Clive Barker's The Forbidden

[Reepicheep]

I've just finished The Forbidden, the short story which is the basis of the movie Candyman. The more I think about it the more doubts come up as to whether, in the context of the story, Candyman is real or a figment of Helen's imagination. Has anybody read the story with an eye for any subtext to answer this mystery. it's in the movie as well. until recently it never occurred to me that (again, in the story) Candyman may not be real and Helen is the killer.

[Reepicheep]

I am getting closer or mayber rather deeper if not any closer to an answer. Upon rereading and looking some things up I found the name Helen is a Jungian Archetype for the second level anima. It led me to the mind blowing possibility that Helen isn't even real but an alternate personality for Trevor. I think that theory is just a little too out there so I not worrying about it too much. I also saw that Barker mentions twice Helen doesn't know the origin of "sweets to the sweet" so that must be a big clue. It's from Hamlet BTW. The Queen says it when putting flowers on Ophelia's grave. Well that's interesting if not very helpful. I'm afraid the only way to know for sure is to ask him, but his website says he will not personally answer any correspondence. He says on the Candyman commentary track there are many learned articles on the story but Academic Search Premier and PSYCHarticles turned up nothing.