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯.

𝘊𝘰𝘯𝘤𝘭𝘶𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯.

Comments

𝘐𝘯𝘵𝘳𝘰𝘥𝘶𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯.

Following hours of investigation and numerous distressing experiences, players may well find themselves bewildered by the unfolding events as the credits for "Martha Is Dead" commence. From the instant Giulia encounters Irene in the basement, the narrative takes a profoundly unexpected turn. We are left to question all that has been presented to us up until that moment, rendered incapable of placing our trust in anything thereafter.

We've meticulously examined all the evidence provided by the game to assemble an understanding of the truth. The conclusion is deliberately ambiguous, with not every detail aligning perfectly. The final dialogue within the game even poses a question to the player regarding their interpretation of the events that transpired - what is your perspective?

𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘭𝘰𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘴𝘦𝘲𝘶𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦.

Significant spoilers for "Martha Is Dead" commence here.

In her quest to reconstruct her fragmented memories through the medium of puppet theatre, Giulia reaches out to her priest, Don Attilio, seeking assistance. He offers her sanctuary, proposing she stays with him to evade the dangers of Allied bombings and to facilitate her receiving the necessary help.

Upon her arrival at the church, Giulia finds herself enveloped in a surreal, dream-like atmosphere, where marionettes have replaced people. It is highly probable that, acting on Irene's behest, Don Attilio had arranged for staff from a psychiatric hospital to be ready to take Giulia into their care. Following a narrated summary of her treatment, the player engages in a dialogue with Giulia's reflection in a mirror, which also appears as a marionette.

Though the player is given the liberty to respond to the mirror's inquiries, it swiftly becomes apparent—if it wasn't already—that the events of the game might be figments of Giulia's imagination.

Determining the absolute truth of the matter proves elusive, yet two theories emerge as notably credible. Each is supported and contradicted by various pieces of evidence, and in the end, the reality is determined by the player's interpretation.

𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘥𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘺 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘢𝘮𝘪𝘭𝘺.

Firstly, let's examine the events that are likely to have occurred. Irene endured a challenging pregnancy and childbirth with Martha and Giulia, resulting in infertility and debilitation. To alleviate her symptoms, she was prescribed Pervitin, a German drug also known as methamphetamine. While Irene may not have been morally upright from the outset, her meth addiction exacerbated her already questionable character, leading her to violently mistreat her children, particularly Giulia.

The trauma inflicted on Martha caused her to lose both her hearing and ability to speak (conditions she later admitted to feigning for fifteen years), while Giulia suppressed the harrowing memories of her abuse at Irene's hands.

Prior to the game's outset, both Giulia and Martha engaged in sexual relationships with their friend Lapo, unbeknownst to each other. Both became pregnant, with Martha unable to cope with the guilt of her actions and her favored status in Irene's eyes. Martha devised a plan to impersonate Giulia and goad Irene into killing her, allowing the real Giulia to assume Martha's identity as the cherished child. She left a letter for Irene, instructing her to meet at the lake at dawn, intending to reveal her pregnancy as "Giulia" in anticipation of Irene's violent reaction.

While Giulia suspects Irene of Martha's murder—and it remains a possibility—it's the least probable scenario. When Giulia listens to the recording of her confrontation with her mother, it's significant that Irene's response to the threat of confession at gunpoint is to admit her intention to have Giulia institutionalized. Had she truly committed filicide, it likely would have been her immediate confession. However, it's feasible that Irene, like Giulia, suffers from mental illness and has repressed memories of the murder. As with all aspects of this narrative, certainty remains elusive.

During Giulia's investigation into Martha's death, Lapo is killed in a confrontation with German soldiers. Giulia experiences a miscarriage and eventually kills her mother upon learning of Irene's plan to institutionalize her. Subsequently, partisans raid the household, resulting in Erich's death and Giulia enduring severe beatings.

𝙂𝙞𝙪𝙡𝙞𝙖 𝙠𝙞𝙡𝙡𝙚𝙙 𝙈𝙖𝙧𝙩𝙝𝙖.

