Midnight November 2

"Midnight, November second" (Chapt. 12, Page 7, Panel 2)

Dr. Manhattan and Laurie arrive in New York following this moment. Moore's choice of date is significant because it is all Souls Day according to the Gregorian Calendar. This holiday is considered by Roman Catholics to be a day when all souls who have not been cleansed from sin can be prayed for and therefore forgiven and brought to heaven. In the Watchmen people worldwide are feeling remorse for each other and have let old conflicts, such as the Cold War become subjects of the past.

~"All Souls Day." Women for Faith and Family Home Page. 31 Mar. 2009 .

~"11/01/2006 - 12/01/2006." The Inn at the End of the World. 31 Mar. 2009 .

Heart of Darkness

"If Veidt truly engineering third World War, we are approaching heart of darkness." (Chapt. 11, Page 3, Panel 2)

Rorschach alludes to the Heart of Darkness, by Joseph Conrad, when approaching Veidt in Karnak. People idolize Veidt, considering him the perfect being, while he plots their murder. People in Heart of Darkness build Kurtz's character up to a God like stature, but he is in fact insane and without European morals. When Marlow finally reaches Kurtz, he is insane and going against what many believe is morally correct. Veidt is like Kurtz because he is going against common morals. He also reads the future via television screens, like "the shamanistic tradition of dividing randomly scattered goat innards" (Chapt. 11, Page 2, Panel 1), which is a tribal action.

~Conrad." 01 Apr. 2009 .

The Day the Earth Stood Still

"UTOPIA- THE DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL" (Chapt. 10, Page 13, Panel 9)

This advertisement is referring to the classic science fiction movie made in 1951. The Day the Earth Stood Still, written by Bruce Janson, is about an alien named Klaatu visiting earth to warn the humans that their destructive manner must cease or outer spacial robots will destruct earth. Klaatu proves that this power exist to the people by shutting down electrical power for a day. It takes place after WWII and has a message against atomic threat. The movies coinciding plot and morals to Watchmen are the reason that Moore uses it as a thread throughout the Watchmen.

~"The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951)." The Internet Movie Database (IMDb). 31 Mar. 2009 .

~"YouTube - THE DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL - 1951:KLAATU'S FINAL SPEECH." YouTube - Broadcast Yourself. 31 Mar. 2009 .

Nietzsche

"THE ABYSS GAZES ALSO" (Chapt. 6, Page 2, Panel 1)

This bold statement alludes to the quote "He who fights with monsters should look to it that he himself does not become a monster. And when you gaze long into an abyss the abyss also gazes into you." from Friedrich Nietzsche's Beyond Good and Evil. Nietzsche was a famous philosopher who believed that knowledge is valuable above all else because ignorance is harmful to the self and others. Kovacs admits to becoming Rorschach after he murders Grice, which makes him realize that God does not exist and the wretchedness in the world are at the fault of mankind. Moore considered Rorschach to have Nihilistic views from that moment on, which is proven when he refuses to allow the word to be ignorant of the fact that Veidt is at fault for the lives lost at the end of Watchmen.

~"Beyond Good and Evil — Ch 2." Marxists Internet Archive. 01 Apr. 2009 .

Enlightenment

"Waiting for a flash of enlightenment in all this blood and thunder" (Chapt. 5, Page 6, Panel 7)

This quote is taken from Rorschach's journal shown at the end of a scene replete with a flashing light. This light has a symmetrical design resembling a skull and cross bone symbol. The next scene presents a poster of Buddha in a triangle, which is a reoccurring shape throughout the book. Buddha portrays the journey to personal awareness and the triangle symbolises the rising journey needed to reach this pinnacle of enlightenment. The owner of the Buddha poster has just killed himself and his children. This foreshadows that he was completely aware of the truth, being that a third world war is very likely. The suicide's denotation foreshadowed Veidt's extermination and humanities faults.

