Watchmen Seminar Notes Essay Example

Watchmen Seminar Notes Essay Example Watchmen Seminar Notes Paper Watchmen Seminar Notes Paper Essay Topic: Watchmen Summary Chapter one opens with the death of Edward Blake. It becomes apparent that the cause of death had been that he was thrown from his apartment by an unknown suspect. The chapter Is picked up In the point of view of two detectives who are investigating the crime scene and discuss several motives for the burglary/murder. Soon after, the point of view is turned over to Rorschach, a mysterious man who is identified by the police as an outlaw of sorts. After investigating the crime scene, Rorschach uncovers that Edward Blake is the true identity of the masked hero known s the Comedian: a former Minuteman. From there, Rorschach spends the remainder of the chapter going to extreme lengths in order to discover who it was that eliminated the Comedian, as well as his motives for doing so. In this process we get to really glimpse Into Rorschach mindset (with occasional cutaways to Rorschach journal entries) as well as accurately weigh his morals (egg. In one instance, he even goes to extreme lengths as to break a mans fingers In order to uncover the truth of the Comedians death). We are also Introduced to many key characters such as Adrian Veldt, Daniel Dribbler, Dry. Manhattan (the big blue man), and Laurie Jupiter: all retired Minutemen ;death of the Comedian (raises the question of motives and suspects; leads the direction of the novel) Character Analysis Rorschach -Rorschach is a reclusive detective and a former member of the Minutemen. His inner monologue is fairly dark and cynical. He thinks of his city as a gutter (sit hole) and feels that it is his job to clean the streets. Although we dont learn much about Rorschach origin at first, he is first introduced as a sort of vigilante by detectives investigating the murder of Eddie Blake. From the detectives conversation, we learn that he Is crazier than a snakes armpit. They Imply that he Is morbidly fascinated In crime cases, and that he goes through violent means to solve them. When we finally see Rorschach in the novel, we see him as a dark and mysterious man who takes it upon himself to solve Eddie Flakes murder. Upon investigating, Rorschach finds that Eddie Blake is the Comedian, another former member of the Minutemen. This gives Rorschach incentive to keep investigating the murder because he fears for former masked heroes who are his friends (including himself? He shows no superhuman qualities, but through his investigations and his interactions with others we learn that he is very inquisitive and can easily piece things together to get to a final decision. -p. 14-16 breaks a mans fingers trying to find out what happened to the Comedian. Exemplifies the measures heed go through (and hes actually bricklaying INSANE) he doesnt know the man, hes not even a susp ect, but he still broke his fingers In hopes that someone will speak out and tell him what he needs. ;journal entries -?+ snows Nils Inner angst an 3. Page Analysis entreat Tort ten world en lives In -beginning/ending (parallels, adds drama) -p. L dialogue is eerie and unsettling, carries a lot of drama and sets the tone of the novel (focused on button) -final page dialogue is more light hearted, however the presence of the button reminds the audience that there is still a lot of drama taking place despite the fact that they (Derriere and Jupiter) are not at the center of it. Symbols/Themes -Rorschach mask -Comedians button Discussion questions significance of Comedians button? Rorschach mask? Why he wears it? Motivation to kill Eddie?

The Inside Scoop on the Watergate Scandal

The Inside Scoop on the Watergate Scandal The Watergate scandal was a defining moment in American politics and led the resignation of President Richard Nixon and the indictments of several of his advisers. The Watergate scandal was also a watershed moment for how journalism was practiced in the United States. The scandal takes its name from the Watergate complex in Washington, D.C. The Watergate hotel was the site of a June 1972 break-in at the Democratic National Committee headquarters. Five men were arrested and indicted for breaking and entering: Virgilio Gonzlez, Bernard Barker, James W. McCord, Jr., Eugenio Martà ­nez and Frank Sturgis. Two other men tied to Nixon, E. Howard Hunt, Jr. and G. Gordon Liddy, were hit with conspiracy, burglary, and violation of federal wiretapping laws. All seven men were either directly or indirectly employed by Nixons Committee to Re-elect the President (CRP, sometimes referred to as CREEP). The five were tried and convicted in January 1973.The indictments occurred as Nixon was running for re-election in 1972. He defeated Democratic opponent George McGovern. Nixon was certain to be impeached and convicted in 1974, but the 37th president of the United States resigned before he was to face prosecution. Details of the Watergate Scandal Investigations by the FBI, the Senate Watergate Committee, the House Judiciary Committee and the press (specifically Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein of The Washington Post) revealed the break-in was one of several illegal activities authorized and carried out by Nixons staff. These illegal activities included campaign fraud, political espionage and sabotage, illegal break-ins, improper tax audits, illegal wiretapping, and a laundered slush fund used to pay those who conducted these operations.Washington Post reporters Woodward and Bernstein relied on anonymous sources as their investigation revealed that knowledge of the break-in and its to cover-up reached into the Justice Department, the FBI, the CIA, and the White House. The primary anonymous source was an individual they nicknamed Deep Throat; in 2005, former Deputy Director of the FBI William Mark Felt, Sr., admitted to being Deep Throat. Watergate Scandal Timeline In February 1973, the U.S. Senate unanimously approved a resolution that impaneled the Senate Select Committee on Presidential Campaign Activities to investigate the Watergate burglary. Chaired by Democratic U.S. Sen. Sam Ervin, the committee held public hearings that became known as the Watergate Hearings.In April 1973, Nixon asked for the resignation of two of his most influential aides, H. R. Haldeman and John Ehrlichman; both were indicted and went to prison. Nixon also fired White House Counsel John Dean. In May, Attorney General Elliot Richardson appointed a special prosecutor, Archibald Cox.The Senate Watergate hearings were broadcast from May to August 1973. After the first week of the hearings, the three networks rotated daily coverage; the networks broadcast 319 hours of television, a record for a single event. However, all three networks carried the nearly 30 hours of testimony by former White House counsel John Dean.After two years of investigations, evidence implicating Nixon and his staff grew, including the existence of a tape recording system in Nixons office. In October 1973, Nixon fired special prosecutor Cox after he subpoenaed the tapes. This act prompted the resignations of Attorney General Elliot Richardson and Deputy Attorney General William Ruckelshaus. The press labeled this the Saturday Night Massacre.In February 1974, the U.S. House of Representatives authorized the House Judiciary Committee to investigate whether sufficient grounds existed to impeach Nixon. Three articles of impeachment were approved by the Committee, recommending that the House begin formal impeachment proceedings against President Richard M. Nixon. Court Rules Against Nixon In July 1974, the U.S. Supreme Court unanimously ruled that Nixon had to hand over the tapes to investigators. These recordings further implicated Nixon and his aides. On   July 30,  1974, he complied. Ten days after handing over the tapes, Nixon quit, becoming the only U.S. President to have resigned from office. The additional pressure: impeachment proceedings in the House of Representatives and certainty of a conviction in the Senate. The Pardon On   September 8, 1974, President Gerald Ford granted Nixon a full and unconditional pardon for any crimes he may have committed while President. Memorable Lines Republican U.S. Sen. Howard Baker asked, What did the President know, and when did he know it? It was the first question that focused on Nixons role in the scandal. Sources Watergate - Museum.tvNixon Forces Firing of Cox; Richardson, Ruckelshaus Quit - Washington Post