In this interpretation, the majority of the game unfolds as presented to the player. Giulia arrives at the lake before Irene, prompting Martha to reveal her scheme. This revelation causes Giulia to experience a blackout, during which she inadvertently kills Martha—potentially due to feelings about Martha's relationship with Lapo or resentment over not being consulted about the plan. Unaware of her actions, Giulia proceeds to take nature photographs.

With no recollection of the altercation, Giulia accepts Martha's letter at face value and suspects Irene of carrying out Martha's intended demise. It's only upon killing Irene and developing the final photograph that Giulia confronts the reality of her actions.

While this narrative aligns with much of the game's content, Giulia's revelation and the subsequent assault by the partisans cast doubt on the entire story. The recording of Irene's confession and the second puppet theatre sequence hint at Giulia's psyche being even more fractured than initially believed.

𝙈𝙖𝙧𝙩𝙝𝙖 𝙣𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧 𝙚𝙭𝙞𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙙.

After the assault by the partisans, Giulia revisits the puppet theatre in an effort to reconstruct her obscured childhood memories. In this rendition, Irene gave birth solely to Giulia, rather than twins. When Giulia was around five or six years old, Irene subjected her to severe beatings with a cane. This trauma prompted Giulia to develop an alternate identity, Martha, who was rendered both deaf and mute.

Giulia mentally attributes any distressing or shameful experiences to Martha instead. It appears that Irene encouraged this dissociation as a means to keep Giulia from troubling her, directing the child to play with her "sister." Giulia's parents even furnished separate beds and wardrobes for the two personas.

Following a particularly traumatic incident where an enraged Irene kills Giulia's dog and feeds it to her, the child is sent to reside with her nanny at the villa for three years. Presumably, Irene sought treatment for her own ailment during this period, leading to Martha's persona gradually becoming dormant.

Upon becoming pregnant with Lapo's child, Giulia's overwhelming guilt triggers the resurgence of Martha. Assuming the persona of Martha, she devises a plan to goad Irene into killing her, ostensibly shielding Giulia from the shame she feels. When Irene discovers the letter, her apprehension mounts, as Martha's persona had lain dormant for years. She proceeds to the lake, interpreting Giulia's silence as a sign that Martha has assumed control. A few days later, Giulia experiences a miscarriage, possibly induced by Pervitin pills found in Martha's trinket box.

Over the subsequent week, Giulia's mental state deteriorates rapidly, and she inflicts harm upon herself, attributing these acts to Irene internally. Fearing for Giulia's safety and perceiving no alternative, Irene arranges for Giulia's admittance to an asylum. Upon learning of this plan, Giulia succumbs to another blackout, during which she shoots and dismembers Irene.

While this version aligns most logically with the game's final sequence and remains largely consistent upon subsequent playthroughs, particularly if one assumes that Giulia fabricates much of the narrative, it's noteworthy that evidence against Martha's existence emerges only after Giulia develops the photograph of the murder. It is conceivable that, confronted with the revelation that she killed her purported twin sister, Giulia constructs a new narrative wherein Martha never existed, absolving herself of culpability—after all, how can one be guilty of killing someone who isn't real?

𝘐𝘯-𝘥𝘦𝘱𝘵𝘩 𝘷𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘰 𝘦𝘹𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯.

I'll be leaving a video of a wonderfully detailed presentation by a YouTuber that served as the basis for my explanation. If you're interested in delving into a thorough analysis, including intricate details and specifics ranging from psychology to connections with other games by the developers, I highly recommend watching the 20-minute video. It offers a comprehensive exploration that goes beyond what I've covered here.

𝘊𝘰𝘯𝘤𝘭𝘶𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯.

Credit must be given in part to the YouTuber for his merits. Please do not hesitate to share any suggestions, accolades, critiques, or updates in the comments section below. My sincere and heartfelt gratitude is extended to you.
If you found this guide truly helpful, I would greatly appreciate it if you would consider leaving a rating. It's these small gestures that enable passionate guides to reach a wider audience and benefit others as it did for you. Your appreciation wouldn't be mine alone, but shared by others as well!

Thank you, and I extend my best wishes to you!