Cycles

"Nothing ends Adrain, nothing ever ends" (Chapter 12, Page 27, Panel 5)

This is Dr. Manhattan's reply when Adrain questions whether or not his actions of murdering many innocent people to save humanity is right in the end. Veidt is deeply concerns with this comment, proven by his worried face in the last panel of page 27. Truman's decition to drop atomic bombs on Hioshima and Nagasaki in order to save American lives resembles Veidt's decition, but is less extreme. Humanity repeats their own mitakes throughout history on large and small scales. Adrian realizes that he had been nearsighted while formulating his plans and that he did not entirely save humanity from disaster. Truman's decition did not prevent Veidt decition which contained a larger consequence. This means that the occurance of a similiar disaster has the potential to be highly likely and even greater than the present conflict. He is aware that, even though he can catch a bullet, he is human and cannot prevent future generations from making the same or similiar to the mistake he was trying to prevent.

Werner Heisenberg

"Come...dry your eyes, for you are life, rarer than a quark and unpredictable beyond the dreams of Heisenberg, the clay in which the forces that shape all the things leave their fingerprints most clearly." (Chapt. 9, Page 28, Panel 1)

Werner Heisenberg was a German theorist who made important discoveries dealing with quantum and nuclear physics. He was one of the main researchers for the Fission Project, which attempted to create an atomic bomb for the Germans. The nervous U.S. suspected Germany's success of creating an atomic bomb, so they raced towards the same goal by creating the Manhattan project which consequently produced the bomb that was used in Hiroshima. Moore references Heisenberg partly because his relation to atomic bombs, but also because he was know for his discovery of the uncertainty principal. The principal can be described as the idea that the variables of position and momentum cannot both be precisely measured or predicted. This is a very abstract idea that has repelled other scientists. Dr. Manhattan correlates Laurie to Heisenberg's thoughts on uncertainties on the quantum level to say that life is just as unpredictable and amazing as the variables of momentum and position. This quote exposes a turning point in the novel because the reader, along with Dr. Manhattan, gain a renewed appreciation for humanity.

~"Heisenberg / Uncertainty Principle - Werner Heisenberg and the Uncertainty Principle." The American Institute of Physics -- Physics Publications and Resources. 31 Mar. 2009 .

Strange and Charm

"At play admits the strangeness and charm" (Chapt. 4, Page 1, Panel 4)

This quote is posted in a broken cabinet above pictures of famous physicists including Dr. Manhattan. This is a phrase that alludes to two properties of quarks. A quark is the name for hypothetical subatomic particles which combine to make protons and neutrons. There are six types of quarks named up, down, charm, strange, top and bottom. These components of atoms relate to the atomic bombs threatening humanity in Watchmen. Since Dr. Manhattan's old picture was in this cabinet he partook in the research going into the creation of the atomic bomb. This is ironic because he later works to stop the madness that his research induced.

~"Quarks definition | Dictionary.com." Dictionary.com. 29 Mar. 2009 .

~"The Quark & Jaguar, Quantum Universe." 29 Mar. 2009 .

Owl

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

Dan is speaking of his ship Archie in this panel. Archimedes was a great Greek mathematician, inventor, engineer and astronomer. Moore alludes to Archimedes because Dan uses more technical tools than physical power to help people. The Disney movie Sword in the Stone names the Owl Archimedes because he is very wise. Owls are generally personified as being wise, probably because they perceive so much with their nigh vision and ability to turn their heads. Moore uses Dan's character as a neutral observer who observes many angles of situations. This is Moore's reason for making his emblem an owl.

~"A Magical Time in Merry Old England." Ladytink's Neverland. 29 Mar. 2009 .

~"Archimedes - Crystalinks." Crystalinks Metaphysical and Science Website. 29 Mar. 2009 .

Gratitude

"Gratitude" (Chapt. 7, page 28, 7th panel)

Chapter seven starts with an image of Hollis Mason's mini-statue to foreshadow his death. The foreground of the last panel in the chapter shows this statue again, while trick-or-treaters in the background look onto Hollis Mason's dead body. This death scene is very powerful because it captures the theme of underappreciation for the masked heroes. During the Minute Men's time Hollis Mason was idolized for his reinforcement, but killed by the people he once tryed to help. Another example of this theme is that Veidt thinks he will be honored for his bold extermination, but is instead concidered a vandal. People's opinon of what is right differs so drastically that it makes it hard for a person to help others because that person may not have the same opinion of what is right as the other.

