Watchmen paper

[TheComedian]

Hi guys, I'm currently a senior in high school and my english teacher has given me the green light to do Watchmen for my research paper. My only problem is I do not know what to write it about. He tells me that it needs use literary devices such as symbolism or irony. I originally wanted to base my paper on analyzing each individual characters morals, but was told that it wasn't a literary device. I was hoping that maybe some of you guys could help me out and suggest a few topics for my paper and maybe a good thesis statement. It HAS to use a literary device though. Thanks.

 

[Spidey-Bat]

I've not finished reading it but this might help you out.
http://www.capnwacky.com/rj/watchmen/universal.html

 

[Kane52630]

or if you have some money or a library read this book
http://www.amazon.com/Watchmen-Philosophy-Rorschach-Blackwell-Culture/dp/0470396857

 

[Spidey-Bat]

May be a bit late, but how about using Rorschach's mask as a symbol? His mask is so integral to his character that you could basically write about the character and just say his mask symbolizes that.

I think your teacher is being a bit restrictive as the characters themselves are symbols but you have to make due so try that idea if you can.

 

[Zor]

I will preface this by saying I am not an expert in literary devices.

Probably the easiest literary device in Watchmen to write about is the use of the "story within a story" of Tales of the Black Freighter and its foreshadowing of the fate of Veidt and as a metaphor for the moral dilemmas presented in Watchmen.

Rorschach is a symbol for the philosophies of moral absolutism and moral objectivism, and Alan Moore patterned him after Steve Ditko's characters The Question and Mr. A., both meant as symbols of these views. Veidt appears to be a symbol of moral relativism and subjectivism. I believe Moore uses the two characters as symbols to illustrate the strengths and weaknesses of how each of these philosophies plays out.

Of course, Watchmen greatly uses the literary device of flashbacks to develop each of the characters; perhaps the angle of discussing the psychology of each of the characters can be approached by analyzing the use of the flashbacks in Watchmen to show how that psychology determined the decision-making of each of the characters when presented with the reality of the Squid.

Good luck with your paper.