RED LIGHT, yellow light, green light, Go.

One of the most interesting symbolism, I found, David Lynch used in Twin Peaks was the lone ever-red stop light that was always swaying in the breeze as it hung from electric cables. As the series progressed, it occurred to me that the symbolism of this omniscient stop light was Lynch's way of conveying to the residents of Twin Peaks and the audience that they need to stop and truly open their eyes as to what is going on. For the residents, it implicated that even though their town personified a glimpse of the idealistic and everyone would like to think "that will never happen to me", the thought and state of mind do not rule out the possibility that all is not well at home. In Fire Walk With Me, when Laura fell off of the bike at the red light James knew something was bothering her and asked her once what the matter was, and when she told him not to worry about it he stalls at the green light, watches her walk into the woods, and then speeds off even though the stop light had turned red, completely ignoring the sign. From what I got from that seen, I think Lynch purposefully had the light turn red perhaps to encourage James to stop and be a little more aggressive in finding out why Laura was now behaving this way because at first "Laura is represented as a typical middle-class teenager; [however], in the course of time, she is shown to be sexually promiscuous, dependent on drugs, and plagued with psychological problems"(Desmet 93). Instead of pursuing the reason for Laura's actions, James over looks her behavior, probably figuring that she'll get over it soon enough, and most likely attributes it to her just being a teenager trying to find herself by experimenting with drugs and having illicit sex.

As for the audience, the same theory applies. When someone's personality abruptly changes, if they start to do drugs and start to hang out with shady characters, yes, sometimes they are looking to try something new but it is also a possibility that acting this way because they find it is the best way to deal with the turmoil that is going on in their lives, and for some, it is their cry for help; they are waiting for someone to stop and listen. It has been mentioned in numerous publications over the years that "[m]ost of the violent crimes that do threaten our well-being are not committed by psychopathic, predatory strangers lurking in urban shadows. Instead, those we trust most- relatives, intimate friends, and acquaintances- are much more likely to be the perpetrators" (Kappeler and Potter 35). Even with these known facts, the residents of Twin Peaks still refused to wholly acknowledge the fact that Leland sexually abused and murdered his daughter; many found it easier to place the blame on someone or something, BOB, and make them the scapegoat rather than accepting that something so heinous could happen in their apple pie town by one of their own.

David Lynch used the red light and its symbolism as a means of communicating to the masses that when someone or something is no longer the way they used to be or should be it is because there was a catalyst for that change, whether it be good or bad. Therefore, it should never be nonchalantly dismissed, and even if you should find out that there is nothing amiss, at least you will never have to wonder what if. In Laura's case, the residents of Twin Peaks were so engulfed by their "never us" mind set that no one bothered to stop at the red light and truly observe the traffic.

Davia G.

Desmet, Christy. “The Canonization of Laura Palmer.” Full of Secrets: Critical Approaches to Twin Peaks. Ed. David Lavery. Detroit: Wayne State University Press, 1995. 93-108.

Kappeler, Victor E., and Gary W. Potter. The Mythology of Crime and Criminal Justice. Long Grove: Waveland Press, Inc., 2005.