Friday, July 3, 2009

Week 2 of Watchmen

Discussion question 1:

  •   Described by Jung’s persona, Rorschach does match many personality profiles Jung presents. Rorschach is one of the few individuals in a society whom he feels that his true identity is impotent and worthless. Because of who he is, Kovac feels as if he can’t wield any power. This of course is Walter Joseph Kovacs, not Rorschach. Kovacs’s blindness and helplessness is what forced him to forge a new identity, Rorschach, in order to help him to wield power and status in his society. Because Kovacs is able to see that bringing out his ego, Rorschach, allows him to have control, Kovacs soon loses his own identity and drifts into Rorschach’s world. Like I said in my first AP psych posting, the relationship Rorschach lies within Kovac is similar to Jenkyll and Hyde. Hyde doesn't like Jenkyll because Jenkyll is weak and impotent. Hyde believes he should replace Jenkyll himself; however, the relationship between Kovac and Rorschach is somewhat different. Kovac needs Rorschach to open his eyes and give Kovac the courage to face the brutality of the world. This can be seen in the scene where Kovac is consulting with Dr. Mal, Kovac states, " It is Rorschach who opened these eyes again." 

  • According to the Oedipus complex, Rorschach doesn’t pertain into this theory. Although a woman does remind of his mother, Rorschach says it in the most uninterested way. As if he despises his mother for what she has done to him when he was young. Looking closely into the novel, Rorschach, as a child, witnesses his mother engaging in a sexual activity which leaves him scarred. During his childhood, Rorschach is constantly hated by his mother, which probably left him to detest his mother throughout this entire life. I will also have to say that no son would love his mother if all his mother gave her son was harsh criticism and hatred.  When it came to his mother's death, it is clear that Rorschach detested his mother because all he said was, "Good."

  

  • Rorschach does show some symptoms of OCPD. He is constantly obeying the law and determines to catch even the tiniest offense. For instance, when Rorschach visits Moloch for the second time, Rorschach confronts him by stating that Moloch’s gun is unregistered. Also it seems like Rorschach has his own sense of self—justice that causes him to see evil with no mercy. However, Rorschach wasn't always good with the law before his encounter with a case of a kidnapped girl. We can see in the novel that Rorschach didn't act as coldly he is right now. He described himself as "soft on scum. Too young to know any better. Molly-coddled them. Let them live.". But after he uncovered the gruesome murder of a young girl, Kovac decides to become Rorschach forever, and became a person only dedicated to stop crimes: even if it went against the national law. This can be shown when the Keen Law forced all masked adventurers to quit. Rorschach, however responded to this by constantly pursuing and capturing criminals
   
  • Rorschach does have a symptom of PPD. He shows constant signs of mistrust of the commoners. For example, every time he walks into a certain place for information, Rorschach will never give in to his guard, and quite possible breaking at least a person’s finger for the information he wants. Another interesting fact about Rorschach is that he always tries to catch out even the most pettiest crime. His encounter with Moloch proves that because Rorschach always tries to find the minor crime Moloch committed. Rorschach's early childhood and environment adds up to his mistrust to other people. People around him hates him and continually despises him, this treatment will lead to a person becoming unconfident and lower his or her self-esteem. However, thanks to Kovacs alter ego: Rorscach, Kovacs is constantly able to stand against the society and continue to pursue his life of catching criminals and murderers. 

 

Discussion Question 2:

  • The fire between chapter five to seven is important in the aspect of when it came and from whom it came from. In chapter five and six, we can see that Rorschach was the one who was responsible for the fire. In chapter five, Rorschach uses the fire for his own self-defense. Wrongly accused of a murder, Rorschach similarly uses the fire to bring justice by his own decision, which was getting away from the police. In chapter six, Rorschach uses fire again to bring his own sense of justice. After keenly searching for a kidnapped girl, Rorschach finds out the girl has been gruesomely murdered. Rorschach brings his decision onto the murderer by setting the murderer and the murderer’s house on fire. Thus showing that Rorschach again used fire to bring his self-justice. Another instance was in chapter 7, when Laurie was exploring Dan’s spacecraft she accidentally triggers Dan’s flamethrower. This accidental trigger is what likely sparked Laurie and Dan to try the era of their ‘hero’ days. Also this signifies the increasing bond between Dan and Laurie. Throughout the novel, the relationship between Dan and Laurie are constantly getting stronger. Later after Dr. Manhattan leaves Laurie, Laurie became more closely in bond with Dan and it is seen that Dan and Laurie truly found one another in the end of the book. Another interesting relationships growing is the fire rescue between Dan and Laurie. After saving the people from the apartment, which was on fire, both Dan and Laurie knew that their days of being costumed heroes were born once again. This is alluding to a much larger world where even the smallest good deeds can bring joy and happiness to millions and a much more fulfilling helps.

