motifs

So, for the project in class last time, my partner and I chose the motif of “circles.” We found quite a few: the turn-around outside of the gym, a sewer drain cover, the signs for the parking lots, a plaque on the library, the bell on the library green, handicap door buttons, etc. And when we got back, that was also one of the motifs to look for in Watchmen, and we also found a lot there: the smiley face, the craters on Mars/Mars itself, Ozymandias’s dome, the owl ship, the Doomsday Clock (and other clocks throughout), Jon’s glass domain on Mars, the hydrogen atom symbol on Jon’s forehead. I was actually surprised at the amount we found. We decided that the circular motif represented the cyclical nature of both the plot and the characters (in that they are going down the same path and making the same mistakes as the older generation of heroes). Also, we saw the characters as being caught in a sort of “circle of fear” that they cannot break out of. And I think that the heroes’ sphere of influence is also an important link to circularity – when they were in their prime, their sphere of influence was very widespread; they could go anywhere, do just about anything, but now that sphere is shrinking rapidly. They no longer have the same popular following (just think of Hollis Mason’s murder) and leeway with the public that they used to.

I really didn’t expect to find that many connections, but there they are. Interesting. I think I like analyzing this book better than I did actually reading it...