The Importance of Alan Moore's Watchmen's Nostalgia Bottle

Nostalgia and its Meaning in Watchmen

Nostalgia is described as wishful thinking that causes a person to want to return to a time in history that gave them a sense of contentment and happiness. This account may contain people, places, or things.<\/p>

Symbolism of Laurie's Nostalgia

The meaning of Alan Moore's Watchmen Nostalgia bottle can be seen in the emotions of different characters, especially Laurie. The author is adamant to demonstrate how Laurie's nostalgia is depleted by using the symbolism of a shattered bottle of nostalgia perfume. Her nostalgia has drained her completely, leaving her shattered and hollow. To begin, the author tells the story of a bottle of nostalgia floating in the middle of a field of stars. This bottle that is being talked about in the narration signifies Laurie's memories because her past is not exactly what she believed it was. Secondly, the author uses imagery by showing the snow globe smashing near the feet of Laurie and Schexnayder. The smash will again be seen later in the nostalgia perfume bottle and was symbolizing how Laurie's beliefs on her heritage were going to be shattered. She has grown up believing that her father was Hooded Justice who is her mother's husband. This is not true because the primary reason why her mother Sally Jupiter and Hooded Justice are in a relationship is that Justice wants to cover up his homosexuality nature. She later finds out that her father was Blake, a rapist who defiled her mother. Laurie is also seen unscrewing the lid of the bottle of the Nostalgia perfume, and this signifies the purging of the Nostalgia that had lived in her, and it has left now because the truth is now clear. She now knows that Blake is her father and he is also responsible for the crime of rape he committed against her mother.<\/p>

Reflection of Memories

Also, the audience is led to understand that there was a reflection of Laurie's adult face in the bottle of Nostalgia perfume. It leads the audience to remember the earlier reflection of her face in the snow globe in one of her earliest memories. All these significant events have been cultivated from the beginning of the chapter. For instance, when she found and broke the snow globe, is almost the same thing that occurs when the Nostalgia perfume container tumbles down towards Manhattan's fortress where it smashes, relating everything to the first memory. This first sign of the nostalgia bottle in Alan Moore's book is that as the story develops, the reader gets to understand that the primary reason why people exist is to ensure that they kindle a light which will bring a lot of meaning in their darkness.<\/p>

Laurie's Past and Dan Dreiberg

The old events get the better part of Laurie and it talks to her and ensure that all her past is brought to light unlike Dan Dreiberg, whose past has not been discussed. The reader gets to learn only a few facts about his background from other characters' conversations and flashbacks. This information is not given because he does not need it as there is no secrets and mystery to this character.<\/p>

The Symbolism of the Nostalgia Perfume

It is also paramount to understand that this Nostalgia perfume is drawn on the cover image which is the first panel of the entire story as it appears everywhere in the narration. This perfume is also Sally Jupiter's best fragrance meaning that she highly values the life of her daughter Laurie. Sally later on gives the bottle of nostalgia perfume to Laurie and it consequently becomes a tool of connection between the two. The tumbling bottle of this perfume is symbolic because it shows the journey Laurie will embark on through her memories. On page 8, Sally gives Laurie a comment insinuating that she is fragile. This comment can be equated to the falling bottle of the nostalgia perfume. This bottle symbolizes the delicate nature of her memories. They are too sensitive particularly in the climax of the story when she gets to learn more about her heritage and the colored relation with her mother and the relationship she had with Blake.<\/p>

Symbolism of Shattering and Spilling

The symbolism of the contents spilling out of the bottle into the red world is the same action seen when the snowball falls and spills its water all over the floor, and Byron's spilled a drink. The scattering of these contents from these important containers symbolizes various events like the troubled marriage between Schexnayder and sally. It also symbolizes the shattered relationship between Sally and Laurie especially when Sally tries to force her into the costumed lifestyle she disliked. The shattering experience can also signify the dreams of the superheroes which were shattered in the end \u201c\u2026 [All] those years we worked our asses [off] \u2026 [what] did we achieve?\u201d (11). The shattering can also be seen in Laurie's life when she learned the truth about her past life and her current life. Byron's spilled drink which is closely connected the spilling contents of the nostalgia perfume, also signifying the end of the flashback.<\/p>

Work Cited

Moore, Alan and Dave Gibons. Watchmen. NewYork: DC Comics, 2013.