Saturday, March 28, 2009

1984 by George Orwell


George Orwell’s novel, 1984, is a novel about a man, Winston Smith, living life in a dystopian society. Winston slowly realizes that he disagrees with much of how his life is governed. 1984 follows Winston as he navigates the tricky dystopian society. 16 concordance on 1984 follow.

Varicose Pain

“The flat was seven flights up, and Winston, who was thirty-nine, and had a varicose ulcer above his right ankle, went slowly, resting several times on the way.” (1)

A varicose ulcer is the lack of skin at the drainage point of a varicose vein.  Varicose veins are enlarged veins caused by high blood pressure in the veins.  They are most common in the legs and feet because standing and walking increases the blood pressure to the lower extremities. Orwell uses Winston’s varicose ulcer to show when Winston is worried or anxious; during these moments, Winston’s ulcer begins to itch.  Winston’s job is mostly sedentary, so for him to have acquired a varicose ulcer means that he must do a lot of walking and standing outside of his job.  There is no mention of motorized transport, so Winston must have to walk a long distance between his job and his home in order to have acquired a varicose ulcer.

Works Cited:  "varicose ulcer." The American Heritage® Medical Dictionary. 2007. Houghton Mifflin Company 28 Mar. 2009 http://medical-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/varicose+ulcer

"Varicose veins." Mayo Clinic. 16 Jan. 2009. 28 Mar. 2009 <http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/varicose-veins/DS00256>.

Pig Iron

Pig_Iron_Ore “Inside the flat a fruity voice was reading out a list of figures which had something to do with the production of pig iron.” (2)

Pig iron is crude, raw iron in its ingot form. It is the product of smelting iron ore with coke, a fuel produced from coal, in a blast furnace. Orwell uses the production of pig iron to show the state of society in 1984.  Concern over how much pig iron is being produced should not be high when there are other more valuable and more important metals to produce. This shows that the Party has its priorities in mass, low quality productions rather than fewer, high quality productions.

Works Cited: "pig iron." The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition. Houghton Mifflin Company, 2004. Answers.com 29 Mar. 2009. http://www.answers.com/topic/pig-iron

Image Credit:  http://www.germes-online.com/direct/dbimage/50226337/Pig_Iron_Ore.jpg

Blue Uniform

“He moved over to the window: a smallish, frail figure, the meagerness of his body merely emphasized by the blue overalls which were the uniform of the Party.” (2)

Orwell uses the uniform to symbolize the control that the Party has over its people.  By forcing its members to wear uniforms, the Party is removing freedom from the people, which is one of its main purposes. Blue overalls are the typical dress of a laborer, so the Party sees its members as nothing more than laborers, skilled workers following the Party’s orders.

A Lack of Color

“Outside, even through the shut window pane, the world looked cold.  Down in the street little eddies of wind were whirling dust and torn paper into spirals, and though the sun was shining and the sky a harsh blue, there seemed to be no color in anything except the posters that were plastered everywhere. The black-mustachio’d face gazed down from every commanding corner.” (2)

Orwell uses imagery to show how the Party, with Big Brother at its head, has taken life out of the world. Color is used to represent life, which society has lost due to Big Brother’s control. The man on the poster that Winston describes is Big Brother, the leading figure of the Party. Winston sees color in the poster, but in nothing else because Big Brother has removed all of the pleasures, interests, and benefits of life.  When Winston looks out into the street, he sees despair and drear because of a lack of color.

Tower of Truth

“A kilometer away the Ministry of Truth, his place of work, towered vast and white above the grimy landscape.” (3)

Orwell has created an alternate London for the setting of 1984, in which he places buildings like the Ministry of Truth, that belong to the Party.  The buildings belonging to the Party are taller, and more expansive than the buildings surrounding them, the ones that belong to the people of the city are smaller, and dingy, showing the differences in statures between the Party and the citizens.  The Ministry of Truth is symbolic of the control that the Party has over its people.  The Ministry towers over the other buildings like the Party towers over its people.

Questioning

“Were there always these vistas of rotting nineteenth-century houses, their sides shored up with balks of timber, their windows patched with cardboard an their roofs with corrugated iron, their crazy garden  walls sagging in all directions? And the bombed sites where the plaster dust swirled in the air and the willow herb straggled over the heaps of rubble; and the places where the bombs had cleared a larger path and there had sprung up sordid colonies of wooden dwellings like chicken houses?” (3)

This is one of the first times that Winston starts questioning the motives of the Party.  Doubt and suspicion fill Winston’s mind as he looks out at the city.  He finds it hard to believe that everything the Party tells him about the history of the Party and the city is true.  The imagery that Orwell uses not only shows Winston’s suspicion, but it also shows the state of living at this point.

