10 Ways American Horror Story Cult Explores Mental Illness In America Through Ally
6. Ally's Son, Oz, Might Have Hallucinated
Whether Oz witnessed the deaths of the Changs is questionable. Winter, the nanny, denies ever taking him over there, and as far as we know the police claim a murder-suicide…despite the weird smiley face symbol on their door and subsequent deaths. Additionally, Oz sees one of the creepy clowns and asks if they’re real in the second episode. They say no...Was the clown real?
As the show goes on more truths will unveil themselves (or just confuse viewers even more in traditional American Horror Story style), but going off the idea that Oz never actually witnessed the deaths raises the question of who (Ivy or Ally) gave birth to Oz. Who was the father? Taken at face value these similarities between Oz and Ally allude to the idea of genetic inheritance.
Some people are more prone to mental illness than others due to genetic risk factors. For example, a 2013 study found that people with autism, ADHD, bipolar disorder, major depression and schizophrenia were more likely to have abnormal genetic differences at four chromosomal sites. Schizophrenia in children is rare though.
It’s reasonable to conclude that Oz isn’t schizophrenic, but the possibility that he could have inherited mental illness from one of his biological parents is what his experiences in the show demonstrate. Mental illness isn't a choice. It's the result of genes and environment. However, one study from 2010 found that while knowing the cause increased support for services, stigma wasn't reduced in the United States. Greater knowledge hasn't increased social acceptance.