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Motivation and Addiction Quite simply, Joker has become Harley's reason for being. He provides her motivation. Without him, there was nothing that would've inspired her to become Harley Quinn, or to stay that way. I argue that Harley remains Harley because she remains hopeful she will always end up back with Joker. I feel that nothing short of Joker's death would sever her ties with him and allow her to be truly rehabilitated. So long as he lives somewhere in the world, no matter how she tries to move on, all it would take is him crooking his finger for her to rejoin him joyously by his side. And even if we are not shown it in the comics at the moment, I believe her love for him and separation from him continues to haunt and pain her and affect her life. When I think of Harley's love for Joker, I feel it is something that is entirely overwhelming and all-consuming, that her identity has become inextricably tied to him, that her happiness ultimately comes from seeing his, especially if she has a hand in fulfilling it. Whilst I like seeing Harley act solo, I believe it is out of character for Harley to be 'over' Joker or truly separate from him. Once that happens, her motivation literally falls away. And indeed, the times we have seen Harley “rehabilitated” it is when things are on the down and out between her and Joker. While Harley has learned to carry on when he is not by her side, I don't believe it has been adequately explored the sort of impact being away from him would have on her psyche. I believe Joker is literally her drug, her addiction. That just being near him is a rush and being away from him is agony; no matter how well she outwardly copes or tells herself she is over him. Why did Harley fall in love with Joker in the first place? Was she attracted to the glamour of his fearsome reputation? Harley must’ve been a little bit kooky to begin with. Stirring the attention of someone so notorious must also have tickled her a touch. Joker, being so perceptive, would’ve known which buttons to push to bring out the submissive masochist in Harley, the latent obsessive streak, how to twist and manipulate her into enslaving herself to him. But, apart from all this, Harley also believes in The Joker. She believes in whatever she sees that no one else does, and whilst she doesn’t try to change him, she tries to bring it out in him. It’s a big part of what keeps her anchored to him. Assertion and Power Exchange: Over the years Harley was increasingly depicted as lashing back at The Joker, beating him up or threatening his life when he truly offended her. This could be regarded as a natural progression of her increasing insanity and imbalance, but I feel it happened because the writers no longer wanted Harley to be so much the victim. The side-effect is, it requires The Joker to be written slightly out of character in allowing it. Always the best, the strongest and the most compelling stories are those that remind us how deep Joker’s control over her is and firmly establishes his role as the dominant and the aggressor in the relationship. While I like to see a Harley with a sense of self-respect and can certainly believe she would set out wanting to get even with Joker when he wrongs her; ultimately her fractured psyche and utter devotion will always have her yield. It requires little more than The Joker putting the right spin on a manipulative gesture or even injecting the fear of God into her –of him really hurting her, or of truly losing him. She is his victim, and she is more than willing to be it. She will take whatever she can get with Joker, because he is so utterly unpredictable and abnormal. She adapts to treasure every gesture she has from him. Without Joker, she is simply incomplete and possibly even carries on in hopes of regaining his attention. It is not mere infatuation, but something that goes beyond a normal range of emotion to the absolute extremes of dependency, love, passion and obsession. Combined, it's a sickening mix that must swirl painfully inside of her. Additionally, for a submissive nature the knowledge that you have committed your all to your Dominant, that they are in complete control of you and your life and their power is absolute, is incredibly heady and fulfilling. It is the desire of most submissives to do just this - but Harley takes it to the absolute, fulfills it utterly and without rules, guidelines or negotiations. She embodies it. Once you have reached that level, it begins to feed itself, meaning pleasure and joy continues to heighten the more you commit to such a situation. It is, for a submissive nature, the ultimate expression of love and is done willingly. Continued... |
