The Watchmen Essay - Grade: B PDF

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Essay of the graphic novel the Watchmen....

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1 Doerrig Andrea Doerrig Mr. Milstead ENGL 2341-001 8th December 2020 The Watchmen Essay In the graphic novel, The Watchmen by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons, The Comedians smiley-face badge symbolizes Watchmen’s representation of traditional comic book heroes. This image of a blood-stained smiley face badge is a reoccurring symbol throughout the novel. In this essay, I will introduce the iconic symbolization of the smiley face badge and the purposes that it serves to the graphic novel. On the front cover of The Watchmen, there is a zoomed in yellow smiley badge with a blood splatter on it. The badge belongs to the character, Edward Blake who is also known as The Comedian, who was a member of the Minutemen and the Crimebusters. The image of the yellow smiley face was first introduced in the first scene of the novel when Edward Blake was assaulted and thrown through a window. A drop of his blood splatters on a yellow smiley face badge that was located on his robe. Blakes blood smearing across the badge represents The Watchmen’s critique of traditional comic book heroes. The Watchmen seemingly demolishes the idea of the ‘perfect hero’. This is shown by the main characters, or the heroes, being deeply flawed and consistently struggling to cope with the idea of being a hero of the world. Examples of this include the character Dr. Manhattan. While Dr. Manhattan has the power to move matter with his own mind, can defy the basic laws of gravity and identifies as “omnipotent God-King” He cannot seem to comprehend basic human desires and human-like emotion. Another example of a flawed hero is Rorschach, or Walter Kovacs. Kovacs sees the world in strictly black and white.

2 Doerrig His views are extreme and there are never any gray areas in between. This is represented by the mask he hides behind. His extreme views make him believe that humans are either virtuous or corrupt. He describes humans as dogs and thinks the worst of everyone, even if he does not know them. These are some examples of the flawed heroes portrayed in the novel. The smiley face badge with the blood stain is used ironically throughout the novel to show the idea that there is no such thing as a perfect hero or a perfect human being. All humans try to overlook violence, immortality, and reality, though, these things cannot be hidden or covered up. They very much exist in basic human nature. Although the badge is an iconic symbol throughout the novel, other representations of the blood-stained smiley face occur throughout the book. One example is shown in chapter 12 page 24. In this scene, Dr. Manhattan kills Rorschach because of the difference in their ideologies. Dr. Manhattan proposes to be silent of Veidt’s plan of world domination, but Rorschach refuses. Dr. Manhattan then disintegrates Rorschach leaving his blood splattered on an icicle that is located in front of a yellow circular entrance to Veidt’s fortress. This image of Rorschach’s blood and the yellow circular entrance are very similar to the iconic blood stain on the smiley face badge. In reference to ironic symbolization of the blood-stained smiley face badge, Dr. Manhattan kills Rorschach to help Veidt and his plan. However, Veidt in return, massacres millions of people. This is ironic in the sense that Dr. Manhattan intended to keep peace but his violence in murdering Rorschach cannot be overlooked. Again, representing the idea that there is no such thing as a perfect hero. Another manifestation of the blood-stained yellow symbol occurs in chapter 5 page 15. In this scene, Veidt has a yellow flower attached to his purple coat. Veidt is overcome by violence and anger and murders a guy who was sent to assassinate Veidt. During the violent murder, the blood of the assassin stains the yellow flower located on Veidt’s coat. Here, the symbol

3 Doerrig ironically shows that Veidt is seemingly the innocent one in the attack. However, the readers know that he is the true enemy. Overall, the smiley face image with a bloodstain and a yellow blood-stained symbol appears consistently throughout the novel. This symbolization represented the idea of a flawed hero. The happy yellow smiley face itself represents the typical known comic book hero as someone who is righteous, flawless, and is the good in good vs. evil. The blood that stains the yellow smiley face, or bright yellow image, signifies the corruption of the perfect hero. Throughout the book, the characters in The Watchmen are continuously flawed and struggling with the idea of good vs. evil. The iconic symbol of the smiley face badge adds a sense of humor to the dark side of a world full of heroes....