I think Travis Bickle might be a schizophrenic

[DeNiroFan05]

Having watched "Taxi Driver" recently, I think it's safe to say that I think the character Travis Bickle is schizophrenic. Schizophrenia is a split in perception that causes an individual to become detached, isolated and remote from reality and from the rest of society. A person experiencing schizophrenia might see things in a way that he can only understand. He might also experience hallucinations such as hearing voices and seeing things, paranoia, feelings and thoughts of persecution and feeling like he is in another world.

Here's why I think he's schizophrenic: *SPOILERS* He seems to be the only character in the film that notices how scum filled the city streets are. He also feels like he's the only person who notices these things. When he starts to go crazy, he seems to think that he is working for the government, and is fixated on the idea that by killing Palantine or Sport, he'll be remembered as a hero, and would've served justice. He is also shown as being somewhat paranoid, such as when he's indicating on the card that he is sending to his parents that he can't give out his address. To me, Travis seems to be somewhat schizophrenic throughout the film, especially at the end, during the "dream sequence". After all, I've read on many forums that people think that Travis is dying, and the end of the film is a dream he's having. I don't think he's dying at the end of the film though, but I do think he is indeed dreaming. When Travis shifts quickly to look through the mirror at the end before the credits come, what is he looking at? In my opinion, that scene details to us that he is, in fact, dreaming. He's not really there, not really anywhere in the last 5 minutes. You know, like a ghost that doesn't see itself when it looks in the mirror. It's all his imagination, the way he wanted it, to be a hero. Travis was a war vet, right? What history has taught us is that a lot of men suffered the consequences of Vietnam which included mental illness. I think this is what happened to him.

[Immortal_Apathy]

Could be Schizo, Or maybe Bi Polar.. There is a fine line between schizophrenia and Bi Polar disorder.. I had a to do a school report on Schizophrenia, And Schizos start to hear voices and things like that.. They are always paranoid that someone is after them and whatnot.. They just start losing their minds.. As to where Bi- Polar are just isolated, quiet, in thinking moods, etc etc.. Alot of people get those two illness's confused.. I do agree with him seeing alot of things in the war since he played a war veteran, Alot of people have been mentally scarred by what they went through, Alot of people will flip out on you if you even mention things around them from past wars.. So the role couldve had a factor from that.. Whatever it was, The movie was bomb, I do agree with him in a sense, NY is a filthy place full of god knows what walking the streets, Hey someone should clean it up

[i_love_Deniro]

Good point DeNiroFan05, the character travis Bickle was showing some of them classic signs of Schizophrenia (i only know what that is from watching "a beautiful mind"). But unlike most people's views or opoions of reality or anything, most of Bickle's perceptions are agreeable.