Journal of a Rebel

“He had seen it lying in the window of a frowsy little junk shop in a slummy quarter of the town (just what quarter he did not now remember) and had been stricken immediately by an overwhelming desire to possess it.” (6)

Winston uses the journal that he is drawn to as a way of expressing his thoughts, ideas, and feelings. It is what first makes Winston start committing thoughtcrimes, or thinking against the Party.  Journals symbolize the transfer of thoughts from one entity to another, which in the society that Winston lives in is considered a crime. Orwell uses Winston’s writing in the journal to show how Winston rebels against the society in which he lives.

Time Crime

“He sat back. A sense of complete helplessness had descended upon him. To begin with, he did not know with any certainty that this was 1984. It must be round about that date, since he was fairly sure that his age was thirty-nine, and he believed that he had been born in 1944 or 1945; but it was never possible nowadays to pin down any date within a year or two.” (7)

Orwell shows the uncertainty that the Party has created for society.  The Party has changed history so many times, that they’ve affected the public’s perception of time.  The days, weeks, months, and years have all blended together, making it nearly impossible to distinguish between each of them. The Party has removed all unnecessary pieces of information from the public’s greater knowledge, including their concept of time, as yet another method for controlling their thought.

Saint Sebastian

life-of-saint-sebastian“He would tie her naked to a stake and shoot her full of arrows like Saint Sebastian.” (15)

Saint Sebastian was a Roman soldier who remained firm in his faith despite being threatened with death. According to records and legends, Saint Sebastian was ordered to be executed for being a Christian. He was shot full of arrows and left to die, but a widow known as Saint Irene found his body and nursed him back to health. Religion and its important figures are rarely mentioned in 1984. Orwell uses allusions to religion to show that Winston is detached from his society. While others around him either know nothing or very little about religion and ignore whatever knowledge they might have, Winston uses his knowledge of religion to express his feelings; in this case, he uses Saint Sebastian’s attack to represent his hatred for the dark-haired woman sitting behind him.

Works Cited: "St. Sebastian." Catholic Online. 31 Mar. 2009 http://www.catholic.org/saints/saint.php?saint_id=103.

Image Credit:  http://www.saintsebastian.us/

Oxymoron

“Then the face of Big Brother faded away again, and instead the three slogans of the Party stood out in bold capitals:

WAR IS PEACE

FREEDOM IS SLAVERY

IGNORANCE IS STRENGTH.” (16)

Orwell uses oxymorons to show that the Party has reversed life and made it backwards in comparison to what it once was. An oxymoron is a statement that contradicts itself, like the three slogans of the the Party. Before the Party came into power, war would not have meant peace, freedom would not have meant slavery, and ignorance would not have meant strength. After the Party took control, it twisted life around until war did mean peace; it convinced its people that war is a good, beneficial, necessary thing and therefore equivalent with peace. The Party used the same idea with freedom and slavery, saying that the two were equal, and also with ignorance and strength.

Public Hanging

“‘Why can’t we go and see the hanging?’ roared the boy in his huge voice.  

‘Want to see the hanging! Want to see the hanging!’ chanted the little girl, still capering round.” (23)

A public hanging is an event that is not suitable for children, yet in this society of 1984, it is acceptable.  Attending a public hanging was also popular during Queen Elizabeth’s Elizabethan England. At this time, England was in a similar state of dysfunction. However, Elizabethan England was not prospering because of the bubonic plague that destroyed a large percentage of the population. the children’s interest in seeing the public hanging is Orwell’s method for showing how society has transgressed to one of its previous states, in this case a dysfunctional Elizabeth England.

Shakespeare

“Winston woke up with the word ‘Shakespeare’ on his lips.” (31)

It is unusual for Winston to be thinking about Shakespeare in a time when literature is nearly obsolete.  The Party has taken control and censored much of the literature that had been published previously, including Shakespeare. Anything that does not agree with the Party is illegal because of the controversies it creates.  Many of Shakespeare’s plays were about controversial topics. Orwell sees Winston as a character similar to Shakespeare, using writing as a way of creating controversy.

Doublethink

“To know and not to know, to be conscious of complete truthfulness while telling carefully constructed lies, to hold simultaneously two opinions which cancel out, knowing them to be contradictory and believing in both of them, to use logic against logic, to repudiate morality while laying claim to it, to believe that democracy was impossible and that the Party was the guardian of democracy, to forget, whatever it was necessary to forget, then to draw it back into memory again at the moment when it was needed, and then promptly to forget it again, and above all, to apply the same process to the process itself—that was the ultimate subtlety: consciously to induce unconsciousness, and then, once again, to become unconscious of the act of hypnosis you had just performed. Even to understand the word ‘doublethink’ involved the use of doublethink.” (35)

The language complexity that Orwell uses here shows how difficult the world of doublethink is and lends to the theme of control that is present in 1984. It has become nearly impossible for people like Winston, who enjoy thinking freely, to do so. The Party controls everything, and can see everything. When someone commits a thoughtcrime, the Party is instantly aware, exerts its control, and punishes the person in one way or another.

