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 exist in a multi faceted world characterized by moral ambiguity. America’s imperialistic ambitions have long been justified as an expression of American idealism. Much like the portrayal of superheroes in popular culture, America’s intervention in foreign affairs was portrayed as the result of a clearly defined problem, where American intervention was necessary and consensual. The Watchmen exist in an American reality that does not depend on them as the archetypal hero as demonstrated by the fact that their presence is not necessary to the survival of the world. Collectively the characters of Watchmen parallel the tumultuous relationship that as a superpower the United States of America has with the rest of the world. Edward Blake, aptly named The Comedian viewed twentieth century life through a darkly tinted humorous lens. He viewed life as an absurd and meaningless notion, where all actions were ultimately driven by an innately selfish nature. Through his experiences in war, he becomes a “ruthless, cynical and nihilistic” man who is “capable of deeper insights than the others” in the room (Reynolds, 106). The Comedian's derives his power from a complete an utter disregard for humanity. Though he fights crime and has been conjured by the press into a patriotic symbol of war and victory, he thrives on chaos and destruction. He claims t... ... middle of paper ... ...ulture. Together the characters of Watchmen reflect an unflattering image of American identity. We sacrifice morals to defend principles rather than saving people. We sacrifice ourselves for commercial gain and for the fame that comes from the worship of strangers. We worship our own achievements, obsess over time and in the end we lose what makes us human as we continue down a path that takes us farther away from each other and deeper into ourselves. Work Cited Reynolds, Richard. Superheroes: A Modern Mythology. Jackson, Mississippi: UP of Mississippi, 1992. Hughes, Jamie A. "Who Watches the Watchmen?: Ideology and 'Real World' Superheroes." Journal of Popular Culture39.4 (2006): 546-557. SPORTDiscus with Full Text. EBSCO. Web. 25 Feb. 2010 Moore, Alan and David Gibbons. Watchmen. New York: DC Comics, 1986 - 1987
In “The Thematic Paradigm,” University of Florida professor of film studies, Robert Ray, defines two types of heroes pervading American films, the outlaw hero and the official hero. Often the two types are merged in a reconciliatory pattern, he argues. In fact, this
In the article “The Thematic Paradigm” exerted from his book, A Certain Tendency of the Hollywood Cinema, Robert Ray provides a description of the two types of heroes depicted in American film: the outlaw hero and the official hero. Although the outlaw hero is more risky and lonely, he cherishes liberty and sovereignty. The official hero on the other hand, generally poses the role of an average ordinary person, claiming an image of a “civilized person.” While the outlaw hero creates an image of a rough-cut person likely to commit a crime, the official hero has a legend perception. In this essay, I will reflect on Ray’s work, along with demonstrating where I observe ideologies and themes.
It is somehow strange for today’s reader to find out that the situation with America’s foreign affairs hasn’t changed much. As some clever people have said, “The History book on the shelf is always repeating itself.” Even after nineteen years, Americans think of themselves as citizens of the strongest nation in the world. Even after the September the 11th. Even after Iraq. And Afghanistan.
This book reflects his perspective on matters regarding the history of America and one message he portrays was his fascination with war, the military, and the men who lead or served in battle, such as Dwight Eisenhower. This also exposes Ambrose’s great patriotism for his country. He portrays his messages by using many descriptive adjectives and an upbeat style of speech as well writing about achievements he has done throughout his life, for instance launching a museum in commemoration for World War Two veterans. Ambrose was also very influenced by historical and biographical factors such as his Father, the period in which he grew up in, and of American figures. Stephen Ambrose speaks on wars that America was directly or indirectly involved in.
Through the character Rorshach, The Watchmen explores the issues of nature verses nurture for him. Moore adds that a super hero, can be a psychological argument. A super hero is neither born nor shaped by environment, it is the creation of an alter ego to suppress childhood conflicting inner issues. Rorshach dealt with issues as a young child that rationalized in his mind to hide behind a costume and a mask in order to live.
Watchmen takes place during one of our country’s most recent politically intense era’s. The fear of government corruption along with the fear of the Soviet Union and nuclear warfare was very much a real thing. Alan Moore uses political symbols, real and fictional, to represent this rough time and create a realistic setting to an otherwise fictional plot of superheroes. By incorporating mature messages and illustrations it does not only appeal to young adults looking to be entertained by a picture book. It allows Watchmen to stand alone in the category of graphic novels and be looked at as an icon of its time.
...s at that time who have come of age. Perhaps no film in recent history has captured more attention and generated more controversial debate. This film resonates the feeling and question that common people had about the JFK assassination in the 60s. As a result, the debate about the validity of JFK extended much further into the war-torn cultural landscape of America in the 1990s than most observers noted. The JFK was a telling incident demonstrating the larger cultural conflict over values and meaning in America and the competition to define national identity. The whole affair demonstrated how effective a motion picture can be as a transmitter of knowledge, history, and culture. As a result, the debate about the validity of JFK extended much further into the war-torn cultural landscape of America in the 1990s than most observers have noted.
