What is wrong with the bleach and the fish in the Machinist?

Question

I notice that Trevor always cleaned his hands and toilet floor with bleach. He surely kept things clean at home that he always bought bleach, he kept several used toothbrushes to scrub his floor in detail manner, he kept notes at the fridge. But when he past his fridge when there was fish-blood leak on the fridge, he didn't notice the leak until his third passing.

1. What is the relationship between the bleach and the plot?

2. Why didn't he notice the blood from the rotten fish when he was a bit aware of cleanliness?

3. What is the relationship between the bloody and rotten fish inside the fridge (that he got when he went fishing with one of his co-worker) with the whole story?

Answer 1

The bleach is for Trevor to clean his apartment with. Because he cannot sleep, I can only assume he turned his mind to something to keep him distracted; hence over-cleaning his apartment.

He probably did not notice the blood as because the fish were from the trip that we can assume he was coming home from when he killed 'Nicholas'. He probably was so shocked from this crime that he shoved the fish into the freezer and forgot about them as his mind began to shut down over the course of the next year.

I don't believe it is explicitly shown that this has occurred during the whole year, but at the very end when Trevor is trying to find Ivan, when he stops caring about his apartment due to his manhunt is when this occurs.

Answer 2

Let's not forget the symbolism behind him washing his hands with the bleach. Bleach is used to remove stains that cannot be cleaned off with regular detergent, however Trevor uses the bleach in a more metaphorical sense. He cannot get over the crime he committed as it constantly haunts him, meaning he lives his life with his hands "dirty." He constantly washes his hands with bleach to try to clear his conscience, but even the bleach doesn't remove the stain that has led him to psychopathy. He is constantly cleaning in attempt to clean his past; it isn't so much to keep him occupied. He is not a neat-freak, the actual blood on the floor likely did not bother him as much as the metaphorical blood on his hands.