**Note: This is the longest sentence I have ever seen.

Erasable History

“All history was a palimpsest, scraped clean exactly as often as was necessary. In no case would it have been possible, once the deed was done, to prove that any falsification had taken place.” (40)

A palimpsest is a type of manuscript, usually made out of papyrus, that has been used many times to write on.  Often times, the previous writings are still legible though meaningless. Orwell has found the perfect way to describe the history that the Party has created for itself. The palimpsest is a metaphor for the erasable style of history that the Party has created. Whenever two pieces of information contradict each other, they are immediately corrected to ensure uniformity, which is important in 1984.

Works Cited: Dictionary. The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2007.

Forging Life

“Comrade Ogilvy, who had never existed in the present, now existed in the past, and when once the act of forgery was forgotten, he would exist just as authentically, and upon the same evidence, as Charlemagne or Julius Caesar.” (48)

Charlemagne and Julius Caesar are both prominent military and political figures from history. Charlemagne was known for being emperor of the Holy Roman Empire, and Julius Caesar was emperor of Rome. Orwell compares Comrade Ogilvy to Charlemagne and Julius Caesar, two people who actually exist, to show how valid Ogilvy’s existence will become once Winston forges his past. This type of forgery, creating a past for something that never existed, is common in 1984. It shows the power that the Party has.

Literature’s Demise

“By 2050—earlier, probably—all real knowledge of Oldspeak will have disappeared. The whole literature of the past will have been destroyed. Chaucer, Shakespeare, Milton, Byron—they’ll exist only in Newspeak version, not merely changed into something different, but actually changed into something contradictory of what they used to be.” (53)

Orwell shows how simple the Party is trying to make life, and how they are trying to control everything, from knowledge and thought, to language and literature, so that it fits with their system of ideas. Chaucer, Shakespeare, Milton, and Byron are all known for the literature they wrote, which have been considered works of art by many.  The Party’s destruction of Oldspeak and literature as it once was known shows that it does not care for the arts and only wants power and control, at whatever the cost, even if it means rewriting some of the best pieces of literature.

Sunday, March 8, 2009

Lady Susan by Jane Austen

One of her less popular pieces of literature, Jane Austen’s Lady Susan remains true to the Austen style.  A short but dense read of letters between characters, Lady Susan follows widow Lady Susan Vernon through her triumphs and tribulations of trying to find a husband for herself and one for her daughter as well.

An Accomplished Coquette

“My dear Sister,—I congratulate you and Mr. Vernon on being about to receive into your family the most accomplished coquette in England.” (IV).

Coquette is the French word for a flirtatious woman.  Reginald De Courcy uses the word when he sarcastically congratulates his sister for housing England’s most accomplished flirt. His use of the word shows his sophistication, while his use of sarcasm shows his distaste for Lady Susan.  Austen uses sarcasm to characterize Lady Susan as a woman who attempts to acquire the attentions of men without any personal affection.  Lady Susan teases men for her benefit and enjoyment.  By using another character’s sarcasm to characterize Lady Susan, Austen emphasizes how other character’s view Lady Susan, not how the author alone views Lady Susan.

Works Cited:  "coquette." Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary. 2009.  Merriam-Webster Online. 8 March 2009  <http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/coquette>

Satirizing Wealth

“Charles is very rich I am sure; when a man has once got his name in a banking-house he rolls in money; but they do not know what to do with it, keep very little company, and never go to London but on business.” (V).

Austen’s satirical writing style shows through at this moment, when Lady Susan is discussing her attitude toward her brother-in-law, Charles’ wealth.  Austen uses Lady Susan’s lust for wealth to show how money is the most important thing in many people’s lives.  Austen has captured a timeless truth with Lady Susan’s desire for money.  Lady Susan believes that men are capable of earning money, but not capable of properly spending it, which is the job of a woman.

Deceitful Characterization

“I passed off the letter as his wife's, to the Vernons, and when I write to him it must be under cover to you.” (V).

The structure of Lady Susan makes it challenging for Austen to properly depict her characters.  For that reason, Austen must craft innovative ways to show her character’s defining features.  Without blatantly saying it, Austen shows that Lady Susan is a selfish and deceitful woman.  Lady Susan does not care that she is ruining another woman’s life for her own enjoyment, or that she is deceiving her family in order to do so.  Austen uses Lady Susan’s selfish, flirtatious nature to demonstrate Austen’s disapproval for the state of women’s behavior at the time.

A Stupid Girl

“She is a stupid girl, and has nothing to recommend her.” (VII).

Austen shows how cold-hearted Lady Susan is toward her friends and family, including her own daughter with this simple line.  In a letter between Lady Susan and her friend Alicia, Lady Susan describes her daughter’s lack of opportunity.  Lady Susan doesn’t see anything promising in her daughter, and desires to dispose of her by placing her in a boarding school. Austen disapproves of the attitudes and natures of women who belittle others, and always place themselves before others.  Lady Susan is Austen’s vehicle for commenting on the behavior of society, specifically women like Lady Susan, who are selfish and care little for others. 

