Harley Quinn is always easily recognizable by her red and black costume, with the diamonds on the front, and her Joker hat. She has long been a sex symbol, with her picturesque body and sexual innuendos, she is a comical misconstruction of what it is to be a woman. People don't recognize the incredible amount of domestic-abuse victimhood she experiences and represents.
Her relationship with the Joker is anything but healthy, with constant verbal and physical abuse day in and day out.
Harley was an esteemed psychologist, back in the days before the Joker, until her love for him turned her into a psychotic nutcase, who was then hell-bent on killing Batman, in the name of her beloved. However, while Harley adores the Joker, he does not show the same affection towards her.
Often, he insults her appearance and calls her stupid and weak for her affection towards him. He is constantly hitting her and abusing her to the point where she is so psychologically damaged by it, she feels she like deserves it. So she constantly runs back to him again and again hoping one day he'll love her, like she loves him.
Her disposition makes her a great symbol for what happens during domestic abuse.
More times than not, the victim will place blame or make excuses for themselves for not being good enough for their partner. Harley is damaged and in love, showing people what really happens with constant abuse.
I love Harley, she's by far my favorite villain, because of her undying support and psychotic breakdowns that leave me wondering if she'll ever truly get over the Joker.
But I believe a lot of women who have been in that position can relate to her. She's not only a sex symbol, she's a symbol for the psychological breakdown many domestic abuse victims face today. So many people focus on her sexiness, instead of what she really has to offer. She is the symbol of why it needs to stop. Pairing her with Gotham's worst and craziest villain was not a coincidence, it was to shine a light on how domestic abuse can make someone delusional and think there isn't a way out. It's also to show other people a glimpse of what's going on in the abused person's mind.
I want to end this article with a few statistics and a proposition. About every nine seconds, a woman in the United States is assaulted or beaten. Around the world, about one in three women are abused. And 40 percent of domestic abuse is experienced by men. Please do NOT forget they are victims as well.
Now to my proposition: If you or someone you know are being abused, please call someone. It doesn't have to keep happening. Bringing it to someone's attention is the most important thing someone can do. Living in silence, however, can result in dangerous consequences. The number for the National Domestic Violence hotline is 1-800-799-7233. Be safe and remember what happened to Harley.
