A person suffering from a dissociative identity disorder has two or more separate identities or personality states (Coon & Mitterer, 2009). In the movie Mr. Brooks, Earl Brooks is a wealthy, successful businessman who recently was honored as "Man of the Year." Brooks is also a serial killer, known as the "Thumbprint Killer" by the police. He is encouraged by his id, manifested as an alter ego who he refers to as Marshall, whom only Brooks can see or hear. Marshall loves to kill, and even talking about it gets him excited. Earl Brooks is extremely neat and tidy. In his studio, all his clothes are neatly hung up and put away. Therefore, Earl suffers from both dissociative identity disorder and obsessive-compulsive disorder.
Marshall said, "I like eating, I like killing, I like being alive." Earl Brooks believes that his alter ego is real as it gets. They even carry conversations with each other.
Person washing his hands
Louis Vivé
Earl?The two personalities are like night and day. Earl is a successful business and family man that owns his own company, and Marshall is the dark character who is always up to no good. The best way to describe Marshall is that he is Earl Brooks' id. The id is the pleasure principle, and all it acts on basic impulses, regardless of the repercussions. The id won't take no for an answer, and tells Earl to do bad things. Marshall is the true serial killer in this movie, and it is his words that make Earl kill. Earl mumbles the serenity prayer throughout the movie because he refuses to accept responsibility for his actions. He passes the responsibility to Marshall. Earl says "I don't enjoy killing Mr. Smith, I do it because I'm addicted to it." He even goes to A.A. meetings to possibly help...