 

Discussion Question 3:

  •            The title of the chapter: Fearful Symmetry, is as perfect example of the on going juxtaposition in the novel. Through out the entire chapter, the story presents itself with a cause and effect relationship. In the beginning of the novel, Rorschach is seen interrogating Moloch with few informations about Edward Blake, Moloch's illegal gun, and his unregistered medication. Then comes back again to visit Moloch, but Moloch is found dead with a shot to his head. Then the journalist is found worrying about his daughters because of nuclear war, then lost his concentration because of Rorschach. Dan's and Laurie's relationship also has a similar effect: Dan lets Laurie to sleep over his house and later Laurie settles in as if she lives with Dan. This cause an effect is particularly important because Alan Moore portrays super-heroes in "The Watchmen" as normal human beings. In the end of the chapter it is written, " Tyger, Tyger burning bright, in the forests of the night, what immortal hand or eye could frame thy fearful symmetry?" What comes around goes around. The world is like an endless karma. Even super-heroes will deserve the consequences with the actions they have performed. No one is perfect, thus making no one invincible. Alan Moore presents this theory with a wise illustrations, killing off the heroes in the novel one by one. 

Discussion Question 4:

  •   The Kitty Genovese gave a new psychological term to scientist because it showed the conformity of people. The more the people are present; less help is likely to come to you. This is very interesting because it shows how strong social pressure can be. When a large group is doing a certain action, the rest of the people will follow to do the same thing. Bystander Effect does signifies Rorschach’s characteristic because the majority doesn’t swindle him. Rorschach believes that humans are already cruel and apathetic. He states, "I knew what people were, then, behind all the evasions, all the self-deception. Ashamed for humanity, I went home.” After the incident of a kidnapped girl, he began to see that people don’t really care for one another. Rather joining into a cold heartless group of community, Rorschach is willing to be isolated and bring justice into the community. He views himself as somewhat a non-human. Rorschach states that he created the face of Rorschach because he cannot bear himself to look into his face in the mirror, which concludes that Rorschach knows he is a human. In order to make himself a non human he must make a non human appearance. This decision also makes Rorschach to be merciless to the criminals because he knows that in every depth of a person, evil awaits and lurks to come out. 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kitty_Genovese

 Discussion Question 5:

 

  •             I think Dan had a fixation toward his flying machine: Archie. Not in a sexual way(as someone did on Dan) but in a way to think the Archie is a person. Perhaps Dan was lonely of his old way of life  fighting and saving people. To the most trusted equipment Dan has used, Archie became this memoir, this legend and this legacy. To give a non-animated object a name does really signify something about the person's past. Of course we know that Dan was once a costumed hero and he does miss that part of his life. To further prove Dan's fixation, later in the novel in chapter 7, we can see Dan's past coming into his life again. When working with the tools he once used, Dan becomes more confident. After saving few people from the fire with Laurie, Dan becomes more confident in his speech. Later he ends up singing with delight, which proves the fact that Dan did have a strong fixation with his tools. Also the fact that he left some tools untouched and left alone may suggest his sexual relationship with Laurie. Perhaps relating to the fact that he was a virgin before his sexual encounter with Laurie. We cannot make any conclusions for because we do not know much about Dan's past life.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fixation_(psychology)

Discussion Question 6:

 

            The progression of the psychologist can be described as from being naïve to understanding of the true world. In his status, he is rich and well off. Making enough money to keep a family, the psychologist thought that he knew how people felt and what they were going through. However after hearing Rorschach’s story and life, the psychologist began to understand that the world is just lonely and full of hatred. Happiness cannot last forever, and sadness will always prevail. 

Before his encounter with Rorschach, the psychologist was confident in curing Rorschach. Sounding as if he had numbers of worst patients than Rorschach, the psychologist causally called Rorschach by his real name. Believing in Rorschach's poker face and lies, the psychologist happily gives a boost of confidence to Rorschach that there are only few problems within him and he will soon break out from this 'false' fantasy. Going back to his house, the psychologist says to his wife that he's, "too fat and contended" to give up. Going back to Rorschach again, Mel, the psychologist, begins to realize the truth. Rorschach now opens the truth to Mel and begins attacking him that, " fat and wealthy people like you wouldn't know," don't have even the smallest grasp on how cruel the world is. Mel constantly finds himself frustrated and confused because Rorschach is not like any patients he had treated before. Finally after Rorschach gives his encounter with the case of the kidnapped girl, Rorschach opened Mel's eyes into reality: humans are the pain, they are the cause, they are the diseases, they are the true factor to the misery of their own lives. After realizing the truth about human mind, Mel becomes increasingly insecure about himself and his wife. He now sees the world in a different view. No more happy, delight, and joy, but sadness, misery, and pain. Near the end of the novel Mel tries to make a blot test to look like a tree, but ends up thinking of dead cats. By the end of chapter 6, Mel states in horror. " We are alone. There is nothing else."

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