: In Watchmen by Alan Moore, there are two anti heroes that many readers are seem to like and consider different from other superheroes. These two characters are Rorschach and The Comedian. Rorschach is a detective who tries to solve his mask killer theory on who killed Edward Blake aka The Comedian throughout the novel. Throughout the novel, we begin to get flashbacks that introduce The Comedian and his personality. The Comedian is a government war hero, but he does things what an antagonist.
Thesis: These two characters are quite different, however they have share similar traits because they use physically force and refuse to compromise.
Body 1: Rorschach uses physical violence in order to get the information that he requires to complete
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He crushes the suspect’s hand while he was holding a cup. The suspect sates in pain “No, no don’t squeeze… Listen, please I just handed over these envelopes to the guy. I don’t know anything about aaaa!”(10:14-14:9-10). the suspect is in pain and misery and Rorschach uses this method of torture to get results. Readers enjoy his method because he gets results using this type of force and it also makes readers enjoy criminals who go through pain. For example, “Perhaps not willingly, but pain can make a man do things he wouldn't willingly do.” ― Anne Bishop, Daughter of the Blood. This notes that violence is the solution to resolve a problem between a criminal. Furthermore, Rorschach kills the child abductor because the suspect fed his dogs with the little girl’s body parts and he killed him due to his actions. Rorschach states “It is not god who kills the children. Not fate that butchers them or density that feeds them to the dogs it’s use.” (11:26:5) Rorschach believes that human nature is savagery and that we created it. Readers can relate to his theory because we live in a world where criminals do abnormal things and that there is no justice for the helpless victims and that we as people …show more content…
Rorschach refuses to compromise about Adrian’s plan, but the other members of the Watchmen agree to compromise. He sacrifices his life for what he believes in and he is killed by Dr. Manhattan due to not agreeing to compromise. Rorschach says to the team “No. Not even in the face of aramgeddon. Never compromise.” (1:20:8-9). It is hard to stick to something that is hard to believe when we are in a world full of compromise. Readers admire Rorschach for that because it is rare for someone to not compromise. C.W Lewis stated “Do not let us mistake necessary evils for good.” ― C.S. Lewis. This states that compromise is the use of evil to make good, which readers seem to enjoy about Rorschach because he avoids that evil and tries to bring justice to what he believes in. The Comedian dose not compromise and he confesses to Moloch while drunk about Adrian’s plan. The Comedian doesn’t know how Adrian’s plan would work and that he needed someone close to confess and release all the guilt that he has kept inside of him. The Comedian says to Moloch: “I mean what’s funny? What’s so goddamned funny? I don’t get it. Somebody explain…Somebody explain it to me” (2:23:7-8). As readers we find it interesting how The Comedian killed lots of people during the war, but he cares about his own fellow citizens no matter how much harm he has
Compare two characters – one from each work – who are similar in temperament or who seem to be in analogous situations.
The underlying themes of the stories are l valid contrasts between the works. In some portions the themes are of the same facets, such as how in both books two men have a direct conflict between
time of their works, they both had many similarities in the theme of their stories and their goals of writing the stories.
From these comedians, satirical humor expresses some opinions about political acts so people can view them more critically.
Stekel, Wilhelm, and Louise Brink. Sadism and Masochism: The Psychology of Hatred and Cruelty. 2 vols. New York: Liveright, 1953. Questia School. Web. 17 Feb. 2014.
Before looking at the concept of the ends justifying the means, it is important to understand just how different the characters of Rorschach and Ozymandias are from each other. Rorschach is strongly right wing, even to the point of fascism. He believes that "the whole world stands on the brink, starring down into bloody hell, all the liberals and intellectuals and smooth-talkers"(Volume 1 page 1) Rorschach is also an ardent subscriber to the New Frontiersman, a right-wing conspiracy magazine. Ozymandias is an extremely rich philanthropist, who once gave his entire fortune to charity. Ozymandias was the first of all the super heroes to go public, two years before heroes were required to unmask themselves by law. Rorschach never went public, choosing to live as an outlaw rather than give up his identity. Ozymandias is considered by many to be the most handsome man in the world, while Rorschach is an ugly man who does not even bathe on a regular basis. Ozymandias runs an international conglomerate, while Rorschach does not have enough money to pay his rent. These differences present the reader with two extremely different characters, their only similarities being their staunch belief that the ends justify the means.
It is understandable to think that Rorschach is the most influential character in Watchmen, however it is clearly The Comedian due to his incredible influence of all the characters and the fact that his death sets the main plot in motion. Though his heroic code is not as strong and stable as Rorschach’s, The Comedian understands the world perfectly, but “he doesn’t care” (Moore, 4.19). Both of these characters saw the “true face” of this reality, one just fought against it while the other became a parody of it.
Watchmen is not just a graphic novel, but also a unique representation of American idealism as expressed through character image. Although the characters are portrayed as "superheroes," each is psychologically complex in that they become symbols for the flaws of American culture. 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.
In both books, these two gangs decide to have a rumble, a fight with all the members of the two gangs. This is one similarity between these books.
While the script is often one of the most crucial elements in a film, the brevity of speech and precise movements of the primary character accentuate the changing nature of his integrity. As viewers follow Captain Wiesler of the East German secret police, it is soon clear that he only says what is necessary, such as when noting his surveillance partner’s lateness or setting instructions for the surveillance bugging team (“twenty minutes”). It is important to note that Wiesler does not say a single word when Axel Stiegler cracks a joke in the cafeteria about Honecker, or when Grubitz himself makes a joke. Only
In Night, he informs his reader of many examples on how a myriad of good people turn into brutes. They see horrific actions, therefore, they cannot help by becoming a brute. They experience their innocent family members being burned alive, innocent people dieing from starvation due to a minuscule proportion of food, and innocent people going to take a shower and not coming out because truly, it is a gas chamber and all f...
In the 2004 book, Status Anxiety, Alain de Botton argues that the chief aim of humorists is not only to entertain but “to convey with impunity messages that might.be dangerousor impossible to state directly.” Some agree that humorists serve a vital function to society. However, others argue that the opposite is true. A humorist is one who is skillful in the use of humor. This includes cartoonists, stand-up comics, satirical writers, hosts of television programs, and others. Although the work of such humorists may seem crude and is often controversial, it is an effective way to shed light on important subjects in the modern world.
They both were willing to sacrifice all they had, including their lives (they were both murdered), in order to secure a better future for their people. Though their backgrounds shaped their difference in philosophies, they both had global consciousness and advocated for oppressed people, especially those of African descent
To conclude, the graphic novel Watchmen presents the non-fantastic representation of a superhero, implying that not all heroes are like Superman. This notion is explored within the novel by mentioning the realistic motives of the characters choosing to become superheroes, by Rorschach’s representation and through the heroic reactions of the New Yorkers to a street crime. These elements all contribute to Watchmen’s uniqueness and complexity as a superhero comic.
To start off the analysis of the two characters, I’d like to begin with how these epic heroes are similar.