Warning: This blog contains spoilers to Watchmen (the graphic novel for certain, and the movie most likely.) Continue reading at your own peril. It also contains a lot of speculation about parts of history I most certainly know very little about. This should prove sufficient material for the Facebook cut; alas for Xangans, you're out of luck and will have to use your own willpower to stop reading now.
I was a little bit shocked I wanted to write this blog. Of all the Watchmen characters, Rorschach is not actually one of my favourites. The Comedian and Dan/Nite Owl and Laurie rank much higher with me. Hell, even Moloch is more endearing to me in many ways. When I think of the panels that stick out in my mind, there isn't one Rorschach panel in the bunch. But on the way in this morning, I was thinking about the inauguration of Obama, and how it's been a while since the US has had a someone worth writing an essay entitled "My Hero" for 5th grade composition.
Then I remembered the essay insert of Walter's included in with his examination. His hero was President Truman, for making a difficult choice and saving lives by dropping the bomb on Hiroshima (though in the Watchmen world, not on Nagasaki, it seems.) Even as the vigilante Rorschach, Truman seemed to be a compass by which Rory set his morality.
When confronted with the truth of what Ozymandias did in order to unite the world in peace, Rorschach refuses to go along with the plan that Laurie, Dan and Jon realize. "Never compromise," he says "Not even in the face of armageddon." He leaves the compound to tell the world the truth. And yet, isn't what Adrien did exactly the same thing that Truman did in Japan? He saw two world powers bearing down on each other, never stopping until mutual destruction was assured, and with one quick slash, cut the Gordian Knot in two.
Sure, it was batshit insane. Knowing what we do now about nuclear fallout and radiation sickness, so was dropping a nuke on a civilian city. But what exactly in Rorschach's mind differentiates the two, to the point where he won't compromise on Adrien's plan?
Any ideas?
Comments (2)
[ENOUGH SPOILERS TO MAKE YOU CRY]
Okay, the thing is, Truman is Kovacs’ hero, not Rorschach’s. Kovacs grew up in a very a-moral environment, and was searching for something to believe in, a set of rules to live by. What he found in Truman was the sense of greater good. Doing the right thing no matter what anyone thinks, because it’s the right thing to do. It is this drive that eventually leads him to put on the suit and don the name “Rorschach” but he himself says that was only playing as Rorschach until he stops compromising. Until the meeting that has the same changing effect on Veidt.
Kovacs wanted to do the right thing, but Rorschach wanted to destroy the wrong thing. Match man’s capacity for evil with his own and see who slipped up first. Kovacs was searching for rules but Rorschach wanted to be the rules. Black and white, No Grey Area. No compassion. No Compromise. Not for anything. Not even a person anymore, just unrelenting punishment.
So I don’t think it’s really that Rorschach differentiates anything between the two, it’s that he does not see things the same way anymore. He’s pledged himself to not to compromise even if it’s the right thing to do. And he KNOWS it’s the right thing to do. Rorschach takes off his own face, and is crying when he orders Dr. Manhattan to kill him. His character is conflicted up until the very end.
And let’s not dance around it, he’s also out of his ever-loving tree, which is probably why he’s my favorite. The most interesting characters are the ones who are losing their minds/think they’re the only ones who are sane.
@yellowflannelshirt - Very true. I believe I'll have to go back and re-read Kovac's story about when he really became Rorschach as well, because that might help. I suppose also the method of punishment is an interesting one: with most of his previous criminals, he would simply kill or maim. He doesn't want to kill Adrien to punish him for his crime, he wants to expose it, which in turn would hurt the whole world, many of whom are innocent (well, presumably. I am guessing in Rory's mind, they're probably all guilty!) I think he wanted to die since discovering Blake's death, though, so threatening to expose the whole plot was the best way to commit suicide by Jon. And hey, he managed to potentially blow the whole thing open anyway!
This book is so funny (but not ha-ha funny) in that, I suppose in the way of most comics, the moments are so much more defined than the people for me. I would say in order of being blown away, the "I did it 35 minutes ago" panel wins, but "The light is taking me to pieces" (and the rework during the fight at Karnak... RIP Bubastis :< ) and Dan's dream are really close. If the movie does any justice to these scenes, I'll be satisfied.