American Horror Story Why Dr Arden’s Death In Asylum Was So Significant

American Horror Story: Why Dr. Arden’s Death In Asylum Was So Significant

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Dr. Arthur Arden didn’t make it out alive in American Horror Story season 2, but his death was extremely fitting based on his connections to WWII.

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American Horror Story Why Dr Arden’s Death In Asylum Was So Significant

Dr. Arthur Arden didn’t make it out alive in American Horror Story season 2, but his death was extremely fitting for the character — here’s why. James Cromwell portrayed Dr. Arden throughout the duration of Asylum, marking the actor’s only appearance in the horror anthology series. Dr. Arden, the sadistic physician at Briarcliff Manor, served as one of the primary antagonists in the follow-up installment. While his dark past came to light over the course of Asylum, his demise seemed to be a long time coming.

Dr. Arden was first hired at Briarcliff in the 1950s when the institution was acting as a tuberculosis ward. The following decade, Briarcliff transformed into an asylum for the mentally insane, and Monsignor Timothy Howard allowed Dr. Arden to remain as the lead physician. Rather than provide medical care for the patients, Dr. Arden used them as subjects for his inhumane experiments. He also used historical treatments, but for means of punishment, not with the intention to heal.

The lead doctor’s lab room was located in a sealed-off location of the asylum, making it easier to hide his atrocities from the rest of the staff. The failed experiments resulted in the development of humanoid creatures, known as “Raspers,” that would wander the grounds outside of the building. Dr. Arden managed to convince Sister Mary Eunice to feed the Raspers with buckets of raw meat on a regular basis. In time, he developed romantic feelings for the woman, but unfortunately for him, Sister Mary Eunice became possessed by the Devil. She was later killed by the Monsignor, which pushed Dr. Arden over the edge, convincing him to take his own life. He decided to cremate Sister Mary Eunice, and while her body was put in the furnace, he joined her. The fact that he burned alive was symbolic of his past, considering he was a Nazi war criminal.

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The Irony Of Dr. Arden’s Death In AHS: Asylum

The notion that Dr. Arden was a former Nazi doctor and scientist arose when a patient arrived at Briarcliff claiming to be Anne Frank. She recognized the man, referring to him as Hans Grüper, someone thought to have run concentration camps during WWII. The truth about Dr. Arden was later confirmed in American Horror Story season 4, Freak Show, when he encountered Elsa Mars in the ’30s. Following Hitler’s downfall, Grüper fled to the United States and took on the identity of Arthur Arden, but he never stopped with his torturous experiments.

Series creator Ryan Murphy purposely gave Dr. Arden a significant death that served as a metaphor for his past. Countless innocent people died in concentration camps like Auschwitz by being gassed or burned alive. The fact that Dr. Arden was killed by forcing himself in a furnace for cremations was extremely ironic considering he was a leading Nazi doctor who led these camps. He got what he deserved by the end of American Horror Story season 2. Arden’s death wound up being a full-circle moment for both the character and series.

Link Source : https://screenrant.com/american-horror-story-asylum-dr-arden-death-significant-why/

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