Logan is in such a bad mental and physical state that he does not want to be acknowledged as Wolverine. He even uses his real name, James Howlett, with everyone except Charles and Caliban. People think of 'Wolverine' as a hero, but Logan does not see himself as that hero for most of the movie. Instead, it is as if the film took the character out of the comic books and humanized him. What would a man like Logan really be like if he were living amongst us? If the X-Men really existed? If these types of mutations (yielding superpowers) were real? And what we get is a classic film that showcases the horrific effects of violence, battle, and war on the psyche of a fallen X-Man. The theme parallels a soldier who goes to war and fights for his country victoriously. The soldier then returns from war as a hero in the eyes of the people of his community. He is honored, given awards, and even thought of as a legend. However, that soldier saw horrible things while in war. That soldier saw all of his friends killed. He lost the love of his life. He was battered and bruised, and he returns home with severe PTSD and an alcohol and drug addiction. He does not see himself as a hero and places his military uniform and awards far away in a closet. He does not see himself the way the world sees him.

Even more powerful in my opinion was the idea that Laura had read the comic books and viewed 'Wolverine' in such a high regard, but when she meets Logan, she sees that he is a mere shell of this great hero she had always read about with whom she shares the same DNA. These were some of the themes I felt Logan was going for. What would that be like for a man like James Howlett who had been through many wars, battles, and felt everyone he loved died because of him? Would he want to be recognized? He was on the run. He also wanted to be left alone. Would he want to be thought of as a legend or recognized as 'Wolverine' for most of the film given his mental state? Realistically, the answer would be no.

Then, Laura, Rictor, and the other kids, who have looked up to 'Wolverine' their entire lives, cut Logan's beard to make him resemble Wolverine once again. The effect this has on Logan is to actually make him begin to act like Wolverine and accept who he is again, and we see him fully embrace that in the last battle with Laura in the woods. So I felt the beard in the film was very symbolic of Logan's state of mind, and I felt it added to the story in a very poignant way.