High Class Boarding

“I would not, therefore, on my account, have you encumber one moment of your precious time by sending for her to Edward Street, especially as every visit is so much deducted from the grand affair of education, which I really wish to have attended to while she remains at Miss Summers's.” (VII).

Miss Summer’s is a type of boarding reform school that Lady Susan sends her daughter to in an attempt to tame the wild child.  The boarding school represents Lady Susan’s social standing, as most boarding schools are geared toward the upper class.  Austen uses the boarding school to show that Lady Susan is part of the higher branch of society and to show how little she cares for her daughter.  If Lady Susan truly cared for her daughter, she would not send her to a boarding school; she would keep her at home and instruct her herself.

Grace and Manner

“It is throwing time away to be mistress of French, Italian, and German: music, singing, and drawing, &c., will gain a woman some applause, but will not add one lover to her list—grace and manner, after all, are of the greatest importance” (VII).

Lady Susan describes the qualities that she deems necessary for her daughter to have to be a proper wife.  Instead of having intellectual qualities and  solid education, Lady Susan wants her daughter to have grace and manner, neither of which are wrong to possess, but neither are necessary qualities for a woman to have to be a wife.  Austen uses Lady Susan’s unnecessary request to characterize her as a woman with expectations that are not favorable.  Austen also uses it to build on the theme of selfishness in the novel.

Arranging a Marriage

“Ask him to your house occasionally, and talk to him of Frederica, that he may not forget her” (VII).

Lady Susan is intent on arranging a marriage between her daughter, Frederica, and Sir James, the man she deems suitable for her daughter.  Lady Susan does not care about any affections between the two; she only wants a marriage for benefits that it will bring her.  Lady Susan will go to whatever lengths necessary to ensure a marriage between her daughter and Sir James.  Arranged marriages of this style were not as common during this time period, but they were not unheard of.  The tone Austen uses throughout the novel and the absurd actions her characters take show that she disapproves of arranged marriages such as the one between Sir James and Frederica.

Family Control

“You must be sensible that as an only son, and the representative of an ancient family, your conduct in life is most interesting to your connections” (XII).

This passage shows the control parents have over their children’s affairs.  The De Courcy’s do not want their son, Reginald, to become acquainted with Lady Susan because of the negative reputation she has acquired.  Reginald’s parents are more concerned with the reputation of their family than with their son’s happiness and well-being.  Austen successfully portrays the influence parents wish to have over their children.  She also shows that people become nosy and interested in the behavior and actions of another person and how they judge the other person based on their behavior and actions, something that Austen disapproves of based on the tone she uses in the novel.

Act of Elopement

“…she actually attempted to elope” (XVI).

marriage actIn 1753, a Marriage Act was introduced that set more definitive rules establishing what constituted a marriage.  The act made it extremely difficult and frowned upon for two people from different ranks to marry.  It also made marriage before the age of 16 require parental approval.  One method of avoiding this act was to elope to Scotland where the Marriage Act was not in effect.  Frederica, Lady Susan’s daughter, attempted to elope in order to avoid an arranged marriage with someone of her mother’s choosing.  Austen uses Frederica’s character to oppose the character of Lady Susan and to provide conflict between the two. 

Works Cited:  "The English Bride: Legal Advice." University of Michigan. 8 Dec. 2000. 16 Mar. 2009 http://www.umich.edu/~ece/student_projects/wedding_bride/legaladvice.html.

Sanborn, Vic. "Eloping During Jane Austen's Time." Weblog post. Jane Austen's World. 13 Sept. 2007. 16 Mar. 2009 http://janeaustensworld.wordpress.com/2007/09/13/eloping-in-jane-austens-day/.

Photo Credit:  http://www.umich.edu/~ece/student_projects/wedding_bride/act1753.html

Jane’s Piano

pianobwood “The small pianoforte has been removed within these few days, at Lady Susan's request, into her dressing-room, and Frederica spends great part of the day there, practising as it is called” (XVII).

Pianoforte is the full name for the musical instrument known today as a piano.  Pianos of a fine musical quality were, and still are, costly instruments, making their presence in homes rare.  Mostly the upper classes were able to afford to purchase pianos for their homes, so the Vernon’s possession of a piano displays their wealth.  Austen uses the pianoforte to symbolize the wealth and formalities common to the upper class.  As a child, Austen learned to play the piano, but her piano was sold upon moving to Bath.  When she was able to, Austen purchased her own piano and continued her studies.  The skill of playing the piano is one that Austen gave to many of her characters, including Frederica in Lady Susan.

Works Cited:  Coulson, Margaret. "Soft and Loud ~ Jane Austen and the pianoforte." Jane Austen Society of Australia. 25 June 2005. 23 Mar. 2009 <http://www.jasa.net.au/l&t/piano.htm>.

