Line #12 TearJerker/TheStanleyParable


1	->"''This is a very sad story about the death of a man named Stanley.''"
2	-->-- '''Narrator'''
3
4	The reader began to realize that one way to interpret ''VideoGame/TheStanleyParable'' is that in the end, Stanley and the Narrator will never get what either of them want. Which led them to [[TearJerker feel very sad]].
5	----
6	* En route to the Zending in the HD remix, The Narrator will beg Stanley not to kill himself, because for once in his life, he's happy. If Stanley dies, the game is reset, and he loses the space room. He is begging Stanley not to take that one beautiful moment away from him.
7	** After Stanley's third jump, the Narrator [[DespairEventHorizon gives up]], realizing nothing is going to stop the dreaded reset from happening. He sounds absolutely ''broken'' by this point.
8	--->'''Narrator:''' I just wanted us to get along, but I guess that was too much to ask. It looks like you wanted to make a choice after all. Well, this one is yours.
9	** Additionally, if you alternate jumping from the staircase and returning to the space room enough times, the Narrator will eventually call you out for doing it to play with his emotions, to provoke a reaction from him. Especially upsetting, considering that [[YouBastard he's probably right.]]
10	** Throughout all of this in the Ultra Deluxe version, the screen actually shakes as Stanley lands each time, and his walking is noticeably slower, a horrible sign that his injuries are preventing him from moving at his regular speed.
11	** Even worse, the Narrator's last words are [[ResetButton "I'm going back," showing that he is afraid of returning to his cruel past self.]] And then you start right back at the beginning, and nothing has changed.
12	* The Confusion ending is sad for similar reasons. After finally befriending Stanley and looking forward to creating new adventures together without relying on the script you both learn that this was all pre-determined, and nothing the Narrator did was of his own free will. Oh, and the game is about to restart and the Narrator is going to forget everything that happened. Naturally, the Narrator doesn't believe a thing. And then the game resets.
13	* In both the original and the HD remix, The Pawn/Phone ending. Also the source of the page quote.
14	* When you unplug the telephone, after doing both branches afterwards (including a different boss' office with a voice receiver instead of a keypad that can't be used due to Stanley being a HeroicMime, and then the game completely glitching up due to "narrative contradiction"), the game then resets back to the initial two doors near the beginning... except ''you'' are placed above the ceiling and unable to do anything except walk around and look down at Stanley standing motionless, while the Narrator begs him to make a choice, but with no success. His voice becomes increasingly desperate and panicked as he tries to get Stanley to do anything without player input. The credits roll...
15	* The Skip Button Ending. At first it seems like the usual blend of humorous SelfDeprecation and comedic arrogance, with the Narrator complaining about the poor quality of the new content and basking in the glory of how utterly perfect the original version of the game was. Then it all takes a turn when the Narrator and Stanley stumble upon a collection of Steam reviews of the original game, all of which (or at least all that the Narrator reads) are [[CausticCritic bashing the game]] and complaining about the Narrator in particular. While at first the Narrator reacts to this with the expected indignation, it quickly becomes clear how hard these reviews are hitting him, with him talking about how he feels like he failed these players (a sentiment that anyone who's struggled with negative feedback on their creative work can likely sympathize with). His utter desperation to please the fans leads the Narrator to create [[ArtifactOfDoom the Skip Button]], which ultimately leads to his own undoing at the player's hands when they find they have no real choice but to keep pressing the button until everything around them- including the Narrator- is gone.
16	** To make it even more poignant, take a look at the surroundings in the area with the Steam (Pressurized Gas for other consoles) reviews. There are lots of reviews that the Narrator doesn't read aloud, and all of them have the blue thumbs-up icon indicating a positive review...except they're all blurred out so that [[AccentuateTheNegative only the negative reviews can actually be read]].
17	** When the Skip Button is pressed the 5th time, a week or two has passed. The Narrator's tone is presented to be of misery and relief; a strong contrast to the rest of the game.
18	--->'''Narrator:''' Oh, Stanley! You're back! You're back!
19	* The Figley/Stanlurine ending in ''Ultra Deluxe'' counts towards this. In this ending, the Narrator sends Stanley back to the Memory Zone to relive his accomplishment at collecting each of the Figlies/Stanlurines. Once Stanley and the Narrator reach the end, the Narrator resets the game, but not wanting to move forward, he undoes the reset and tells Stanley to relive his memories [[BackToFront in reverse]]. From there, the two arrive [[WhenItAllBegan at Stanley's office]], and the Narrator realizes his reasoning for creating Stanley: the Narrator had become complacent and needed a character to do what he was thinking, one that would make the decisions that he could not. The Narrator even questions if his creation of Stanley was in part because he was lonely and he [[IJustWantToHaveFriends wanted a companion to talk to]]. After giving his thoughts about Stanley, the Narrator decides to [[PutOnABus retire Stanley]] and be on his own again, promising to take care of himself and be much stronger. However, remarking how fun his experience with Stanley had been, the Narrator decides to tell Stanley's story [[OneLastJob for the last time]], starting off with [[BookEnd "This is the story of a man named Stanley."]]
20	* The Epilogue sequence could possibly be seen as this, since, if not for the unknown character giving the player and Stanley a chance to experience everything further, it may well have been the end of the road for good. It's also a bittersweet finale to the game, as, even though the long road has come to a close, and The Stanley Parable's development is over now, [[BookEnd the adventures are only just beginning.]]
21	* Also in the Epilogue, on one of the floors of the abandoned Memory Zone, there are a few scattered deposits of [[OverlyLongName Buttons That Say the Name of the Player That is Playing the Game]]. Most of them don't work due to the Skip Button-induced passage of time, and of the ones that do, as you would expect from earlier in the story, they all say "Jim". [[TragicKeepsake Except one, hidden away in a decently missable deposit, which says "Stanley"]].
22	* The Escape Pod ending is, on surface-level, a rather confusing and almost pointless ending, even in the context of the game. But there is one sign, saying that in order to activate the sequence, the Narrator must be present. It becomes clear that the Escape Pod ending ''would'' have been the GoldenEnding in the game, but the Narrator either was left behind by the player back at the office, or worse, outright abandoned Stanley to deny him his freedom.
23	** In the Bucket version of this ending, things change when the player reaches the escape pod. Stanley puts the bucket inside, and gently puts his fingers to "shush" it, rubs along its sides as if drying the bucket's tears, before it launches into space while somber music plays. It's gone entirely for the next playthrough, and the Narrator later gives Stanley another bucket while berating him for losing the last one. This ending turns heartwarming as during the Epilogue, Stanley can find the crashed escape pod with the Reassurance Bucket inside to take with him.

Context TearJerker / TheStanleyParable