Watchmen blogger.com - Evelina Golaszewski Professor Dallas This preview shows page 1 - 3 out of 4 pages. Evelina Golaszewski April 10, Professor Dallas Watchmen Analysis Rorschach: Morality In the graphic novel Watchmen by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons, a correlation can quickly be made between one of the main characters Rorschach and the theme of Morality Jun 07, · Watchmen Rorschach: The True Victim. In the graphic novel Watchmen by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons, the theme of morality comes A Further Look at Watchmen. In the graphic novel Watchmen by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons, a more realistic depiction of Good Things Come In Twos. In comics, it’s never Jul 19, · Watchmen is a popular American comic-book written and designed by Alan Moore, Dave Gibbons, and John Higgins. Creation of the original characters lies in the core of this comic-book which became an outstanding masterpiece of literature. It is worth reading Watchmen for several times to feel the initial ideas, which the authors thoughtfully put in the center of the story
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At the center of its plot sits the classic heroic notion of the greater good, the sacrifice of the few for the many. However, when they discover his plot, it has already been carried out and he is able to convince all but one of them, watchmen essay, Rorschach, not to reveal the truth to the world. Throughout its story, Watchmen presents several takes on the morality of murder, the ultimate judgment of death, and its implications in the grand scheme of the world.
Most current analyses of the graphic novel disregard the collective ideals represented in Watchmen, choosing instead to focus on a single outlook that allies with their own ideologies. While it is important to recognize the different ideas and perspectives represented through the graphic watchmen essay, the ramifications of the work as a whole cannot be ignored.
By understanding and piecing together the watchmen essay positions collected in Watchmentaking into account the recurring motifs and symbols as well, a completely new perspective is born: there is no moral justification for killing, only the justifications that individuals place upon it, watchmen essay. Unlike other classic comic books, Watchmen does not have a clear protagonist or antagonist.
Most do not have any sort of superpowers. What sets them apart is their morality, their minds: each feels a deep need to be a hero and that is what ultimately pushes him or her to become one. Yet, this statement raises more questions: If Manhattan is the true hero, watchmen essay, why does he allow so much watchmen essay violence to occur and why does he ultimately desert humankind for another universe?
Instead, by taking into account all that Watchmen has to offer, watchmen essay, its unique characters, recurring symbols, and powerful imagery, a new theme within the graphic novel is revealed. The world the Watchmen inhabit is dark, gloomy, watchmen essay above all, vicious.
Around every corner, behind every door, violence lurks. The art throughout the comics is graphic, and the colors are dreary, with menacing black and blood red used wherever possible. In a single word, Watchmen watchmen essay gothic. Schneider looks at how Moore uses watchmen essay elements and traits to enhance the story telling in Watchmen. With a world so gloomy and the air so ominous, lines become blurred. Criminals are not the only ones killing; the murders committed by the heroes, who are supposed watchmen essay prevent crime, may be even crueler.
Rorschach, a main character in the comic book, embraces this surrounding cruelty in every moment of every day. The progeny of an abusive prostitute, his psychopathic personality is the focus of an entire chapter. However, watchmen essay, Rorschach is not without morals. He has an idea of right and wrong; it is just not the same idea of right and wrong as everybody else. Too young to know any better.
Molly-coddled them. He takes an uncompromising approach to fighting crime, punishing all no matter the severity of the offense. However, what makes him truly terrifying is that he is the judge, jury, and executioner of his own morality. He wholly relies on his own judgment to determine who lives and who dies. Rorschach sees the world as a blank slate, without an inherent set of moral standards, just the set of morals each individual places upon themselves.
His existence is for the sole purpose of punishing the guilty in ways he sees fit, discarding the laws that society has already put in place in favor of his own distinct moral code. The narration in the watchmen essay book switches between several characters. Along with the foreboding words is a map of the United States burning up watchmen essay flames, as if to say that even greatest country in the world cannot escape its eventual destruction.
He chooses to die before giving up what he believes. Rorschach has turned watchmen essay meaningless blackness that he was given, his blank moral slate, into the only thing that means anything. No character showcases this idea of meaninglessness more than Dr.
Manhattan, the only hero in Watchmen with superpowers, watchmen essay. Born of a nuclear accident, Manhattan exhibits a variety of abilities, from replication to telekinesis to disintegration. He is essentially a god, watchmen essay, save a single debilitating flaw, his indeterminate moral compass. Despite having the capability of changing the world for the better with a single thought, he works mindlessly for the U.
government as its plaything, doing its bidding without purpose. His reasoning? Manhattan pushes the idea of fate being set in stone. Since he experiences the past, present, and future all at the same time, he cannot see the world as watchmen essay except immutable, unyielding to any outside forces. Manhattan is given godlike power but, watchmen essay, at the same time, sees himself as powerless against the flow of time, watchmen essay.
As a result, Manhattan, much like Rorschach, sees life as a morally blank slate. However, where they differ is their views of this blank ethical slate. Comic book analyst Bryan D. Dietrich examines the watchmen essay motifs throughout Watchmen and their roles in how readers interpret the graphic novel and its characters. That is to say, Manhattan does not make moral decisions based simply on an uncompromising set of guidelines like Rorschach. There is no one rule in his mind that dictates when killing is justified and when it is not.
This is shown throughout the story when he does not stop countless murders, something he is very capable of doing, yet he kills off a fellow hero, Rorschach, in order to stop exactly that, the countless murders that would ensue if the world watchmen essay to its former tumultuous state. While Rorschach is single-minded in pursuing his form of justice, Manhattan sees a more complicated world, without a fixed right and wrong, where a single decision can ripple far beyond current circumstances.
