“Stood in firelight, sweltering. Bloodstain on chest like map of violent new continent. Felt cleansed. Felt dark planet turn under my feet and knew what cats know that makes them scream like babies in night.
Looked at sky through smoke heavy with human fat and God was not there. The cold, suffocating dark goes on forever and we are alone. Live our lives, lacking anything better to do. Devise reason later. Born from oblivion; bear children, hell-bound as ourselves, go into oblivion. There is nothing else.
Existence is random. Has no pattern save what we imagine after staring at it for too long. No meaning save what we choose to impose. This rudderless world is not shaped by vague metaphysical forces. It is not God who kills the children. Not fate that butchers them or destiny that feeds them to the dogs. It’s us. Only us. Streets stank of fire. The void breathed hard on my heart, turning its illusions to ice, shattering them. Was reborn then, free to scrawl own design on this morally blank world.
Was Rorschach.
Does that answer your Questions, Doctor?”
This quote is from the graphic novel “Watchmen” by Alan Moore, originally published in 1986-1987. The story is set in an alternate history where superheroes emerged in the 1940s and 1960s, influencing the course of history. However, in 1985, when the story primarily takes place, superheroes have been outlawed, and the world is on the brink of a nuclear war between the United States and the Soviet Union.
The quote itself is told by the character Rorschach, a vigilante who continues to operate outside the law and it is part of Rorschach’s journal entry after a particularly traumatic event in his life. The quote delves into Rorschach’s nihilistic and existential perspective on life and the world.
In the story, Rorschach investigates the murder of a man named Edward Blake, who is revealed to be the superhero known as the Comedian. During his investigation, Rorschach comes across a particular crime scene that deeply affects him. He describes standing in the firelight, feeling cleansed by the experience, and compares the bloodstain on his chest to a map of a “violent new continent,” symbolizing a transformative moment in his life.
Rorschach’s realization is bleak and pessimistic. He concludes that there is no God or higher power guiding the world, and that existence is meaningless and random. He believes that humans are alone in a cold, dark universe and that any meaning or purpose in life is merely imposed by individuals themselves.
He goes on to state that the horrors and cruelties of the world are not caused by metaphysical forces like God, fate, or destiny, but rather by human beings themselves. This realization leads him to feel “reborn” and free to shape his own morality in a world he sees as “morally blank.”
The quote ends with Rorschach questioning if his explanation answers the doctor’s questions, implying that he may be recounting this experience to a psychiatrist or psychologist.
This passage highlights Rorschach’s grim worldview and his belief that individuals must create their own meaning and morality in a universe devoid of inherent purpose. It also showcases his mental state and the impact of the traumatic events he has witnessed and experienced as a vigilante.
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