English SL

In 500-800 words examine how Rorschach functions as a Rorschach for the graphic novel’s thematic
arc.

Rorschach is the graphic novel’s main protagonist and it is through his narration, by way of his
journal, that the events of the novel progress. Hence his character’s traits and beliefs are extremely
crucial to the novel’s thematic arc. His is uncompromisingly moralistic and adheres to an objective
binary between right and wrong and yet at the same time he is mentally disturbed and deranged.
The mask that he wears, inspired from the subjective ink-blot tests, is a part of his character and can
be said to be a rendition of his interpretation of the world. The mask acts as a representative of the
‘abyss’, which has created Rorschach, and thus is a function of the nihilistic and cynical worldview
adopted by the narrator.

The ‘abyss’ in the novel is portrayed to be the origin of all the world’s horrors and miseries and the
apocalyptic atmosphere and the idea of annihilation is linked to this concept of the ‘abyss’. Thus it is
only fitting that a character like Kovacs, who has suffered so much and has been subject to so much
torment, is appealed by the abyss. His childhood, in which he is rejected by his mother and insulted
by society, and the two incidences which he narrates to the prison psychoanalyst have destroyed his
faith in society’s morality and hence it is only natural that he is lured by the belief in ‘nothingness’ of
the abyss. The mask to him represents Rorschach and the mask to Rorschach represents the abyss
that he is looking into. It is also telling that Dr. Long, the psychoanalyst, after being influenced by
Rorschach’s ideas, is only able to see ‘meaningless empty blackness’ in the Rorschach ink-blots, a
reference to the abyss. Thus the mask serves to absorb Rorschach into the thematic arc of the novel
by portraying his cynicism and disillusionment, themes attributable to it being a representee of the
abyss.

The changing patterns of Rorschach’s mask also tie into the thematic arc as they can be viewed as
the abyss’s reaction or judgement upon seeing the actions of evil doers. The title of Chapter VI, “The
Abyss Gazes Also”, which deals with Kovac’s transformation into Rorschach upon being exposed to
the horrors of society, can be seen in this context. This supports the viewpoint that Rorschach’s
mask is a re-projection of the abyss that he shows to society. Rorschach’s journal is filled with
various allegories of the abyss judging humanity’s evils through the mask. Journal entries like
“Beneath me, this awful city…” and “The accumulated filth…and all the whores and politicians will
look up and shout ‘save us’ and I’ll look down and whisper ‘no’…” are indicative of his mask, and
through it the abyss, occupying a higher ground for judging and assessing society’s corruption. Thus
the abyss acts as an interpreter of the world’s evils through Rorschach’s mask and its cynical
interpretations contribute to the novel’s nihilistic and disillusioned thematic arc.