Who Is Laurie A Superhero

The lesson to be learned in Watchmen and figuring out who the superhero and villain are in the novel can be interpreted many different ways by readers, because the story of Watchmen consists of many valuable characters. One of the most important figures in the story is the second Silk Spectre, otherwise most referred to as Laurie Juspeczyk. Laurie can be viewed as the strong, woman protagonist in Watchmen. She is proud of her Polish heritage, vocal in her feminist and humanitarian concerns, and is a fighter. Because of these characteristics and her experiences throughout the book, readers are drawn to emphasize with her character the most. Laurie expresses the most human-like emotions throughout the story, creating a role model for readers

by growing as a person throughout the comic, making her the superhero in the novel.
Laurie’s childhood was different than other children her age; her mother started training her to be a crime stopper when she was young, which seemed to put a strain on the relationship between her and her mother. Driven by the memories of her own experience, Sally tried to keep Laurie from knowing some of the harsher realities of the crime-fighting life, which, at the time, Laurie did not understand. For example, she did not allow Laurie to read the autobiography Hollis Mason wrote, “She’s young, she don’t wanna read that old stuff. Maybe when you’re older,” her mother comments about Laurie reading the book. (9.11.9). This frustrates Laurie and readers are opened up to her negative emotions with her mother when she responds, “I do all this training to be a costume herd, I can’t even read about them?” (9.12.1). Laurie did not know about The Comedian sexually assaulting her mother at this point, and that was what her mother was trying to protect her from, however, these actions led Laurie to become angry with her mother, and the constant push for her to follow in her mother’s footsteps made her emotions worse.
Once Laurie learns what the Comedian had done to her mother she becomes disgusted and sad for her mother and never forgives him, thus finding out about his death almost pleased her. As soon as Rorschach told her the news, Laurie responds by saying, “It couldn’t have happened to a nicer person. Blake was a bastard. He was a monster.” (1.21.5). Without knowing The Comedian as a person, Laurie immaturely and openly expresses hate and anger towards him, however, Laurie’s mother’s reaction to the news is completely different than Laurie’s, which only frustrates and angers her more. “Poor Eddie,” (2.1.7) her mother responds, causing Laurie to yell at her, “Poor Eddie? Mom, how can you say that? After he Almost…” But her mother cuts her off by explaining life lessons that Laurie will soon learn herself, “Laurie, you’re young, you don’t know. Things change,” (2.1.8) and, “Gettin’ old, you get a different perspective. The big stuff looks smaller somehow.” (2.2.1). Although these are wise words and her mother is only trying to help her, Laurie responds with short answers and acts unchanged with her hatred towards The Comedian.
From the beginning of the story Laurie’s emotions seemed bitter and unpleasant; although being forced by the government to retire made her happy since she was only a superhero to please her mother, the life she was living after retirement wasn’t what she expected. Living with Jon, the government’s secret weapon and superhero, made her constantly feel cooped up. “The only reason I’m kept around is to keep Jon relaxed and happy.” (1.25.3), “I’m thirty-five, what have I done?” (1.25.5). It isn’t until Laurie witnesses Jon’s lack of knowledge about humanity too many times, that she leaves him. These events cause Laurie to visit Dan, who is another superhero in the story.
After spending some time with Dan, Laurie’s emotions start to change. Showing fascination towards Dan’s ship and superhero equipment, Laurie becomes happy and her and Dan start discussing a lot about their personal lives. After the two start to become romantically involved, they both decide to put on their old superhero costumes and take Dan’s ship for a ride. While on the ride, they find a burning building and rescue the people inside, causing a greater romantic connection between the two.
Jon eventually finds Laurie and forces her to go to Mars with him. While there, Laurie learns more about herself than she expected to and it starts with Jon encouraging her to explain to him her first memory. Describing a time when she was younger and she could hear her parents fighting, she confessed she always knew her mother’s husband wasn’t her real dad, because he was always yelling at her. Laurie’s first realization is why her relationship with Jon hasn’t worked and why Dan brings happiness out of her. She states, “That is probably why I’m edgy in relationships with strong, forceful guys, I mean with Dan it isn’t like that. As a lover he’s more sort of receptive; the type you can pour your troubles out to.” (9.8.6). Having someone to talk to and to experience life with, especially a caring, apathetic person like Dan, starts to change Laurie’s negative mood to positive.
Continuing to share past memories with Jon, Laurie comes to the second realization about her life.

