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comment by kleinbl00
kleinbl00  ·  3693 days ago  ·  link  ·    ·  parent  ·  post: Hubski Book Club: Watchmen Discussion Part 1 [final discussion March 1st]

The Black Freighter is an allegory that serves the dual purpose of putting you in a distracted state while the authors perform some sleight of hand while also parodying the verbose fashion in which epic tales boil down to "it was all a stupid mistake."

You don't need to follow the Black Freighter. It's supposed to be over the top, empty, overly gory and vulgar and ultimately futile.





veen  ·  3693 days ago  ·  link  ·  

    You don't need to follow the Black Freighter.

Phew. I quite liked it as a narrative device, both in creating a frame story that makes the main story seem more realistic and in its narrative parallels with the main arc. But they were always the parts I needed to read twice to understand what was actually happening. I wasn't sure if that was because it surpassed my English abilities or because it was meant to be that way.

briandmyers  ·  3693 days ago  ·  link  ·  

KB is right, you don't need to follow the Black Freighter - but I'll admit, it was only on this re-reading that I realised whose story the Black Freighter is meant to parallel (at least, I think I know). But further discussion of that realisation will have to wait for the full discussion. Or I could add a spoiler, to block it for those who haven't finished it yet.

I think the Black Freighter parallels Adrian's story, especially the justifications of his monstrous actions; and the final futility in BF is much more obvious than in the primary narrative. Adrian only realises he is damned when Jon says "nothing ever ends".