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The scene in this week's readings that most intrigued me was the scene when, on Mars, Laurie figures out that The Comedian is her father. The way the discovery is drawn out is very interesting. With the repeating quotes from The Comedian, the close-up shots, and the flashbacks, the reader is brought into the same world of confusion that Laurie has entered.

The symbolism of Laurie throwing the Nostalgia perfume bottle, coupled with Dr. Manhattan’s haven crashing down, is very powerful. It shows Laurie destroying everything she has held near and dear for years. Despite her animosity towards her mother, it still rocks her world to learn that her father is the man who attempted to rape her mother.

Another interesting thing about this scene is Dr. Manhattan’s reaction. It almost seems like he doesn’t know what is wrong with Laurie. To me, it appears that even though Manhattan can see what lies ahead, it might have surprised even him that Laurie crashed.

The image of the castle of Dr. Manhattan crashing to the Martian earth seems almost like an image from Laurie’s head, even though we know its actually happening. It is a very powerful moment in the story and for Laurie.

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Chapter 6 of Watchmen gives the back-story of Rorschach through the lens of his sessions with the shrink. Immediately, this chapter connects with Chapter Four, which gives up the details of Dr. Manhattan. I was first struck by how seamless both chapters are in connecting past and present. In many novels/movies, flashbacks can be frustrating departures from the story. In Watchmen, the way the back stories are given to the reader is brilliant.

The detail that struck me was how both stories, are triggered by images. For Dr. Manhattan, the image of himself and Janey prompts the back-story. In this chapter, Rorschach’s tale is prompted by the inkblots the psychiatrist shows him during therapy. The use of the inkblots is a fitting way to tell the story of Rorschach, who is marked by his mask.

The stories of Manhattan and Rorschach show how alike the two are, despite very obvious differences. Both characters assume new identities from their “given” names. However, the way these new identities come about shows how different they are. While Manhattan is given his name, and still goes by Jon, Rorschach chooses to become who he is, and completely rejects his life as Walter Kovacs.

The way Alan Moore lays out the story of the two heroes shows a kind of reflection in the two, and yet he still shows how opposite they can be. Moore uses the different images to spark the stories, as well as bouncing back and forth seamlessly between past and present. He shows a sort of connection between the two Watchmen, a connection that lasts throughout the novel. 

Watchmen Chapter Four Blog Post

Chapter Four in Watchmen has a different format than the three previous chapters of the comic. This chapter is told exclusively by Doctor Manhattan on the surface of Mars. The story he tells switches back in forth from the present to various points in his past.

The reason I really like this chapter is because it gives us the real back-story to Dr. Manhattan. It shows us how he met Laurie, it shows us how he gained his powers, and it essentially gives us the life story of Manhattan. It is really interesting to see why Manhattan does what he does. It shows his transition from Jon to Dr. Manhattan. The reader sees the torture endured by all the superheroes, especially Manhattan. Manhattan is shown to grow more and more distant from the world and the people in it. We see that the accident, while making him godlike, has turned him into a God that is detached from the world.

And yet, in a chapter solely dedicated to Dr. Manhattan, we see plot developments in other characters. The Comedian is shown in Vietnam to be cruel, cold and heartless. The quote that really sticks out to me is “He understands perfectly, and he doesn’t care.” This quote from Manhattan really shows the demeanor of Blake. He is in a brutal war, with death and destruction surrounding him, and he just doesn’t care.

The takeaway for the chapter is Manhattan’s transformation. For me, the chapter gives us an insight into Dr. Manhattan’s mindset for the rest of the story.