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Alan Moore’s, Watchmen
Rorschach: Hero or Villain?
Leslie O’Sullivan
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The conflict between good and evil has been a prominent aspect of literature, and society itself, for ages. Many popular stories are based around the hero succeeding in their endeavours by defeating the arch nemesis; good conquers evil by performing in a manner that is deemed morally right. However, in Alan Moore’s, Watchmen, the notion of morality is questioned, suggesting that the line separating good from evil does not exist. Rorschach, the most morally influenced watchman, is a major icon when analysing good and evil in this story. Moore incorporates Rorschach with a
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whore?’ ‘Oh please, don’t say that. Not in front of my kids... They don’t know. Got what we came for. Finished here now. Let’s go.” (Moore, X.6)
Rorschach has unmistakably labelled this women as evil; spreading lies and rumours for personal gain at the expense of someone else. However, as she pleads for him not to call her on her actions in front of her children, he backs down. This act of mercy completely contradicts Rorschach’s philosophy, “There is good and there is evil, and evil must be punished. Even in the face of Armageddon, I shall not compromise on this.” (Moore, I.25) By failing to punish the landlady, Rorschach is in fact contradicting this previous statement. By condemning the women, he would be subjecting innocents to violence; therefore, he indeed compromises in his “concrete” morality. In addition to this lapse in his moral dedication, Rorschach’s tendency to justify some evil actions throughout the story challenges his moral absolutism and contradicts his later actions, “I liked President Truman... He dropped the atom bomb on Japan and saved millions of lives.” (Moore, VI.31) Although this was quoted when Rorschach was a child, it is evident that he still admires Truman when he praises him at the beginning of the story, “They could have followed in the footsteps of good men, like my father or Truman.” (Moore, I.1) It is clear that Rorschach approves of Truman’s actions, noting that he did what he did for
“ What makes Superman a hero is not that he has power, but that he has the wisdom and the maturity to use the power wisely…” This is saying that Hero’s serve the will of others while still maintaining their own individual personality, the example of Abraham Lincoln, and that heroism is not the idea of serving yourself first, and all heroes are people who are responsible to use there power for good. For example, Hero's are people who do there best to force change in a positive way. They can do this in large ways or small ways.
What makes a hero? Saving a puppy from a burning building? Or what about being a single mother raising three kids and working two jobs? Both of these could be good candidates for heroes since they both possess the characteristic of strength—not just physical strength, but mental strength. This is one of the most important traits of a hero but it is not the only one. Courage, intelligence, and morality are also necessary in order to really get penciled in to the “hero” category. Being a hero also means doing what’s right almost all the time, even when no one is looking. So that guy who just happened to be in the right place at the right time gets the rubber end while the hard-working mother who
“I want to be Batman.” That is a typical response from a preschooler if they are asked what they want to be when they grow up. However, heroes are not always wearing capes. They can simply be an Indian man that changed his mindset into something more inspirational. There is one thing that Superman and a policeman have in common. They are both heroes. No matter how different the fields are, they are brave, helpful, and hardworking. A hero can be someone known for courageous achievements. They are normally men, but can be women too. Heroes come in many different ways. Some characteristics of a hero are someone who has enormous courage, strength, and knowledge. They usually have a big effect on people’s life and are pretty well known. A hero is also known for helping people and not doing it out of revenge. They must have a good heart because they are putting themselves at risk for others. The people need to have trust in him because he is putting their life on the line, so they cannot be evil. A true hero isn’t perfect. They have disagreements and bad days, but the motivation to get back up and help day after day is definitely a true hero. Being a hero is tiring, because being a hero is not a one-time thing, so one cannot just do something good for a day and call themself heroes. Being a hero means loving what you do. It means getting up in the morning, ready to help people in any way possible, everyday. Mohandas Gandhi is a hero because he was helpful, had leadership and
Over generations, the theme of morality plays an important role in multiple events. Morality is the concept that distinguishes between justice and injustice, and is applicable in the daily lives of many people. Despite the fact that each culture has a different perception of morality, everyone has to face the decision between what is moral and what is not. This is due to reason that the concept of morality was created and agreed upon by the people. According to Lee Strobel, moral evil is the immorality and pain and suffering and tragedy that come because we choose to be selfish, arrogant, and uncaring, hateful and abusive. The witch trials, red scare, and the contemporary society have all demonstrated the destructive nature of humans and
Hero;A person who is admired or idealized for courage, outstanding achievements, or noble qualities. Albert Gore Jr. is considered an American hero for his works as an environmentalist. He served his country in the Vietnam War, spoke out against global warming, and broke the barriers between the American people.
Arthur Miller’s The Crucible is a play contrasting the time in which it was written, the Red Scare of the 1950s, to the Puritan society of early America. At this pivotal time in American history, with the end of World War II and beginnings of the Cold War, Republican Joseph McCarthy arose in the Senate to question the morality of his colleagues and accused countless government officials of Communist views. Flanked by the House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC), McCarthy cuts a swath through the heart of American politics, using fear and governmental power beyond his normal means. The 1950s echo much of what we see in Miller’s portrayal of the Salem Witch Trials in The Crucible, especially in the characters of Abigail Williams and the court of elders. In both the trials and history we see the same kind of response by the public to inaccurate and untrustworthy evidence. Through Miller’s portrayal of the Puritans and his analysis of the political climate in the 1950s, Miller’s main message is that U.S. History inevitably repeats itself. Even though the situations are not exactly the same, human nature drives people to respond in similar ways every time: fear, accusation, and often violence.
