Understanding What Really Happened

This guide will be showcasing and telling some aspects of the game that was no understood.

Introduction

Hello,
I'm JakeCat, hence the name. In this guide I will be trying to cover some hidden messages in "To The Moon." (What was happening to River, why she created rabbits, etc.)

Hopefully you enjoy your read!

River's Condition

In this chapter, or page more-so, I will be going over what River's condition was and how that affected her.



River's condition was called "Aspergers Syndrome" which is an autism spectrum disorder that
can make social interaction hard and unwanted. The signs that she shows consist of:

• She shies away from new people.
  
• She's assigned several books on the condition to read.
  
• The sound of a ticking clock makes her nervous

Another sign that hinted towards aspergers was when River's doctor recommended that Johnny read some of the books written by Tony Attwood, a psychologist who has written several books on Asperger's syndrome.

What "The Accident" Is

This Page will be going over what the "Accident" is:


The "incident" refers to the scene where Johnny tells River about there "first" meeting in the school, and how he approached her for selfish reasons. Not because he actually liked her. Johnny never understands why this has the extreme reaction it has on River.

To understand River we have to take a step back for a second. Think about it. River never knew about the whole beta blockers/Joey situation. She grew up with Johnny thinking he remembered their first meeting at the carnival. That meeting is of extreme importance to her and a large part of their relationship. When Johnny tells her of their "first" meeting (the incident) in the lunch room at school, River realizes that Johnny doesn't remember the meeting at the carnival at all.

It's a double whammy to her because not only does she learn Johnny first dated her for entirely selfish reasons, but also that he doesn't even remember one of the most important moments in their relationship. The making of the paper rabbits is her desperate attempt to make Johnny remember that actual first meeting. She doesn't realize that the beta blockers are making her efforts futile, and her Asperger's prevents her from communicating her feelings to Johnny. She dies realizing that her entire marriage was built on misunderstandings and lies. It's an extremely tragic ending.

[lykin]

wow

[BigCheddarBoi]

Not to mention why seeing the dead rabbit on their wedding was so impactful to her, and not Johnny.

[天口]

gooood

[xsni]

I think it's also important to mention the role of Johnny's mom. The game hints that she favored Joey. Her imposing Joey's favorite things onto Johnny probably helped suppress his childhood dream of going to the moon as an astronaut.

[spongebob squarepants]

masterpiece

[daCodeMaster();]

this guide is almost like it is adding to the story, but it is already in the story (wait , did that even make sense?). anyway, a very important detail. this is something i seriously overlooked

[satori_hanzo]

But what about the Animorphs role in this story?

[C. Piglet]

fuck... any emotional high from the ending was completely undone knowing that she suffered until her death... and no amount of memory tampering can change that.

[LampyCat]

Thank you for bringing up this topic. This is a really interesting thought that makes you think

[DylanGTech]

Thank you for writing this out! I must also point out, and I'm so glad the doctor in the game mentions this, Asperger's Syndrome (and autism overall) affects everyone with it differently. River's case, although relatively moderate, likely would be VERY different had she been diagnosed when she was younger. I was diagnosed at age 2, and my parents fought tooth and nail from the very beginning to make sure I got the best feasible treatments, despite me almost never cooperating. Their love and efforts lead me to be much more compatible with the world around me today as a college student. There were times where I related to River (minus the clock ticking. I wasn't prone to sensory overload). This game definitely raises questions for those who have never actually heard about the condition, and I'm glad it does in the way it does.