Whitney's recreational reading |
Watchmen
Well, that's not quite true. Dr. Manhattan, aka Jon Osterman, could be positioned as many different characters, philosophies, or theological beings. Jon Osterman as albert einsteinThe title of Chapter 4: "Watchmaker", comes from an Albert Einstein quote. "The release of atom power has changed everything except our way of thinking...The solution to this problem lies in the heart of mankind. If only I had known, I should have become a watchmaker." Jon's flashbacks reveal that he was on the way to becoming a watchmaker like his father, until "the release of atom power...changed everything". His father says, "These are no times for a repairer of watches...This changes everything! There will be more bombs. They are the future. Shall my son follow me into an obsolete trade?" (Moore 113). Albert Einstein wrote a letter to the President with a desire to explore atom power in fear of Germany accessing it first. Then the bombs fell on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, and he immediately regretted his encouragement. In the comic, Jon has enthusiastically worked his way up to a plant at Gila Flats, Arizona, but then his body is obliterated by nuclear power, and he becomes Dr. Manhattan. Jon and Einstein also studied at Princeton. Jon Osterman as the decline of science from healer to executioner
JOn Osterman as GodThe most vital element to understanding Jon Osterman is to understand his position as God. Chapter 3 is titled "The Judge of All the Earth", and it comes from a quote in Genesis: "Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?" (Genesis chapter 18, verse 25). Jon also has a Christ-like scene of death and resurrection; the nuclear power "takes him to pieces", and he dies with his arms outstretched. He appears again in the same position as Jesus on the cross. Later after his rebirth, he tells Janey, "I don't think there is a god, Janey. If there is, I'm not him," but he admits that he lied to her while rethinking his life in the present. Jon is also omnipresent in his sense of time. He has the ability to see all of eternity at once. Jon uses present-tense verbs to discuss his past, and he says that in 1959, "as [he] lie(s), [he] hears her shouting at [him] in 1963; sobbing in 1966" (Moore 121). Professor Milton Glass, Jon's old boss, puts it best: "I never said ["The superman exists and he's American"], although I do recall saying something similar to a persistent reporter who would not leave without a quote. I presume the remark was edited or toned down so as not to offend public sensibilities; in any event, I never said 'The superman exists and he's American'. What I said was 'God exists and he's American'" (Moore 141). The Combined Effect of These positioningsMy interpretation of Dr. Manhattan is heavily dependent on the multiple translations of his character. Watchmen is a religious novel if he is God, and a scientific commentary if he is Einstein. No--my interpretation leads to a criticism of the U.S. government's willingness to play God with the weapons at their disposal. In Watchmen, America has a god-like being under their control, and he is used to terrorize other countries into staying out of America's way. It uses science to inspire fear rather that awe, and it is successful.
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Alan MooreAlan Moore is perhaps the most acclaimed writer in the graphic story medium, having garnered countless awards for such works as V for Vendetta, From Hell, Miraclman, and SWAMP THING. He's also the mastermind behind the America's Best Comics line, through with he has created (along with many talented illustrators) The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, Promethea, Tom Strong, Tommorow Stories, and Top Ten. As one of the medium's most important innovators since the early 1980s, Moore has influenced an entire generation of comics creators, and his work continues to inspire an ever-growing audience. Moore resides in central England. Archives
May 2015
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