Having done my time as a writer, I know how to climb into character's minds and pick at their brains, finding out how they think, what drives them to be the way they are, and how they really feel beneath the surface. You may or may not believe this, but there was a time when I predicted Severus Snape's storyline before the last few Harry Potter books were published. It wasn't hard to tell what drove him to be bitter every time he saw Harry. What else would drive him to be so resentful of James, if it weren't out of love for Lilly? Being embarrassed in front of the girl you have a crush on, only to have her end up with the guy who bullied you? It was obvious to me. I also know matters of the heart, and how people suffer in love, but that's always been my own issue to deal with. Anyway, people are no different. There's a pattern in the world with the way people think, and their behaviors.
At a first glance, some may think it was the Joker who drove Harley to be the twisted little gun-toting, bat-slinging psychopath that she is, but he isn't exactly as responsible as you might think. In fact, would you believe that he was somewhat of a victim?
If you know that Harley was a psychiatrist (and if you've seen the extended scenes), you'll have heard the parts where Harley tells Joker "I helped you" and he blames her for erasing his mind and the little memories he had, leaving him in a black hole of rage and confusion. And then later, she complains that she's bored and needs a victim. "A mind to pry apart and spit in." Wouldn't it make sense that as a psychiatrist, she knows how to get inside people's minds and twist them all up inside? And because of this, she knows what strings to tug inside the Joker, keeping him hooked. Maybe he'd have nothing to do with her, if she hadn't wormed her way inside.
But there's more. After all, I didn't say he was completely without blame, did I? What drove her to give up her career as a psychiatrist, and turn to a life of crime and carelessness? After all, I don't know if Gotham City is the same in such career fields, but as far as I know, you need to have a certain level of education, and certain degrees to obtain a psychiatry license. Why give up all that time and effort?
Well some people might say that it's because in the movie, the Joker gave Harley some shock therapy. That explains why she went crazy. Maybe... That could have some part to do with it, but the real reason goes even deeper into the rabbit hole. The whole reason why the Joker gave her the electroshock treatment was because he was mad at her methods of psychiatry, and it was revenge. But how would he even have gotten his hands on her if it wasn't for her helping him to escape?
So that leads to the next question. Why help him escape? He didn't force her to do it. He was restrained. Why else? It's because she got attached to him. Whether he felt anything for her or not, she felt a connection to him... And when you love someone, you'll do anything for them, to have more time with them, even if it means giving up what you thought you wanted. Sometimes we become addicted to people, and let them get away with anything, and even help them get away with it...
I'm not really sure why he was the one she got attached to. Maybe she felt sorry for him? Or maybe he was charming? Maybe he had an air of danger about him that got her heart racing, and she became addicted to that feeling? After all, some of us girls just love a guy who takes control. We just want someone to be loyal to who we can count on when it counts the most. Whatever it was, it piqued her interest in getting close to him, and messing wit his mind so that she could get inside. No one knows who started it or who is to blame in this situation, but I feel this is why it all works, and why they are a rare match for each other.
