1 Study Questions for Watchmen Ch. 1-5 PDF

Preview

Summary

Study Questions for quiz on Chapters 1-5 of Watchmen by Alan Moore...

Description

STUDY QUESTIONS FOR WATCHMEN – PART ONE Chapters 1-3 1. Who is Rorschach? What is his view of the world (as shown in his diary)? What is his secret identity? What is his superhero persona? Why is he the only one to seriously investigate the murder of the Comedian? What does he believe is happening? How does he choose to investigate the murder? Besides criminals, who else does Rorschach investigate? 2. Who is the Comedian? What is his view of the world? What did he do to the first Miss Jupiter in The Minutemen? Why does he reject the Crimebusters organization? Who does he work for now? What did he do in Vietnam? Why does Rorschach respect him? 3. Who is Hollis Mason? What was his secret identity? What does he do now? What revelations did he make in his autobiography Under The Hood? Why did he get involved in the crime-fighting business? Why did he retire? What type of “crime” does he wish to fight? 4. Who is Daniel Dreiberg? What was his secret identity? How would you describe him physically and emotionally? 5. Who is Adrian Veidt (Ozymandias)? What are his values? Why does Rorschach call him a prostitute? 6. Who is Jon Osterman (Dr. Manhattan)? What is his attitude towards the Comedian and his murder? Why did they work together in Vietnam? Why doesn’t Jon stop the Comedian from killing the pregnant woman? What is his relationship like with Laurie? Why did he leave his previous girlfriend Janey Slater? What accusations does the newspaper Nova Express make against him? Why does he go to Mars? 7. Who is Laurie Juspeczyk (Miss Jupiter)? Why did she start fighting crime? Why is she glad the Comedian is dead? Why does she call Dan Dreiberg for a date? 8. What is the Keene Act? Why was it passed? What events lead up to it? 9. Who were The Minutemen? What happened to them (In particular Mothman, Dollar Bill, Silk Spectre, Hooded Justice, Captain Metropolis)? Why did they break up? Why did the next supergroup (The Crimebusters) fail to get off the ground? 10. Who is Moloch? What condition is he in now? What does he know about the Comedian’s death?

Chapter 4: Watchmaker 1. What thoughts does Dr. Manhattan have about time? What profession did Jon Osterman’s father practise? Why did he insist Jon become a nuclear physicist? How are the two jobs connected? In what way is God like a clockmaker? 2. What happens to Jon Osterman? How is he reassembled (like a watch)? How does it affect his relationships with human beings? 3. How does the US government manipulate and control Jon? In what sense is even a super-being like Jon controlled by larger forces? 4. How does he fight crimes? How do the other superheroes receive him? 5. Why does Jon end his relationship with Janey Slater and take up with Laurie? 6. Why does Jon never reveal his “resurrection” to his father? 7. Why does Jon fight in Vietnam with the Comedian? What effect does this have on the world? 8. Why is Jon exempt from the Keene Act? Chapter 5: Fearful Symmetry 1. How does Rorschach interrogate Moloch? How does he view his landlady? What does it tell you about his methods and character? 2. In what way are Rorschach and the Captain in the Black Freighter linked? How does it relate to the looming nuclear war and rising acts of violence? 3. Why does someone try to assassinate Ozymandias? What does that tell you about his methods and character? 4. What’s the significance of the tip to the police, “raw shark”? 5. What happens to Moloch? To Rorschach? Why are the cops surprised to see that Rorschach wears lifts in his shoes? 6. Why does Rorschach demand to have “his face” back? 7. What is the significance of the quote from Blake? Or Rorschach’s name?...