Wow, I didn't notice the eye patch thing. I hardly remember the corpse as nothing but a robot looking thing. Nice catch I suppose!

quote Machienzo

I bet you're thinking that she knew all along and it was only her acting, but in actuality, it was in the game that they explained that she was convinced that Liquid really did destroy the last remains of Big Boss.

Where exactly in the game does it say she was convinced and not just acting?

quote Ammy and Issun

Big Mama wasn't even that old. Only around 60 something. It's very rare for someone to get Alzheimers in their 60's.

Make that actually around 79, 78.
She was born in 1935 or 36, and the game takes place in 2014.

And no, she did knew that was Solidus, but she "Played out her part" for The Patriots to think that Solidus is Big Boss.
Sacrifices had to be made, and the people that knew about it had no choice but to play out their parts as realistic as possible, even if they had to die for it.

quote Stitch

And no, she did knew that was Solidus, but she "Played out her part" for The Patriots to think that Solidus is Big Boss.
Sacrifices had to be made, and the people that knew about it had no choice but to play out their parts as realistic as possible, even if they had to die for it.

A valid theory but this game is rather cryptic on some matters. Also, I recall Big Mama specifically saying she doesn't need to feel the wind any more, hiding who she really is and being someone else. Perhaps she was convinced that some how Ocelot got his hands on Big Boss(since as far as every one but Ocelot knew Big Boss' code was the only one that would grant access to the system).

Once again though, I have no way to prove this but I find it hard to believe she would throw herself into a fire to trick the patriots especially after her little speech. But then again she was the on who put Big Boss back together with pieces of Liquid and Solidus, So how could she mistake this skinless body for Big Boss?

quote Order66

Once again though, I have no way to prove this but I find it hard to believe she would throw herself into a fire to trick the patriots especially after her little speech.

It's also possible she had some idea of Foxdie, either through knowing about it or feeling its effects. If she knew the end was coming, why not throw your life away for the cause?

Also I always felt the wind remark meant she felt content, having met her son and making a stand against the patriots.

quote Order66

I find it hard to believe she would throw herself into a fire to trick the patriots especially after her little speech.

She knew when her part was done, and even if she didn't jump into the fire, she would've died anyway.
Letting her jump into the fire, is hard to believe that she would do that, even though knowing it isn't Big Boss, but that's exactly what she tried to do with the Patriots, letting them believe she would die beside him in a fire.
She was the one that kinda kept watch over the body of Big Boss, and she watched it with her life.
Ofcourse, since Solidus was more like a distraction, she still has to play her part as if it is Big Boss' body.
Solidus was the perfect Clone to Big Boss, it even was perfect enough to let the system believe it was Big Boss.

Not sure if the System recognises the physical looks of Solidus or Big Boss, but by nanomachines, I think only the genes and I dunno what in the body is what they only recognised from Big Boss is what fooled them in a way.

But anyway, I think if it was the actuall Body of Big Boss that was thrown in the fire, then She would do the same thing, if all is lost, then there's no reason for her to continue to keep fighting, Big Boss' body was her mean goal in her life to protect probably.
And if it was destroyed, then what's left for her?

Since Big Boss was alive and safe somewhere, she still had to play her part as if Solidus was Big Boss, and do exactly what she would do in a situation that would happen if it was Big Boss, the patriots have to believe, in even the smallest ways like this, the smallest details of affection and emotion, has to be as real and believable as possible, one strange detail of something not logical, in emotional or physical, is probably enough for the Patriots to realise that there isn't something not right about it, and might get a suspicion about it, and coming that from the Patriots is probably not good, because they can counter it with something quickly, if they'r eon to something, even if it's tiny and smallish and little detailish, they might find out, so whatever is going on has to be as believable as possible, even if you don't believe it.

That is possible but since she is going through all this trouble to convince the patriots Big Boss is dead where is Big Boss? I was under the impression he was in brain dead captivity of the patriots. If Eva had Big Boss why couldn't she just deactivate his mind control nanomachines? Ocelot could do it with Naomi's help and apparently Naomi was involved with Big Boss' revival since she "told him everything".

Also I read through the database and I'm not sure if it fits perfectly into the series. For example it claims Ocelot used ability to communicate with the dead(which he inherited from his father the Sorrow) to become Liquid but in the end of MGS4 Big Boss clearly says you can't change one person into another and that he was acting.