Works Cited

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

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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