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Laurence Schexnayder
Malcolm Long is a psychiatrist who interviews Rorschach several times while he is in prison. Long is initially determined to psychoanalyze and cure Rorschach, since such a success would make him famous. However, rather than rehabilitating Rorschach into a healthy, positive person, Rorschach’s description of the world he’s seen causes Long to become increasingly nihilistic and disturbed, just like Rorschach.
Dr. Malcolm Long Quotes in Watchmen
The Watchmen quotes below are all either spoken by Dr. Malcolm Long or refer to Dr. Malcolm Long. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
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Chapter 6: The Abyss Gazes Also Quotes
Black and white. Moving. Changing shape… But not mixing. No gray. Very, very beautiful.
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In prison, Rorschach tells the psychiatrist Malcolm Long about the material his mask is made of: two layers of white material, with a black liquid layer between, so that the black shapes flow around but never lose their pure color. Rorschach’s mask symbolizes his view of the world. The firm divide between colors symbolizes how, from his perspective, everyone and everything divides clearly into good and evil, with no middle ground or compromise; morality stays as black-and-white as his mask. However, the moving shapes of black suggests that Rorschach’s standards of what is good and what is evil constantly shift—they Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a.
[The Comedian] understood man’s capacity for horrors and never quit. Saw the world’s black underbelly and never surrendered. Once a man has seen, he can never turn his back on it. Never pretend it doesn’t exist. No matter who orders him to look the other way. We do not do this thing because it is permitted. We do it because we are compelled.
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While Rorschach is in prison, he explains his view of the world to psychiatrist Malcolm Long. Notably, Rorschach feels the same nihilism that drives the Comedian to act terribly and selfishly, but he sees it as a motivation, rather than something to run from. Although most other characters cower from looking at the horrors of the world and do little to stop them, Rorschach finds his sense of purpose from enduring and punishing a horrific world. In this way, Rorschach paradoxically turns the world’s terrifying lack of meaning into his own sense of purpose—he subverts the nihilistic impulse by committing Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Molli
Shock of impact ran along my arm. Jet of warmth spattered on chest, like hot faucet. It was Kovacs who said “mother” then, muffled under latex. It was Kovacs who closed his eyes. It was Rorschach who opened them again.
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Dr. Long asks Rorschach to describe how he came to be this vigilante persona, so Rorschach tells him about killing a man who kidnapped and butchered a little girl and fed her to his dogs. This scene reveals Rorschach’s transformation, the moment when he stopped being Walter Kovacs and took Rorschach as his primary identity. Rorschach says that, as Kovacs, he strikes the dog, feels its blood spray against him. He closes his eyes and says “mother,” suggesting that he feels some level of hesitation and fear, perhaps even revulsion at the gruesome act he is committing. This suggests that Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus quo. Non inventore in. Eligendi atque placeat. Molestiae earum eum. Libero sit beatae. At
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.
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Rorschach ends his final meeting with Dr. Long by pronouncing that there is no God, no outside force responsible for the world’s horrific nature—only human beings. Dr. Long leaves, horrified. Rorschach’s atheistic, nihilistic pronouncement mirrors both Jon’s and Blake’s similar statements, arguing that the world is too horrific for any guiding force to possibly exist. Notably, however, Rorschach’s pronouncement carries a certain element of personal responsibility. While both Blake and Jon recognize that humanity does terrible things, Rorschach calls that humanity “us,” implying that he views himself as one part of it, equally culpable for all of the crime and Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. M
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Dr. Malcolm Long Character Timeline in Watchmen
The timeline below shows where the character Dr. Malcolm Long appears in Watchmen. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Chapter 6: The Abyss Gazes Also
“From the notes of Dr. Malcolm Long. October 25th, 1985”: Dr. Long, a psychiatrist, holds his first interview with Walter Kovacs,...
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Long states that Kovacs was born in 1940 to Sylvia Glick. His father is unknown. Everyone...
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Dr. Long writes notes in his study, late at night. After Walter attacked the boys, the government...
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The next day, Dr. Long interviews Kovacs again. He calls him “Walter” and asks him to talk about Rorschach. Kovacs...
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...himself a “face” he can finally bear to look at: his mask. In prison, Dr. Long tries to convince Kovacs that not all people are rotten. Kovacs tells Long that Long...
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Later, the deputy warden calls Long to tell him that Kovacs attacked an inmate in the cafeteria. The inmate was about...
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“From the notes of Dr. Malcolm Long. October 27th, 1985”: Kovacs says he felt like he had to become Rorschach, but...
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As Malcolm Long’s notes continue the next day, Kovacs reveals everything to Long. Long gives Kovacs the...
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...and as Rorschach, he can leave his own mark on it as well. Disturbed, Dr. Long leaves the interview.
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“From the notes of Dr. Malcolm Long. October 28th, 1985”: Long walks home, bothered by news of war in the Middle...
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Malcolm Long sits on his bed and stares at a Rorschach blot. He tries to see...
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Chapter 11: Look on My Works, Ye Mighty…
On the street corner, Gloria Long asks the news vendor if he’s seen her husband. They talk briefly, but she spots...
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On the street corner, Gloria finds Malcolm and tells him that she wants him back. She misses him. In the background, Joey...
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...named Bernard. The other man doesn’t care, though. He notices Joey beating up Aline, with Malcolm intervening, just as Detective Steven Fine arrives as well.
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