Disney has created a crapload of tragic characters and stories over the years, ranging from the countless dead mothers to the infertile Ellie, who ended up dead anyway. It might surprise you to discover that the most tragic of these stories lies not in Bambi or Up, but in Finding Nemo.
I’m not talking about the fact that Marlin essentially suffers from chronic depression, anxiety, and paranoia. I’m not talking about Coral’s death. I’m not talking about the fact that Nemo has lost almost his entire family, and I’m definitely not talking about his “lucky” fin.
I’m talking about Dory.
| "Hey, kids! My life secretly sucks!" |
Yes, Dory, the forgetful blue tang. The first time Dory is introduced, she appears to be wandering around aimlessly until Marlin asks her about the boat. Immediately she offers to show Marlin the way the boat went, but forgets about the encounter and nearly picks a fight with him. Upon realizing what has happened, she explains apologetically that she suffers from short term memory loss.
“It runs in my family.” She claims. “At least I think it does.” Then her mood changes and she mutters to herself, “Where are they?”
As a kid, that part always made me wonder if Dory was lost as well. After all, she doesn't know where her family is, and probably doesn't know where she herself is either. She doesn't leave Marlin’s side until much later in the movie, when he abandons her after believing Nemo is dead. Afterwards, she goes back to wandering, confused, through the ocean, not knowing where she is going or what she is doing.
Here’s the thing; she has nowhere else to go. What was Dory doing before she met Marlin? All the evidence seems to say she was swimming along, lonely and confused. After all, she has no family, and at the end of the movie she ends up in Marlin’s care. Did she even have a home to return to when he left her?
Dory depends greatly on Marlin throughout the movie. She even pleads with him not to leave her behind, because she can remember things when he’s around. The thing is, I think she loves him. When she looks at Marlin and tells him, “I don’t want to forget,” she’s really saying, “I don’t want to forget you.” Dory. Loved. Marlin. And he abandoned her.
Had Nemo and Dory not bumped into each other, she might never have regained her sanity. No matter how you look at it, the only thing keeping Dory sane is Marlin’s presence in her life.
Dory the fish is the Disney character with the most tragic back-story, and nobody seems to notice or care.