Photo Credit:  http://www.jasa.net.au/l&t/piano.htm

Fashioning Pelisses

pelisse “At length Lady Susan, weary, I believe, of her situation, proposed walking; and we left the two gentlemen together, to put on our pelisses” (XX).

Pelisses are three-quarter length coats, sometimes with capes attached, that were popular in France in the late 18th and early 19th centuries.  The fashion, like many others, expanded to England due to its popularity.  Many pelisses were extravagant articles of clothing, trimmed with fur or satin.  First designed for outdoor wear, the pelisse lost it’s desirability to be worn outside but remained in fashion for wearing indoors.  Austen uses the pelisse, an expensive, fashionable article of clothing, to symbolize  the high class nature, style, and manner that Lady Susan possesses.

Works Cited:  Thomas, Pauline W. "Pelisse, Paletot and Pardessus Fashion History." Fashion History Costume Trends and Eras, Trends Victorians - Haute Couture. 25 Mar. 2009 http://www.fashion-era.com/Coats_history/pelisse_history_1.htm.

Image Credit:  http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/8f/MORNING_DRESS_Pelisse_robe_of_striped_silk.jpg

Simpleton Nature

“Artlessness will never do in love matters; and that girl is born a simpleton who has it either by nature or affectation” (XIX).

A simpleton is someone who lacks common sense, someone who is considered a fool.  Austen shows that Lady Susan has a negative attitude toward people she considers to be simpletons, even people related to her, like her own daughter.  Lady Susan is very rigid in her ways and Austen shows her stubbornness in this letter from Lady Susan to her friend Mrs. Johnson.  The word simpleton has slowly worked its way out of use in the English language, and other words, with negative connotations, have replaced it.  Austen’s diction in her writing changes based on each character as a way of characterizing each of them.

Works Cited:  "simpleton." Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary. 2009. Merriam-Webster Online. 25 March 2009 <http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/simpleton>

Frederica

“I do not know how to apologize enough for this letter; I know it is taking so great a liberty” (XXI).

Frederica, Lady Susan’s daughter and near-rival, displays her guilt for writing a pleading letter to Sir Reginald de Courcy asking for his assistance in dealing with her mother.   In her mother’s eyes, Frederica is a wretched, worthless child who does not deserve to be related to her, but this letter to De Courcy shows a part of Frederica that Lady Susan either refuses to acknowledge or is not aware of.  Austen uses Frederica’s interactions with both De Courcy and Lady Susan to characterize Frederica more completely.  Austen’s methods for giving her characters their defining qualities are unconventional because of the style and format that Lady Susan is written in.

King Solomon

“They could none of them help perceiving that Sir James was no Solomon; but I had positively forbidden Frederica complaining to Charles Vernon or his wife, and they had therefore no pretence for interference; though my impertinent sister, I believe, wanted only opportunity for doing so” (XXII).

The biblical King Solomon, known for his extreme wealth and wisdom, became ruler in approximately 967 B.C.E. and ruled for 40 years.  Lady Susan compares Sir James to Solomon, saying that the two are not alike because Sir James is neither wealthy, nor wise.  To be compared to someone with a stature like King Solomon’s is usually a compliment, but in Sir James’ case, it is an insult.  Austen chose King Solomon because at the time she wrote Lady Susan, the stories found in the Bible were better known and her readers understood her allusions. 

Works Cited:  Schoenberg, Shira. "Solomon." Jewish Virtual Library - Homepage. 25 Mar. 2009 http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/biography/Solomon.html.

Women’s Wishes

“I have still another motive for your coming: Mr. Johnson leaves London next Tuesday; he is going for his health to Bath, where, if the waters are favourable to his constitution and my wishes, he will be laid up with the gout many weeks” (XXVI).

Austen shows that the men had the dominant role, if Lady Susan could not visit Mrs. Johnson until Mr. Johnson was not in the house.  Women were not allowed the same privileges as men and were often forced to be inferior.  Austen incorporates a lot of the social concepts, ideas, and struggles of the time period, like the possessive nature of men and the struggles between different classes.  Because she only writes what she knows, Austen is able to show how life truly was without making it feel fictitious.

Gout

“He had heard, I imagine, by some means or other, that you were soon to be in London, and immediately contrived to have such an attack of the gout as must at least delay his journey to Bath, if not wholly prevent it” (XXVIII).

Gout is a disease that typically affects only men, but can affect women, too.  The major symptom of gout is a painful swelling in the joints of the extremities. Caused by high levels of uric acid, gout is more common among the affluent societies who had easier access to diets that provided extreme amounts of uric acid.  Austen incorporates a high society disease into her novel to show that the affluent tend to overindulge themselves.

Works Cited:  "Gout: Definition from Answers.com." Answers.com - Online Dictionary, Encyclopedia and much more. 25 Mar. 2009 <http://www.answers.com/gout>.

