Works Cited

Works Cited
About Buddha. 02 Apr. 2009 http://www.aboutbuddha.org/.

"Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, & Transgender Symbols." LAMBDA Gay / Lesbian / Bisexual / Transgender Community Services: violence gay sex sexuality sexual orientation hate crimes youth gay bashing teen coming out anti-gay homophobia Matthew Shepard gay hate violence Texas New Mexico gay sex gay man chat gay woman El Paso Las Cruces Juarez gay. 02 Apr. 2009 http://www.lambda.org/symbols.htm.

"Nostalgia." Dictionary.com. 2 Apr. 2008. The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary. 1 Apr. 2009 http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/nostalgia.

"Ramesses the Great." Egypt Online. 2001. The Astra Corporation. 1 Apr. 2009 http://www.egyptologyonline.com/ramesses_the_great.htm.

"The Rorschach Test." SPARC - Divorce and Custody Help. 01 Apr. 2009 http://deltabravo.net/custody/rorschach.php.

Simkin, John. "McCarthyism." Spartacus Educational. 1 Apr. 2009 http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/USAmccarthyism.htm.

Stebbins, Elinor. "Athena." Sweet Briar College { History of Art Program }. Spring 1998. 1 Apr. 2009 http://www.arthistory.sbc.edu/imageswomen/papers/stebbinsathena/athena2.html.

Stewart, Michael. "Prometheus." Greek Mythology. 2005. 1 Apr. 2009 .

WWTW

"Who watches the Watchmen?" (Chapter 8, Page 26, Panel 7)



A recurring quote and image in Watchmen, the idea of "who watches the watchmen" is important. It doesn't just refer to the the Watchmen as in the group of masked heroes watching over the citizens, but also to the people higher up the echelons in the world. A prime example of this is Adrian Veidt. Known as the smartest man in the world and this wonderful person, he is responsible for the deaths of thousands of people in New York. He is the great "watcher" of the world, but who watches him to make sure he doesn't over step his boundaries? Moore's idea that no one should be above watching, or the law, is an important idea even today, more than twenty years after its publication.

The Past

"Those glorious days; that innocence... Dead?" (Chapter 8, Page 3, Panel 5)

Quite possibly one of these most pointed pieces of dialogue written by Alan Moore, this line exemplifies one of the main themes put forth in Watchmen. There is a distinct feeling of hopelessness in Watchmen, and this line from Tales from the Black Freighter illustrates that/ While some of the characters, like Veidt, try desperately to bring back a time where the world is unified and has hope, other characters accept that the world is corrupt but still try to do their own work to rid the world of evil, like Rorschach. Other characters still profess to feel hopeless and that the world is empty, but when it comes down to the clutch, they (like the majority of the human race) still finds some small piece of hope, like the newspaper vendor. Even Moore himself writes an ending where the "bad guy" wins (even though the bad guy was trying to save the world) and hope is lost by the anti-hero (Rorschach), but, the reader is left with the hope that the truth will still be exposed-- something most people see as the ultimate thing to hope for. Justice and truth.

Nostalgia

Chapter 8, Page 1, Panel 2

The appearance of the Nostalgia perfume made by Veidt's company plays an important role in the novel Watchmen. Nostalgia is defined as "a wistful desire to return in thought or in fact to a former time in one's life, to one's home or homeland, or to one's family and friends; a sentimental yearning for the happiness of a former place or time". In this scene, the idea of nostalgia is especially appropriate-- Hollis and Sally are reminiscing about the past. However, the idea of nostalgia is extremely important to almost every character in Watchmen. Veidt is obsessed with returning to a golden age of pharaohs and bringing the world back to an older time of peace when peace has obviously passed. The entire idea behind the Watchmen is that everyone is stuck in the past and having a hard time moving on. Moore's characterization of a nation (and a world) stuck in the past only brings light to the fact that there is no way to go back to the past; the only inevitable thing in the world is that things will always change.

Link: http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/nostalgia

Pallas Athene

"Blood from the Shoulder of Pallas" (Chapter 7, end piece)

Pallas Athena is primarily the Greek goddess of wisdom and of war. Known as Minerva in the Roman pantheon, she was said to protect warriors and uphold civil justice. She was said to have an owl as her personal assistant and even be described as having "owl-eyes". Because of this, the owl is now associated with wisdom along with Athena. Dan's charactization as the owl character is interesting because he usually seems rather niave and oblivious. Moore's decision to make Dan the "wise" character reveals more about his character and lets the reader know that there is more going on beneath the surface with Dan than immediately meets the eye.

Link: http://www.arthistory.sbc.edu/imageswomen/papers/stebbinsathena/athena2.html

Ramses II

"Ladies and gentlemen, performing in aid of the Indian Famine Appeal, we present Adrian Veidt, the one, the only... OZYMANDIAS!" (Chapter 7, Page 14, Panel 3)

Ozymandias is the Greek name for the Egyptian pharaoh Ramses II, the famed pharaoh of the biblical book of Exodus. Ramses was a great explorer and expander of his lands and is still one of the most revered pharaohs to rule in Egypt. Moore's decision to name his sympathetic antagonist after this pharaoh helps to characterize him-- Veidt has a great desire to rule and to expand his horizons. Like his two idols, Alexander the Great and Ramses II, Veidt has grand dreams but he must sacrifice and even kill to achieve what he feels to be success.

Link: http://www.egyptologyonline.com/ramesses_the_great.htm

Pink Triangles

Chapter 5, Page 21, Panel 8

The Pink Triangle, which is now a symbol of gay pride, comes directly from the Holocaust in Europe during the mid-20th century. All prisoners in Holocaust camps were forced to wear a colored triangle on their uniform to identify them-- gay prisoners were forced to wear a pink triangle. The inclusion of the pink triangle by Moore and Gibbons adds historical context to the novel and gives depth to the newsvendor character and the characters he interacts with. When these characters are given real personalities and depth, the reader forsm more attatchment to them. Their death at the hands of Veidt's monster feels all the more real. Knowing that Joey has a girlfriend and that the newsvendor is a friend of hers makes her something more than a nameless face killed by the squid and therefore makes her death more real and affecting.

Link: http://www.lambda.org/symbols.htm