Short Story

From the beginning, Dick was basically the poster child to the Bat-Family legacy. Bruce practically idolised the boy. Well, this got on Jason’s last nerve. Batman’s relationship with Dick was always that of a mentor. The role of father figure in Dick’s life was Alfred despite being legally Bruce’s son. This is what infuriated

Bruce Wayne is a very complicated individual due to his hero archetype with wide range persona and visible shadow that presents itself through Batman. The scene that captures overall personality is the scene that shows Alfred and Bruce talking after Rachel Dawes’ death, 1:38:00-1:39:15. The scene opens up with Bruce Wayne sitting in the apartment, in Batman armour, rationalizing the situation and facing the damage that has been caused over his pursuit of the Joker. Bruce Wayne feels as though Gotham city needs a true hero and Batman does not seem to cut it anymore. As he states himself, “Gotham needs its true hero and I let that murdering psychopath blow him half to hell” (Nolan 2008). Bruce sees that he is no longer able to control the situation

Dick was apart of a household that “never had much money... [but] always had clean clothes and something to eat” (Capote 218). Dick was the son of Mr. And Mrs. Hickock who maintained a healthy and stable relationship. Dick knew he was very athletic, "Baseball. Football. I made all the teams" (218). Instead of reaching his full potential and study engineering on a sports scholarship, he instead decided to go to work. Dick's dad blamed his son's unlawful behavior on his car accident, ‘“He just wasn't the same boy” (292). In addition, he claims Dick was earlier “accused

He looked up at me as I tried to reassure him that he was going to be okay. “Help is on the way.” I could feel the fear in his eyes.

After taking a deep, calming breath, he opened his eyes and gave the young intern an apologetic look. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have yelled. It’s just… I was there; I saw what they did to him and… Shit! He’s my friend, and I just want to know if he’s okay!”

As his descent continues, Dick is even less convincingly able to act like the mature professional. He gets drunk more frequently and is involved in a violent fight with some taxi drivers, and later he inadvertently insults Mary North's in-laws, showing he has lost some of his previously impeccable manners. Even his "mentally ill" wife can see the results of his behavior, telling him, "You're a coward! You've made a failure of your life and you want to blame it on me" (301). Dick has seemingly given up on acting like a grown-up and all of its difficulties in favor of a more immature, morally ignorant lifestyle.

Additionally, after Perry’s mother found out that he was making an effort to see his father, she threw him out and sent him to a Catholic orphanage for defying her orders. He often faced physical and mental abuse. As he mentioned about the dreaded place in the novel, “‘...The one where the Black Widows were always at me. Hitting me. Because of wetting the bed. Which is one reason I have an aversion to nuns…’” (Capote 132) Additionally, nobody at the orphanage stuck up for him as he was mistreated; nobody liked him or had his back. Dick, on the other hand, started to truly become fond of Perry; as it is mentioned in the novel, “... but Dick became convinced that Perry was that rarity, ‘a natural killer’ --absolutely sane, but conscienceless, and capable of dealing, with or without motive, the coldest-blooded deathblows. It was Dick’s theory that such a gift could, under his

William held out his hand. “No, it’s ok. Officer McFarlane has something he wants to get off his chest. Let him say his

-Bruce … I’m not feeling so good.-Leah told him suddenly, pain reflecting on her face.

“So you think he is fine? It ended so weird” I ask as I remember those words, you don’t know all my secrets.

Not long into their carriage ride, Audra was warm, full, and sleepy. Maxen had brought along a skin of hot cider, along with a bag full of roasted chestnuts, and a warm bread filled with cheese, spices, and spinach. Since they’d hardly had a chance to take a bite of food during their post-wedding celebration, the fare was most satisfying.

In the end Dick’s immoral actions, lead him to a life of misery and despair. Dick’s constant struggle for perfection caused him to be morally imperfect. Perhaps, if Dick lived in the 21st century, he would have corrected his behavior and lived a more moral

Bruce nuzzles Ali’s neck. “I do, but you have to keep this a secret. I know that I am asking a lot of you, but I promise to make it worth your while.” Bruce kisses Ali on the lips again. “So now that you know that your boyfriend is Batman does that mean you’ll go easier on him?”

"It's a pleasure," Alfred told her," Master Bruce needs to rest anyway. However I do implore you to share if you do find Master Dick."

Here he learned tricks and traits that made him useful as a servant. It was his submissiveness towards white folks, which charmed everyone, particularly the kids. “He called all of us ‘Mister’…this formal address…pleased us immensely…” (Wolfe 24). Although the kids of the story admire Dick, they were raised as though they were superior to him. This form of upbringing is what keeps the social parasite called racism alive.