Wednesday, February 4, 2009

Watchmen by Alan Moore

WatchmencoversVery little needs to be said about the awesomeness that is the graphic novel, Watchmen.  Published in single issues during 1986 and 1987, Watchmen is a murder mystery story involving retired superheroes, an impending nuclear war and much more.  Featuring a dynamic cast of characters, Watchmen explores many issues within it’s covers.   16 concordances on Watchmen follow.

Image Credit:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Watchmencovers.png

Dangerous Neighborhood

“Look down your backstairs buddy, somebody’s living there an’ they don’t really feel the weather” (Chapter 1, Page 10, Panel 1).

Here, Moore incorporates lyrics from the song “Neighborhood Threat” by Iggy Pop. The song is directed to a man who has someone living on his backstairs, most likely a homeless person. The idea of a homeless person living on someone’s backstairs implies a feeling of danger or threat. In Watchmen, the song appears in the foreground of a panel, coming from a boombox. In the background of the panel, Dan Dreiberg (Nite Owl) can be seen walking home late one night. The lyrics in the panel suggest that Dreiberg is in an unsafe neighborhood and also foreshadow the break-in that Dreiberg is about to discover. By using a song like “Neighborhood Threat”, Moore sets the mood as dark and gloomy, and hints at what the rest of the novel might be about.




Neighborhood Threat - Iggy Pop

The Power of Red

F-200-Wreath-Red-Rose Chapter 2, Page 1, Panels 2 and 3

In the second and third panels of Chapter 2, Laurie and Moloch are both seen holding red flowers. Laurie’s flowers are a gift to her mother; she uses them as a gesture to show that she cares about her mother.  The color red symbolizes her love and affection for her mother.  Moloch brings his red flowers to Blake’s funeral where he is paying his respects to Blake.  The flowers are red roses, which symbolize love and respect.  The abundance of red flowers in this chapter shows the close bond between the characters, despite the years of separation and disagreements.  Gibbons purposefully used the color red for the flowers to show the connections between the characters and to give readers more knowledge about the characters and their traits.

Image Credit:  http://www.oxtonflowers.co.uk/acatalog/Wreaths_and_Posy_Pads_to_UK.html

Blake and Dachau

dachau

“Yeah, well, so’s Dachau.  I’d never forgive somebody who did that…” (Chapter 2, Page 2, Panel 1).

Laurie compares her mother’s near rape to the political concentration camp from World War II, Dachau.  Comparing the rape to Dachau is significant because the United States desperately trying to prevent a third world war, and this mention of a World War II concentration camp foreshadows the impending war and the atrocities that will come with a war.  Moore uses Dachau as the concentration camp to compare the rape to because Dachau was primarily meant for political prisoners and anyone who was not Jewish but still opposed to the Nazi regime.  This connects to Blake, the man who tried to rape Laurie’s mother.  Blake was politically active and the connection to a political prison camp shows Moore’s distaste for Blake’s political beliefs and for Dachau’s existence.

Works Cited:  United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. "Dachau." Holocaust Encyclopedia. 19 Feb. 2009 <http://www.ushmm.org/wlc/article.php?lang=en&ModuleId=10005214>.

Image Credit:  http://www.ushmm.org/wlc/media_ph.php?lang=en&ModuleId=10005214&MediaId=1484

Laetrile and Cancer

Apricot Kernels

“Laetril.  Phony medication made from apricot pits.  Outlawed three years ago.  Illegal.”  (Chapter 2, Page 24, Panel 4).

Laetril (correctly spelled Laetrile) is an alternative medicine used to treat cancer.  It is a compound that contains a chemical, amygdalin, which is  found in the pits of many fruits, such as apricots, as Rorschach mentions here.  Amygdalin was first isolated in 1830, and first used to treat cancer in Russia as early as 1845.  Laetrile is a partly synthetic version of amygdalin that was patented in the United States in the 1950s.  Laetrile’s relevance to Watchmen takes several forms.  The first connection is to the time period that Laetrile became popular:  the 1970s.  Watchmen takes place during the 80s, just after the 70s when Laetrile gained popularity.  By 1978 an estimated 70,000 people had reportedly been treated with Laetrile.  The second form of relevance is to the motif of cancer.  Moloch’s mention of cancer is one of the first in the novel; later in the novel it is learned that cancer is Veidt’s method of removing his past acquaintances so they cannot prevent him from his task of saving humanity.  Moore uses the drug Laetrile, because it actually exists so that readers familiar with the time period of Watchmen might have knowledge about the drug.  This gives the readers a greater sense of the reality of the novel, so they are more likely to believe that the events in Watchmen could truly take place.

Works Cited:  "Laetrile/Amygdalin." National Cancer Institute. U.S. National Institutes of Health. 20 Feb. 2009 http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/pdq/cam/laetrile/Patient/page2.

