Psychopaths love for everyone to think they're the victim. It's their favourite role to play.

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Annie had a history of being violent. She killed babies, people, and animals when she was clearly lucid enough to know right from wrong. Mental illness or no, the only cures for that are a straitjacket for life or a bullet to the head. Period.

No the real victim was Paul's ankles

You are forgetting that this is a work of fiction. It's not meant to be a primer on 'how to properly treat psychosis' - it's meant to be a thriller.

Annie is a victim of mental illness. Paul is the victim of Annie's mental illness.
To say that Annie is dangerously insane is not to exonerate her from all responsibility and blame "God and Nature" for her depredations. She's fully aware of what's wrong with her mind, even to the point of leaving Paul alone while she drives away to sort of "cool off". To the extent that Annie does not resist her murderous and possessive urges, she is a villain who capitulates to her worst impulses. Yes, she has an excuse that "real" cold blooded psychopathic murderers don't havebut that excuse can't excuse
all
of her criminal acts. Thus, as well as a victim, she is also a true villain.

I'm sure if some nut-case nurse you trusted to take care of your child instead murdered it, you wouldn't be wringing your hands over which of them was the real victim.
Then again, maybe you would.

Anyone else think Annie Wilkes may be the victim here? The woman clearly needed some medical attention as well..

Why do you have this inane slant on her character being a victim? Yes, she was mentally unstable but not that mentally ill, as to be unable to function and take care of her home and herself. She was good a hiding behind what ever disorder would be attributed to her and I can't recall from the novel; but why was she even allowed to have her independence, due to her history? She was a dangerous woman and she held someone hostage against his will and manipulated, tortured and maimed him. If there is to be any empathy given for Annie, it's because she wasn't right in the head, not because of her actions. If she knew what she was doing, yet couldn't help herself, then she may have been classed psychopathic\schizophrenic; but since this is moviedom, who knows.

No, the real victim was the man she abused and tortured. I knew this thread was coming.
If the roles were reversed would this question be asked, if he didn't get the medication/ treatment he needed? And her being a "strong" woman and a nurse, to boot.

What is with this trend lately where people are trying to re-define villains and turn bad guys into good guys? Annie was really the victim, Steff was the good guy and Blaine was the jerk, Daniel was the bully and Johnny was the victim. Stop with this silliness.
"Why couldn't the monkey arrange this from INSIDE the garbage can?"

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it's not to due to "liberal la-la land", but maybe with women

about as big a deal as you are at the gay bar. did i hurt your widdle wiberal feewings by pointing out the obvious?

Go away, or I shall taunt you a second time!

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oooh internet tough guy.

Go away, or I shall taunt you a second time!

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Only in liberal la-la land is Annie a victim.

Go away, or I shall taunt you a second time!

I still sort of feel bad for her. It seems like normal people would know it was wrong and so they wouldn't do it, and maybe feel bad for thinking about it. Kinda seem like her being sick would have had something to do with the fact that she could know it was wrong, not feel bad and do it multiple times
Maybe If she weren't sick, she wouldn't have done it.
Don't wake me 'cuz I'm dreamin' of angels on the moon

Nope. Annie may or may not have been abused as a child and she was obviously crazy, but she was not worthy of anyone's sympathy.
She knew exactly what she was doing when she killed those babies, and that nursing student. Annie kidnapped Paul, tortured him.
She knew it was wrong, she didn't care.
"I'd say this cloud is Cumulo Nimbus."
"Didn't he discover America?"
"Penfold, shush."

Theres not just one victim here, Annie is oviouosly crazy, and Paul is hobbled, and confined in his room. This is all crucial to the story, but i think Buster is the real victim. His death was so sad, and alarming.
"If i die, you die."

You could say that about any psychotic who hurts and kills people. Annie was clever enough to know what she was doing was illegal and wrong. She was a dangerously clever fraud. That sweet innocent act she put on for the Sheriff.