Nevertheless, even though he does not have a singular idea of morality, he is not, as Schneider puts, a nihilist who views life as meaningless; rather, he just does not conceive of a fixed watchmen essay or wrong.
He knows what the future holds, so there is no moral deterrent from killing. More plainly, Manhattan acts upon an obligation to preserve human life. Instead of making moral decisions based on a right or wrong, he weighs his options according to whether the outcome of the event is important or trivial, ignoring simple homicides while keeping the world from nuclear apocalypse.
The numerous instances where he does not prevent what society would deem a crime can be justified by these crimes having no overall effect watchmen essay the survival of humanity. They will not change the course of the human race, so Manhattan does not care about them. His unique perspective that bears the burden of watchmen essay deaths is based on the fundamental premise that the future is circular and unchangeable. Moore also displays the concept of time as an inflexible construct.
When the story begins, watchmen essay, the art opens to a peculiar image of a blood splattered smiley face lying on the sidewalk. Although it may not hold any significance at the moment, as with all reappearing imagery in the revolutionary comic watchmen essay, it is there for a reason. The blood splatter on the face bears a striking resemblance to an arrow, one that appears on the cover page of Chapter 1 pointing to 12 watchmen essay before midnight.
However, as the clock strikes midnight and humanity is seemingly saved from the nuclear apocalypse, the smiley face reappears in the last panels of the comic, once again stained with an arrow pointing to 12 until midnight, counting down to the next catastrophic disaster.
Moore displays the future as relentless and recursive. What is destined to happen will happen: the watchmen essay variable is when.
By displaying the future as immutable, along with the endlessly violent and gloomy backdrop in which the story takes place, watchmen essay, Moore emphasizes the single variable: the distinct morals of the unique characters. Despite this, Manhattan decides to base his morals on preserving human life, which always seems to find a way to reset itself after great tragedy or a period of peace.
Since he also sees watchmen essay time is fixed and enduring, he determines that the laws society enacts watchmen essay protect life are both necessary watchmen essay the short term and useless in the long term.
Similarly, watchmen essay, Adrian Veidt, or Ozymandias, watchmen essay, holds a consequentialist view of morality, basing his actions solely on their final results, choosing to ignore short-term harm in service of long-term benefit. Albeit he has taken it to the extreme in his decision to kill millions of New Yorkers and blame it on aliens in order to bring about world peace.
Moore watchmen essay seems to provide three distinct views of morality to show the extremes of all variations. Ozymandias represents the epitome of long-term, consequentialist thought, Rorschach, the simple self-righteous mentality, while Manhattan displays deontological ethics, basing his judgment on what is better, worse, or insignificant for humanity. However, despite how it may seem like his morality is based on the good of others, it is ultimately derived from a selfish need for fulfillment, a need to feel like he is making a difference.
Her exploration provides an interesting insight into the mind of Ozymandias. This is appropriate when considering his namesakes: Ramses II, whose Greek name was Ozymandias, and Alexander the Great. Though they built great kingdoms, their impressive empires were no exception to the ravages of time, watchmen essay.
Additionally, Moore seems to use Ozymandias as a foil for Rorschach, a point of comparison to highlight the distinguishing features of both characters. While Ozymandias is wealthy, powerful, and handsome, Rorschach is filthy, watchmen essay, despised, and unattractive. Watchmen essay struggles to justify his actions, even to himself, watchmen essay, and is left wondering how long his newly created peace will last, with Dr.
No matter what the circumstances are, they can always change, hopefully for the better. More importantly, Watchmen exhibits the best part of being human: our ability to choose our own ideas for right and wrong and act upon them. Despite being deemed superheroes, the characters in Watchmenincluding Dr. Manhattan, are all fundamentally human. Perhaps the watchmen essay is not that superheroes can be human, but that humans can be superheroes. Dietrich, Bryan D. Academic OneFile.
Kreider, S. Evan, and Margaret Weis. Joseph J. Foy and Timothy M. Lexington: University Press of Kentucky, watchmen essay, Prince, Michael J. Humanities Full Text H. Schneider, Christian W. Matthew J. Manchester: Manchester University Press, Sheridan, Claire. Writing Consultants are available for online tutoring for all CAS WR classes. Appointments can be booked online.
Watchmen and The Art of Nontraditional Sequels
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Jul 28, · Watchmen Essay Assignment Please choose a prompt you feel somewhat comfortable with actually writing. This essay will be a minimum of 5 pages, double-spaced, in proper MLA 8 format. This essay is to reflect your understanding, ideas, and interpretations of Watchmen — ABSOLUTELY NO RESEARCH should be involved in this assignment Essay on Alan Moore's The Watchmen. Words7 Pages. Allen Moore’s sordid depiction of twentieth century life presents a complex world, where the distinction between a virtuous hero and a villainous wrongdoer is often blurred. In stark contrast to the traditionally popularized portrayal of superheroes, whose unquestionably altruistic motives ultimately produce unrealistically idealized results; the realistically flawed characters of Watchmen Watchmen blogger.com - Evelina Golaszewski Professor Dallas This preview shows page 1 - 3 out of 4 pages. Evelina Golaszewski April 10, Professor Dallas Watchmen Analysis Rorschach: Morality In the graphic novel Watchmen by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons, a correlation can quickly be made between one of the main characters Rorschach and the theme of Morality
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