Image Credit:  http://www.cytopharma.com/

Everything’s Connected

“See, everything’s connected.” (Chapter 3, Page 2, Panel 4)news_stand

Bernard, the newsvendor, makes one of the most obvious, yet most profound statements of the novel.  Bernard sees and hears everything that goes on in New York City, the United States, and the rest of the world through his job as a newsvendor.  This allows him to reflect and comment on the society, including the connectivity of everyone.  Most of the characters in Watchmen have some type of connection to Bernard’s newsstand, whether it is obvious or not.  The connections to the newsstand brings all of the characters together without their awareness. Moore uses Bernard’s character and his newsstand to show the connections between the characters because Bernard is the most human of all the characters in Watchmen.  Bernard sees life the way it is and he doesn’t try to make it out to be better than it really is, while the other characters have corrupt views of life.  Moore uses Bernard’s reflections to keep the readers in tune with the truths of the novel.

Image credit:  http://www.fivevine.com/?p=11

Shadow People

shadows “This world, the real world, to him, it’s like walking through mist, and all the people are like shadows…” (Chapter 3, Page 9, Panel 2).

Laurie’s explanation that to Jon, people are like shadows, foreshadows the images of silhouettes that appear many times throughout the novel.  The silhouettes are similar to those found in Hiroshima after the atomic bombing in 1945, except the ones in Watchmen are spray-painted around New York City by groups of boys.  Seeing people as shadows shows Jon’s detachment from humanity, just like the detachment the bombers had from the Japanese when they released the atomic bomb.  Moore uses Laurie’s description of Jon to indirectly characterize him and by doing so foreshadows some of Jon’s actions later in the novel.

Image credit:  http://maasmedia.files.wordpress.com/2008/08/hiroshima_shadow.jpg

Living on the Moon

“Walkin’ on…walkin’ on the moooooooon…” (Chapter 3, Page 19, Panel 1)

“Walking on the Moon” is a song by The Police. Here, a government worker is singing the song while painting a radiation symbol on Jon’s bedroom door. In “Walking on the Moon,” the singer describes the elation he feels while walking back from his girlfriend’s house. The singer feels as though they “could live together / walking on, walking on the moon” (7-8). Moore’s use of this song foreshadows Jon’s trip to Mars and the conversation that Jon and Laurie have about living together on Mars.

Works Cited: "Walking On The Moon Lyrics." Lyrics Freak. 20 Feb. 2009 http://www.lyricsfreak.com/s/sting+&+police/walking+on+the+moon_20132423.html.




Walking on the Moon - The Police

Photograph on Mars

Chapter 4, Page 1, Panels 2 and 9Watchmen chapter 4

These two panels contain identical images:  a photograph of Jon and Janey Slater partially buried in the sands of Mars.  Jon, for a moment, feels nostalgic, and uses the photograph to remind him of the days when he and Janey were a couple.  After that moment, however, Jon realizes that he no longer has any connections to society and humanity, and he drops the photograph onto the barren Mars ground.  This action shows that Jon’s character is depressed, detached, aloof, and  no longer cares about humans even though he was once human himself.

Strangely Charmed Death

“At play amidst the Strangeness and Charm” (Chapter 4, Page 5, Panel 4).

This line is found on a bulletin board in the Beastiary that contains photographs of scientists that have died.  The photograph of Jon and Janey was among the photos of the other scientists because it was believed that Jon died in the accident.  The “Strangeness and Charm” part refers to quarks, which are subatomic particles that make up matter.  To say that someone is “at play amidst the Strangeness and Charm” is a scientist’s way of saying that someone is dead and is the scientist’s version of the afterlife.  Moore and Gibbons try to add realistic details, such as this bulletin board heading, to the images and backgrounds of each panel to keep the novel from becoming too implausible.

Works Cited: 

"Chapter III." Information Arts and Technologies. 21 Feb. 2009 http://iat.ubalt.edu/moulthrop/hypertexts/wm/AN/AN_III.htm.

"Quark." Answers.com. 21 Feb. 2009 <http://www.answers.com/quark>.

Scientific God

halleycomet1910

“Well, me, I think it’s astrological.  Halley’s Comet is coming back around now.  That’s an omen of doom.” (Chapter 5, Page 7, Panel 5).

Halley’s comet is an astrological body that orbits through the solar system.  Halley’s comet passes by earth once approximately every 75 years.  Many events throughout history have been blamed on the passing of Halley’s comet, such as the fire that destroyed part of New York City in 1835.  Watchmen has a space motif throughout then novel, and this mention of Halley’s comet adds to the motif. Moor uses Watchmen to pose the idea of a scientific god as opposed to a religious god and challenges readers with the idea of a scientific god in the form of Dr. Manhattan.  The space motif helps to portray Dr. Manhattan as the scientific godlike figure.

Works Cited:  Kronk, Gary W. "Comet Hysteria and the Millennium." Cometography. 22 Feb. 2009 <http://cometography.com/hysteria.html>.

Image Credit:  http://www.unmuseum.org/halleycomet.htm

Archie the Owl

archimedes2“Oh, uh, well, it’s short for Archimedes, Merlin’s pet owl in ‘The Sword in the Stone’.  I saw the Disney version once and…well.  You know.  It’s just a stupid nickname” (Chapter 7, Page 7, Panel 5).

