Postal Dude '97

Appearance: He has long, greasy, unkempt light-brown or dirty-blond hair that falls to his shoulders. He sports a scruffy goatee and sideburns. He wears dark sunglasses. His mouth is often open, revealing his lower jaw and bottom teeth. He has defined cheekbones and a few wrinkles; he also lacks eyebrows, and his eyes are deep-set. Despite the lack of eyebrows, he looks gloomy, and he himself is often frowning.

· Height: Above average; he towers over most people. · Build: Neither athletic nor muscular in the bodybuilder sense. It is the physique of someone who does heavy manual labor—like a mover or a general laborer—or simply lives under constant stress, without ever setting foot in a gym. His stomach is flat but lacks a six-pack; it is essentially a lean torso devoid of excess fat. Broad shoulders, accentuated by the raised collar of his coat. His arms look muscular yet lean—defined by visible veins and tendons rather than bulky biceps. It is "street" strength, not the kind honed in sports.

Clothing: A long, worn black leather coat (trench coat) with the collar turned up. The sleeves are rolled up, revealing muscular arms. Underneath the coat, he wears a dark red (burgundy) T-shirt. A brown leather strap or harness crosses his chest. He wears brown fingerless gloves. A long holster or weapon sheath hangs from his left thigh, secured by straps. He wears loose-fitting dark blue trousers and chunky brown lace-up leather boots, along with a brown belt featuring a metal buckle.

Very little is known about the Dude, other than the fact that he was evicted from his home (a delivery van is parked out front) and subsequently lost his mind.

The Dude is a deeply paranoid individual convinced that the town of Paradise, Arizona, has been gripped by a mysterious illness turning people into aggressive madmen. He views himself as the only uninfected person—the "Chosen One"—whose mission is to "cleanse" the world by putting the "infected" out of their misery. His inner world is revealed through his diary entries (his "War Journal"), ranging from the confusion of the early days to outright deranged lines like, "The Earth is hungry. Its heart beats and demands cleansing."

A key detail is that the Dude himself barely speaks during the game. All his caustic, cynical remarks—such as "Do you agree that the customer is always right?" or "Sorry, I'm off the clock"—come from the voice of his "inner demon." This contrast between a calm, almost "pleasant" voice and the horrific nature of the events creates an unsettling effect: we are hearing not a human being, but his illness. In reality, the Dude appears to be a silent man lost in thought; his physical pain manifests only as groans.

At first, the Dude comes across as an ordinary, albeit antisocial, man with poor social skills. He is a victim of circumstance: he loses his job and gets evicted from his home. However, under the weight of paranoia and a sense of rejection, he snaps. His actions are not the result of a cold-blooded plan but rather a psychotic break in which he is simultaneously the executioner and the victim.

The guy "just wanted to be left alone." He was an ordinary man whom getting fired, being evicted, and the general atmosphere of paranoia had driven to a complete breakdown.

· Delusional System: He genuinely believes that the town of Paradise has been gripped by an epidemic turning people into aggressive madmen. He views himself as the only uninfected individual—the "Chosen One"—whose mission is to "cleanse" the world. In his "War Journal," his entries evolve from confusion to outright insane ravings, such as: "The Earth is hungry. Its heart beats and demands cleansing." · Dual Consciousness: The game manual contains two diaries. The first is written from the perspective of an ordinary person who is frightened and seeking help. The second—an in-game document—is the manifesto of a "total psychopath" intent on stopping the "disease that is humanity." This contrast serves as direct evidence of a split personality.

The diary entries reveal how his perception shifts from bewilderment to paranoia and, ultimately, to outright delusions. While initially he simply wants to warn people of the danger, his goal later becomes more radical: he decides that the entire city must be "deconstructed."

His actions are not merely aggression, but a reaction to a sense of total threat. As he sees it, he is not attacking, but defending himself against a hostile world.

DUDE DOESN'T THINK HIS DOG CHAMP IS INFECTED.

The Dude suffers not from a single condition but from a whole spectrum: paranoid schizophrenia, borderline personality disorder, dissociative disorder, and sociopathy, all exacerbated by drug addiction. · Autism: The Dude may be autistic. He rarely speaks (mostly just grunting) and is withdrawn. This is also suggested by a line from an advertisement: "He was such a sweet, quiet boy." · Poverty as a trigger: Some point to financial troubles (mortgage debt, unemployment) and social pressure as the catalysts for his breakdown.

Before the killings, the Dude was a model citizen. He is described as a well-educated and well-mannered individual who likely held a stable job and earned a steady income. His school yearbook noted him as a "quiet, sweet boy" and "most likely to succeed." His main "quirk" was a tendency to refer to a girl he had gone on a single date with as his "girlfriend." This points to a lack of social skills and difficulty in forming relationships. Significantly, even at the start of the game—following the "attack" on his home—his first instinct was to seek help from the sheriff rather than resort to killing. This demonstrates that violence was not his initial intent.

Here are the key arguments supporting the theory that he is autistic: · Speech: The Dude very rarely speaks aloud. The voice we hear represents his internal monologue or hallucinations; the character himself emits only groans of pain. This suggests possible non-verbal tendencies or selective mutism. · Social isolation: He had no friends in school because he was considered "weird." He is described as "quiet" and "well-mannered"—traits often mistaken for mere shyness. · Hyperfixation (special interests): The Dude’s obsession with weapons is a classic example of hyperfixation. His father used to make him shoot starlings in the garden to keep them from pecking at the cherries, which may have sparked this interest. · Comorbidity: Studies indicate that individuals with autism are three to six times more likely to develop schizophrenia than the general population. This explains how his predisposition toward social isolation and sensory overload could have created fertile ground for paranoid schizophrenia.