Pale Horse

"Though maybe I'll borrow them for Pale Horse's Madison Squares Garden concerts in early November. They're kinda devo. (Chapt. 7, page 10, panel 2)

Moore has made Pale Horse the name of a band in the Watchmen and ties it into the novel in several ways. It shows up in dialogue, graffiti, posters and logos on the back of some of the Katie Head's jackets. This is a reference to Revelation 6:8. The King James Bible reads "And I looked, and behold a pale horse: and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him. And power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with sword, and with hunger, and with death, and with the beasts of the earth." The Pale Horse is one of the many symbols that foreshadow the destruction Veidt causes later in the novel. Moore is implying Veidt's similarity to the Pale Horse and that he is devo or on the rise.

~"Revelation 6:8 I looked, and behold, an ashen horse; and he who." Online Parallel Bible: Weaving God's Word into the Web. 29 Mar. 2009 .

Gunga Diner

"Gunga Diner" (Chapt. 1, Page 4, Panel 5)

Gunga Diner is a prominent thread in Watchmen and is a reference to Rudyard Kipling's poem, Gunga Din. This poem is about an Indian named Gunga Din who brings British soldiers water during their battles. Gunga Din is a reliable man who "didn't seem to know the use o' fear" (line 37) and helps the speaker when shot even though he has shown Gunga Din no respect or appreciation. At the end of the poem Gunga Din dies and it is said that "'E'll be squattin' on the coals, Givin' drink to poor damned souls, An' I'll get a swig in hell from Gunga Din!"(line 58-60). This means that Gunga Din was not perfect so will be going to hell, but is still appreciated, as proven by the speakers last comment: "Though I've belted you and flayed you, By the livin' Gawd that made you, You're a better man than I am, Gunga Din!(lines 63-65). Moore uses this reference to draw a parallel from Gunga Din to the masked heroes. After the Keene Act the Minute Men had to retire because the idea of helping others by their own morals and not the federal law, society viewed as wrong. Towards the end of Watchmen masked heroes were looked upon by the reader and general population in the book as people who were not perfect, but were trying to help nevertheless. The masked heroes are always around to give the people a sip of water when thirsty.


~"Gunga Din a poem by Rudyard Kipling." Love Poems. A site Dedicated to Poets - Poems - Biography. 29 Mar. 2009 .

Gordian Knot

"Gordian Knot Lock Co." (Chapt. 3, page 8, Panel 1)

The Gordian Knot Lock Company that is often needed by Dan and Moloch to restore their locks broken by Rorschach refers to the Greek legend of the Gordian Knot. This legend tells of an impossibly intricate knot in the square of Phrygia. It was believed that the person who could untie the knot would be the future ruler of Asia. Alexander the Great in 333 B.C. came along and cut apart the knot with his sword. to Once the lock is set Rorschach brakes the door open again by force. This foreshadows that seemingly difficult problems like the World's nuclear tension can be solved by force. Later in the novel Veidt mentions that he idolized Alexander the Great and shows that they have the same mindset when he solves the nuclear problem by force.

~"Untying the Gordian Knot." Mathematical Association of America: MAA Online. 29 Mar. 2009 .

Dachau

"Yeah, well so's Dachau. I'd never forgive somebody who did that." (Chapter 2, Page 2, Panel 1)

In this panel Laurie compares Edward Blake's attempt of raping her mother to Dachau. Dachau was the first Nazi concentration camp built and stood as a model and training center for the following camps that were organised. Laurie's allusion is appropriate because Edward Blake heartlessly killed people in World War II while stationed in Japan. Since Moore uses Dachau to describe Edward Blake's actions proves his opinion that war in general is wrong and unjust. This quote foreshadows Veights extermination of many people in the major cities of the world, because that action is comparable to the Nazis exterminating the Jews in concentration camps. Laurie's allusion is ironic because in the end of the novel she forgave her mother for loving Edward Blake once she witnessed a mass extermination.


~"Dachau (concentration camp, Germany) -- Britannica Online Encyclopedia." Encyclopedia - Britannica Online Encyclopedia. 24 Mar. 2009 .

~"Dachau Concentration Camp - Liberation April 29,1945 Timeline Dachau." Judicial Inc is now Judicial-Inc.Org. 24 Mar. 2009 .