The Sword in the Stone is a novel written by T.H. White in 1938 and produced as an animated movie in 1963.  In the novel and the book, Archimedes is a talking owl who helps Merlin teach his student, Arthur, life lessons.  Dreiberg has a fascination with owls, and the fact that he named his ship after one of the most famous owls in history shows his respect for the creatures. Society tends to give fictional superheroes special powers and qualities that many do not possess, making them inhuman characters. Moore gives his characters human qualities, like Dreiberg’s interest in owls, to help readers realize that the superheroes in Watchmen do not possess and special powers and are exceedingly human.

Works Cited:  White, R.J. "The Annotated Watchmen." Capnwacky.com. 23 Feb. 2009 http://www.capnwacky.com/rj/watchmen/chapter7.html.

Image Credit:   http://trevdenton.blogspot.com/2008_07_01_archive.html

Nostalgia

veidtmethodChapter 8, Page 1, Panel 2

Panel 2 centers on a bottle of Nostalgia perfume, an item in the Veidt cosmetics line.  Throughout Watchmen, bottles of Nostalgia perfume appear in many characters’ homes, in newspaper advertisements, and in television commercials.  The ubiquitous presence of Nostalgia perfume, a Veidt product, shows the overwhelming and obscure control the Veidt has over society, which he uses to his advantage as much as possible.  Moore uses the image of the Nostalgia perfume as a simple motif, but the importance of the motif is not noticed until later in the novel when Veidt admits to being the person behind the mysterious murders and disappearances and the attack on New York City.

Image Credit:  http://www.fasthack.com/posts/1977/

The Day New York City was Attacked

day-the-earth-stood-still-01 Chapter 8, Page 3, Panel 3

This panel shows and advertisement for a movie playing at the Utopia theater.  The movie playing is “The Day the Earth Stood Still”, which foreshadows the events that occur at the end of the novel.  “The Day the Earth Stood Still” is a 1951 sci-fi movie about an alien invasion.  At the end of the novel, New York City is attacked by what survivors describe as an alien life form.  Every image or piece of dialogue that Moore includes in Watchmen is there for a specific reason, and in the case of the movie advertisement, it is to foreshadow the attack on New York City.

Image Credit:  http://www.comicmix.com/news/2008/09/27/original-day-the-earth-stood-still-gets-special-edition/

The Shadow of the Valley

full_ShadowValley-330x238“You’re alone in the valley of the shadow, Rorschach, where your past has a long reach, and in between you and it there’s one crummy lock.” (Chapter 8, Page 7, Panel 6).

The “valley of the shadow” refers to verse 4 of the famous 23rd Psalm:

      4 Even though I walk
       through the valley of the shadow of death,
       I will fear no evil,
       for you are with me;
       your rod and your staff,
       they comfort me.     (NIV)

One of Rorschach’s enemies , Big Figure, tries using the Bible verse to intimidate and scare Rorschach by telling him that he is alone in the valley of the shadow, meaning that he does not have God’s guidance.  One of  the themes of Watchmen is a debate between having a god of science and having a god of religion.  Here, Moore uses a reference to the Bible to keep the god of religion in the argument.

Image Credit:  http://www.landofmysojourn.net/2007/08/valley-of-shadow-i-was-sent-article.html

Works Cited:  "Psalm 23:4." BibleGateway. 24 Feb. 2009 <http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?book_id=23&chapter=23&verse=4&version=31&context=verse>.

Sweet Sugar

sweet chariot sugar cubes“Hey… ‘Sweet Chariot’ sugar cubes!  Only come in catering packs, right?”  (Chapter 8, Page 8, Panel 8).

Detective Fine uses the sugar cubes found in Rorschach’s pocket and in Dreiberg’s kitchen to connect the two characters.  By connecting Dreiberg to Rorschach, Fine believes he can uncover more of the plot behind Blake’s murder.  The sugar cube image appears throughout the novel, but Moore keeps the importance from becoming clear until this interaction between Detective Fine and Dreiberg. Moore uses this style of placing images abundantly throughout the novel and only explaining them later on.

Image Credit":  http://www.watchmencomicmovie.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=2168

DEFCON

watchmen chapter 10Chapter 10, Page 1, Panel 2

On the instrument panel of the military plane shown in this panel, a indicator light shows that the nation is in DEFCON 2.  DEFCON stands for DEFense CONdition, and contains 5 different levels which vary the military severity according to the dangers the nation faces.  The lower the number, the higher the military severity.  At this point in the novel, the United States is on the brink of a war because Dr. Manhattan has left the planet.  Moore uses military references that actually exist to keep readers feeling familiar with part of the text.  Then, when they encounter something that they find hard to believe, they can recall that parts of the novel are plausible and familiar to them, and then they won’t doubt everything they’re reading.

Image Credit:  http://www.watchmenfansite.com/comic-book/chapter-summaries/chapter-10/