The heroes from the early age of comics are grand, god-like, and morally good, without much anxiety to keep them from achieving their tasks. However, this characterization evolved over the years, showing that such characters have many layers to them. The characterization of heroes, as given in Watchmen, has evolved to fit that of the problems of the age, and here, we see that there are more problems than just political or economic; the society itself is faulted, but perhaps due to the different experiences one has gone through, traumatic or trying. Watchmen provides an account of different heroes that use the mask, such as Laurie Juspeczyk, The Comedian, Rorschach, and Ozymandias, and delves into them to demonstrate the lack of agency, the addiction, the
Throughout the history of literature the story and essence of the “hero” has been the subject of countless texts. Who and what a hero is and what he or she is supposed to be and represent has been examined and reimagined; altered and deconstructed thousands of times. One of the most notable reimagining of the hero archetype in relatively modern history is the development of the superhero subgenre and its many literary implications on the common social consciousness. In their 75 year history of publication, superheroes themselves have seen their own archetypes develop and have added a lengthy chapter to the ongoing story of the hero in literature. These heroes are defined by their larger than life exploits and their seemingly unwavering moral
Maya Angelou once said, “I think a hero is any person really intent on making this a better place for all people”. The Cambridge Dictionary defines a hero as, a person admired for bravery, great achievements, or good qualities. A hero is not a follower of people, does not sit around being lazy, and is not unwise about making decisions. There are three characteristics which I would use to analyze a hero; leadership, passion, and sage.
Find evidence in the text (example: is he/she brave, courageous, persistent, or resilient?) and cite the information.
Walter Joseph Kovacs, or more commonly known as Rorschach, is a costumed vigilante whose death plays a significant role in Watchmen. Rorschach is depicted as a disturbed man who believes there is always a right and wrong, even if it means breaking the law to bring a higher justice in the world. His belief deems prevalent by defying the Keene Act of 1977, which outlawed any type of vigilantism by costumed adventurers, except for those who worked exclusively under the United States government like Dr. Manhattan and The Comedian. By breaking down the components of Rorschach’s mask, there will be a deeper understanding of what the mysterious Rorschach represents in Watchmen.
In America, contrary to popular belief, a hero is not simply someone who wears a cape and saves the town from an evildoer. A hero is a mother, a school bus driver, a mechanical engineer, a farmer. Someone who puts others before themselves, even when no one is watching or praising them. A little kid can be a hero by picking up trash off the ground or sitting with someone at lunch who is sitting alone. It is the little things that a person does that makes them a hero. A mother is a hero by providing for her children. If she did not provide for them then they possibly may not even be alive. A school bus driver is a hero by driving kids to their destination whether if it is school, home, or a school event. The bus driver makes sure they get to their destination saftly and on
Christopher Reeve once said that, “a hero is an ordinary individual who finds the strength to preserver and endure in spite of overwhelming obstacles.” It appears as though the world is constantly in need of saving. In turn, heroes have always been around to inspire, entertain, and protect people from evil. One society that told of heroes was the Anglo-Saxons. They told of wondrous heroes that accomplished glorious feats reflecting the values of their society. However, as time presses forward societies adapt to the advancement and breakthroughs that come with passing time. With that, the definition and characteristics that describe heroes has evolved over time as well. Analyzing what makes a hero, differences and similarities are present pertaining to the definition of heroes among myself, Hollywood, and the Anglo-Saxons, however, aspect of each definition may be applicable to today’s world.
What It means to be a Hero is different to a lot of people. Some people think a Hero is someone who does more physical saving or, mental saving. Some people think it’s someone in their family that does everyday work like caring for their family or, does a lot of transportation. Other people think that their heroes. Their is a lot of opinions , but mostly it’s what you think is a hero in your mind. My opinion of what it means to be a hero /or my hero is my dad.Why he is my hero is cause he gets up every morning to go to work. His job is a mailman which means he goes a round the country putting mail in people's mailboxes. A lot of people thank my dad for doing that and, I thank him to. He also gets all his outside chores done
In Russian the word for hero is герой. While these words might look and sound different, they both come from the Proto-Indo-European root of ser which means to protect. Although the word hero shares a common etymology throughout Europe, to each culture a hero means something different to each culture. Russia has seen styles of government throughout the past 500 years, but the characteristics of a Russian hero have remained similar. This is especially true in the period between 1900 and present day, in which Russia has seen at least 3 different government systems, yet the heroes portrayed in film and literature maintain similar characteristics. Although throughout modern Russian history, the ideal citizen has changed, but the heroic characteristics of patriotism, strength, and family orientation are consistently represented. From Isaac Babel’s stories about the Polish-Soviet War of 1920, Red Cavalry, to the post-soviet crime film of Brother, a hero is a consistent aspect of Russian culture.