The Shadow of the Valley

“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>.