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Gene Rodriguez Jackie Hymes English 114B 16 February 2014 Corrupt Heroes Exist A hero is a person who we simply admire or look up to. Heroes are also those who protect our loved ones. In the novel Watchmen, Alan Moore illustrates that even heroes are morally challenged. During this time many feared the Soviets, therefore throwing off all the superheroes on who killed one of their own. Heroes may be conceived as true and honest, but this novel makes one think otherwise. Not one masked figure stood out to carry out what a hero really is. Moore portrays the heroes in a way where their non-heroic identity is revealed, and with this said, I argue that there is no true hero in Watchmen due to all the havoc that occurred. With all this corruption happening in the world, Dr. Manhattan was the true figure who could have saved humanity. However, because of all the unfortunate events, such as him being blamed for the cause of cancer; Dr. Manhattan chose to be selfish, since the people took him for granted for his powers. It should have been his job to deal with the pressure from the people. Many would expect more out of an individual with the power to make a difference. Dr. Manhattan could not care any less about the human race, after all, he could live on Mars and do his own thing. Dr. Manhattan is portrayed as a detached and distant being from the rest of the people because he doesnt care for anything or anyone but himself. The only reason Jon stuck around was because of his relationship with Laurie. Once that bond was broken, Jon started to change his mindset and leave Earth. Back in the past, Dr. Manhattan had the chance to save a pregnant women from getting shot by the comedian. You coulda changed the gun into steam or

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the bullets into mercury (Moore and Gibbons Ch.2 Pg.15) Instead, he watched The Comedian kill the innocent, pregnant girl. The Comedian was right about how Jon could have stopped all the commotion with Blake killing the innocent pregnant girl. It just shows how much Jon is dehumanized from society and is now his own world, therefore not conveying his image as a hero anymore. Heroes should be admired by the people around them. Rorschach was the total opposite and was hated even by other masked men. Rorschachs personality really took a toll to his hero figure. His actions were very raw and gruesome which killed the hero vibe in him. Walter broke the laws by being a vigilante and what not. It seems that all Walter wanted to do is kill people who got in his way. His past is the main cause of his rough personality since he was heavily abused as a child. When he is masked up as Rorschach, his morals change and he doesnt compromise. With this said, he is not very flexible, which is part of being a hero, not just having it his way. The only relation he was able to build throughout the novel was with Night Owl. Night Owl, also known as Dan Dreiberg, had his moments as a hero, but nothing really carried through. He was too distracted upon having a normal life and tried to give up the whole hero act. Ever since the Keene Act occurred, which outlawed any vigilante activities, Dan retired from being a masked man. Dan was just afraid of going against the law and never really bothered with any hero like activities. He was very humble about Night Owl and was never really one of the stronger masked men. In reality Dan just wanted to be with Laurie, as she also wanted to be with him. Laurie, the second Silk Spectre, was caught up from Dr. Manhattans distant emotions. Because of that, she left Jon and went to Dan for comfort. All Laurie really wanted was love from another individual. Yeah well, at least you were living out your own fantasies. I was living

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out my mothers (Moore and Gibbons Ch.7 Pg.5). Laurie admitted that she disliked being Silk Spectre and how her mom forced her to be a masked men. According to this, it is clear that Laurie was not a true hero. She focused too much on having an intimate relationship. Instead, she caused more problems, such as making Jon change his mind set about saving the world from Adrian Viedts plan. Laurie may have been the key factor in saving the world; after all she was one of the characters that was seen in the majority of the novel. Morality was heavily challenged throughout this whole novel. The Comedian, Edward Blake, was one of the two legally contracted masked adventurers in the novel Watchmen. Just because he was legal to fight crime doesnt mean he was a hero. The Comedian had a messed up mind and had a sort of raw heart. In the past, he tried to rape the first Silk Spectre, which was Lauries mother. Little did Laurie know, The Comedian was her father. Back in the Vietnam War, Blake had killed a pregnant lady, an act that displayed no heroism whatsoever. He takes very destructive actions and could care less about it. When Night owl and The Comedian were caught up in a riot, someone pissed The Comedian off, which set off his temper and started to take action recklessly. He cant tolerate the many people around him. Edward died an unstable individual. He understood all the havoc happening to society but didnt care whatsoever. Adrian Veidt, the mastermind behind this whole corruption, is the one responsible for The Comedians death. Adrian, who was the cause of the whole mass killings and extinctions of the Minutemen, remained successful with his actions of making the world into a Utopia. Although his plan of making a Utopia was hero like, he had to mass kill an entire population to do so. He also killed The Comedian, who may have an idea on interfering with Veidt, therefore The Comedians death

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occurred. The fact that Veidt was happy for his plan of killing a big population of humanity is really disturbing. Where is the hero characteristics in that? So what really defines a hero? A hero should have a true meaning to society and have a pure heart. Heroes are people who we simply admire or look up to. Heroes are also those who protect our loved ones. People in the armed forces should be considered heroes for risking their lives for someone else. In the article What really is a hero anyway?, Mike Dilbeck states, Be an "everyday" person willing to keep your eyes, ears and heart open "every day" to any opportunity that may demand heroism. In other words Mike exclaims that a hero should open up to anything and keep an open mind to different situations. Heroic people are all around society whether it is the firefighters or people in the armed forces. Even parents can obtain that hero characteristics, no matter how you look at it loved ones who inspire can be heroes to. From the article What makes a hero? Philip Zimbardo states, its performed in service to others in need whether thats a person, group, or community or in defense of certain ideals. What Philip illustrates is that heroes can also be determined by performing for others in need of it. Not only for the people, but for anyone that can benefit from the help given. True heroes do exist and they may even be the person that is admired by an individual. In the novel Watchmen, no hero really existed, since they were all morally challenged. I believe that all the main characters in the book did not carry any hero like characteristics, since many were either distracted from one another and let the obvious get the best of themselves. Heroism will never perish, no matter if it is a super hero or an ordinary person. What counts is that there is someone to be that public figure to inspire those around them. Although there are many heroes out there, many are either vastly publicized or anonymously generous to the people. Heroes should always be true to themselves and stay admired by the public.

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Works Cited

Dilbeck, Mike. "What Really Is a Hero, Anyway?" Http://raproject.org/blog/entry/what-really-is a-hero- anyway. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Feb. 2014.

Zimbardo, Philip. "What Makes a Hero?" Greater Good. N.p., 18 Jan. 2011. Web. 16 Feb. 2014.

Moore, Alan, and Dave Gibbons. Watchmen. New York: Warner Books, 1987.

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