Go to Starbucks and order a caramel latte from a Navy seal. Training in the armed forces never prepared him for this challenge. He doesn’t have the right stuff to make a latte! In Tom Wolfe’s The Right Stuff, Wolfe addresses modern American heroes fabricated into idols for public consumption. So-called “Average Joes” idolize people dubbed as “heroes” because they serve a purpose deemed greater than the common man’s. Individuals base heroism on a level of almost godlike standards, and sometimes blatantly ignore the notion that their heroes have weaknesses. A hero possesses a manufactured set of abilities, and also a renowned prestige, whether or not they truly warrant the pedestal on which society places them above any other working class civilian.
Alan Moore’s “Watchmen” focuses on several characters throughout the novel making the idea of a main character moot. However, one character can be described as the most influential to the plot of the graphic novel. Rorschach can be seen as such due to the fact that he narrates a large portion of the novel, and his heroic code that he follows. Not only does he influence the plot by those two reasons, but also by uniting the characters after a long silence. The Comedian is the only character that almost perfectly fits as the character with the most influence on the plot of “Watchmen.” The death of his character allows for the plot to be set in motion. He has not only has he shaped every other character in the novel, but the symbol that represents his character can be found throughout the graphic novel. Although Rorschach can be interpreted as the most influential character of “Watchmen,” The Comedian influenced more aspects of the plot than any other character of the graphic novel.
In the novel Watchmen by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons, interprets the achievement of order and law through the use of power and violence by superheroes. This novel consists a total of seven different characters to demonstrate how superheroes obtain peace in society through the use of violence. The writer portrays the plot in different characters’ perspectives by guiding readers in their point of view. This motivation also assists readers to examine the loneliness and the feeling of isolation during Dr. Jonathan Osterman, Walter Joseph Kovacs and Laurie Juspeczky’s life experiences.
Siegel, Jason. "The Plot Against America: Philip Roth’s Counter-Plot to American History." Oxford University Press (2012): 130-51. Project MUSE. Web. 21 Apr. 2014.
In Ralph Ellison’s Invisible Man, the narrator goes through many hardships that make him who he is. He experiences being discouraged and unlucky many different times throughout the novel. However, there are three major times that the narrator goes through these hardships. He is mistreated for his race, especially in the beginning of the novel. He is discouraged by the president of his college when he is expelled. He is also taken down when he finds out that the Brotherhood is not who he thought they were. In Ellison’s Invisible Man, the narrator is degraded and humiliated three major times throughout the novel.
Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons graphic novel Watchmen, is about showing the human flaws in being a superhero. The story follows a couple of different characters from a second generation of masked crime fighters called the minutemen. Alan Moore takes the superhero persona and gives it to normal people with bleak life outlooks. Through flash backs of the early days of both generations of you can see how much more cheerful and eneev the masked crime fighters. Then as the book gets on the reader sees how the masked crime fighters end up either died or crazy.
That was, until the introduction of a real “super” hero, promoting the world to declare, “the superman exists, and He’s American!” and subsequently pass the Keene Act outlawing all costumed crime fighting not sanctioned by the U.S. (Watchmen, get page number). Yet, after the murder of the Comedian, an ex costumed crime fighter, and hired hand for the government, a series of events slowly unveil a conspiracy concerning the safety of the entire human race. The narrative follows a cast of “heroes” reacting to this event, spending particular time on Rorschach, the deontological nihilist who obsesses over solving the Comedian’s death, Ozymandias the Rawlsian Utilitarian who wishes to bring society out of the cold war into a new age, the existentialist and now deceased, Comedian who acted mainly as the puppet to the american government, and Dr. Manhattan, the most powerful being in the universe whose only flaw is an entire lack of empathy. While each character is an unique critique of the medium’s cliches, each one also represents a unique aspect of American Cold War Political Dogma. Rorschach is a manifestation of the unchecked paranoia of Mccarthyism, Ozymandias represents the liberal opposition during the Cold War, the Comedian represents unchecked American egoism, and Dr. Manhattan represents nuclear
The graphic novel Watchmen written by Alan Moore looks at the world from a different perspective and allows the reader to see a universe that is parallel to the one we experience every day. Watchmen is snapshot of our history in which many alterations have taken place. These particular adaptations hold certain significance since they are comparable to the very reality which we live in. Through these comparisons we can analyze certain aspects of the novel and understand what messages are being conveyed. While reading this fictional novel there is an extraordinarily serious and depressing underlying tone which is prevalent. This dismal portrayal also arises from the characters within the novel and their pessimistic outlooks on the world which