Batman: The Killing Joke Themes

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Insanity

The narrative focuses on the fine line between sanity and insanity that delineates the Joker’s perception of the world. Though the villain’s lunacy is attributed to his tragic past he maintains that every individual has their fair share of insanity within them. The Joker is out to bring chaos and cause the people of Gotham to become deranged as he is. He insists that it only takes one bad day for a person to step over the threshold of insanity. This concept drives him to torture Commissioner Gordon into submission and betrays his moral code. He almost pushes the Commissioner to the brink of losing his sanity however Gordon’s resilience allows him to come out the other end unbroken.

Shared Trauma and Pain

The graphic novel goes beyond playing with the idea that Batman and Joker both share a painful past that defines their present selves. Paradoxically, the two characters are not too different as they have known loss and experienced past trauma and pain. The narrative explores the villain’s origin story which portrays him as a law-abiding citizen and a family man. A tragic experience turns him into the notorious villain in the same way the death of Bruce’s parents gave birth to the Batman persona. Their connection is more than a hero-villain relationship since they see themselves in one another. The choices each has made after the life-changing tragedy are what separates their motivations and goals. Other characters including Gordon and Barbara go through a traumatic experience that influences their convictions too.

Crime and Justice

Bruce Wayne dons the Batman persona to bring justice in Gotham, as he has been a victim of crime in his childhood. He is the judge and jury on the mean streets that are crawling with insane criminals such as the Joker. Batman is disposed to ending their lifelong rivalry by aiding the clown prince of crime to recover and cease the criminal activities. Despite the noble intentions of the caped hero, he too understands that crime will always exist and define their world. The characters’ lives are dictated by these two opposing aspects as they are either fighting for justice or engaging in crime.

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