Reminiscing on the crime-busters meeting in the sixties where Jon, The Comedian, Rorschach, and every other hero attended, Laurie told Jon that when she was leaving, The Comedian started a conversation with her. Her mother showed up and yells at The Comedian, “You take your hands off her.” (9.15.9). The Comedian defends himself by saying, “We were just talking! Can’t a guy talk to his, y’know, his old friend’s daughter?” (9.16.2). Laurie’s mom responded by forcing her into the car, and while driving away Laurie states, “I looked back and he just stood there, watching us go. He looked so sad. I felt sorry for him.” (9.16.6). This is the first time in the book that Laurie admits any feeling besides negativity towards The Comedian, however, soon after this moment Laurie’s mom explains what The Comedian had done to her and Laurie’s emotions soon switched to anger. However, Jon pushes Laurie to view the world through his perspective and to quit shutting things out; she replays the past memories her and Jon have discussed in her head and comes to the realization that The Comedian is her father. Jon and Laurie, amazed at the miracle of Laurie being alive and the value of life, realize that many other humans in the world can be just the same. “If me, my birth, if that’s a thermodynamic miracle…I mean you could say that about anybody in the world,” Laurie states to Jon. (9.27.2). Jon

replies with, “Yes. Anybody in the world. But the world is so full of people with these miracles that they become commonplace and I forget.” (9.27.3). Realizing Laurie’s rare life and existence, Jon restores his interest in humankind, and they both return to Earth to save the people, however, they are too late.
Once back onto Earth and in New York, Jon and Laurie see the disaster Veidt made and all the innocent people he killed.

Laurie, disgusted and terrified by what she had seen, wanted nothing more than to kill Veidt for what he had done. However, Jon reacted how he did in the beginning of the story, when he did not care about human life or understand it. Even after the thermo-dynamic miracle discovery on Mars with Laurie, once back on Earth he lost interest, this is why Jon portrays the villain in Watchmen. After Laurie left him earlier in the novel, Jon fled to Mars leaving humankind to fend for themselves; after seeing what was done on Earth was done and he could not fix it, he decides to leave for Mars again. From the beginning of the story to the end, Jon remains selfish and uninterested in humankind; he shows no growth as a person, reflecting the villain in this story. Although Jon has been through catastrophic events in his life, the most important being his transformation from human to a blue, immortal being, he does not mature or change his feelings throughout the story. From the beginning, Jon was left wondering about humanity and wondering if there was a greater power than him. On Mars, and with Laurie’s help, he finds the answers he was looking for. “Perhaps the world is not made. Perhaps nothing is made. Perhaps it simply is, has been, will always be there…a clock without a craftsman.” (4.28.1). Jon suggests there is a plan for the world, but there is no greater

power, however, even with this knowledge and the importance of humanity learned from Laurie earlier, he still decides to leave for Mars at the end of the novel, thus portraying no maturity with emotions, and proving he is the villain of Watchmen.
However, Jane on the other hand, matures and grows with her emotions, and as a human. After seeing the destruction in New York and all the innocent people dead, Laurie rejoices with Dan that she is still alive and they celebrate their existences together. Laurie speaks to Dan, “After New York, nothing matters….I need you.” “I want you to love me because we’re not dead.” (12.22.4). Laurie realizes at this point what is important in life and that she is in love with Dan, an emotion she never thought she would experience due to her relationship with Jon and her mother’s husband. Exhibiting love and happiness shows some of the first steps of personal growth Laurie experiences throughout the novel.
It isn’t until she visits her mother at the end of the novel, when readers experience just how much growth Laurie has made as a person. She explains how she knows that The Comedian was her father, and she tells her mother that it doesn’t matter. “People’s lives take them strange places. They do strange things, and well, sometimes they can’t talk about them.” (12.29.6). Putting this issue to rest for Laurie is a huge part of her maturity and personal growth throughout the story. Coming into terms about the past and creating a better relationship with her mother is the most pivotal event Laurie makes in the story.
Throughout the story Laurie gained experience and knowledge from the events she went through; she traveled to Mars, learned the true identity of her father, fell in love with Dan, and saw millions of people dead on the streets of New York. These events caused Laurie to go through personal growth and change; the same way humans do after experiencing hardship. By learning about herself and expressing more positive emotions, Laurie’s character as a whole matured throughout the story and can be viewed as the most humanistic character in the story. By allowing readers to empathize with Laurie, Moore and Gibbons create a role model, because she can be seen as the character, which readers can learn from the most. Because Laurie expresses the most humanistic emotions throughout the story and matures and grows as a person, she teaches readers a more valuable lesson then they can learn from any of the other characters in the novel, thus causing Laurie to be the true superhero of the novel.