The Painful Truth Behind the Fantasy World in WandaVision
Wanda’s creation of a fantasy world is actually to hide her emotional wounds in reality.
The Painful Truth Behind the Fantasy World in WandaVision
The first two episodes of WandaVision are reminiscent of classic sitcoms like I Love Lucy, I Dream of Jeannie and Bewitched. Of course, this is the intention of the producers. Because the world in WandaVision is nothing more than a simulation as Wanda (Elizabeth Olsen) is trying to hide her unstable emotions, while trying to convince herself and everyone who accidentally gets stuck in that world that everything is real.
“WandaVision” is reminiscent of classic American sitcoms.
Audiences outside the US must wonder why Wanda chose to simulate the world in WandaVision based on sitcoms? Because they were part of American culture in the second half of the 20th century. Sitcoms of this era were often modeled after some version of the typical American family.
The fantasy world is where she feels happiest.
Usually a couple with a few children, maybe with guests such as an elderly aunt or a pet dog. The husband goes to work every day, occasionally interacting with superiors and colleagues. The wife stays home to cook, clean, take care of the children, occasionally chat with neighbors and gossip about neighbors. The families in WandaVision are exactly modeled after this model. A perfect, happy model that Wanda always longs to have.
The images in this world are all Wanda’s dreams.
That explains why the fantasy world in the movie is so similar to sitcoms. Pained by her real-life emotional wounds, Wanda found comfort in a place where she felt perfect and happy. Here, Wanda can pretend that she has everything she ever wanted: a peaceful life with her husband and children, living as a normal person, without the discrimination and suspicion from those around her.
The image of the Toast Mate 2000 toaster reminds Wanda of the death of her parents.
Sadly, Wanda is so inexperienced in a happy life that the fantasy world she creates is not real enough, and is always at risk of being exposed by elements related to Wanda’s past, no matter how hard she tries to prevent it.
The Stark Industries toaster reminds her of her parents’ deaths; the Strucker watch reminds her of the time she and her brother participated in HYDRA’s experiments. Behind the jokes about Vision’s never-broken head and children who never existed is the painful memory of her lover’s death.
Everything that was designed to mask Wanda’s pain ended up being a bomb waiting to explode. WandaVision is now streaming on Disney+.
