Same Reality, Different Dimensions Samuel Johnson’s London and Christopher Nolan’s Gotham Samuel Johnson’s poem London (1738) is written in the form of an imitation of Juvenal’s Third Satire, and critiques the corruption and moral perversion that has arisen after leaving the glorious days of the Renaissance far behind. The speaker of the poem, Thales, aligns himself with left wing politics and propounds the need for a revolution in the near future which would bring about a complete change in London’s current state of affairs. A similar view of corruption and the need for revolutionary action is depicted in Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight trilogy. The city of London and Gotham are comparable in terms of their moral decadence. In both cities, one witnesses corruption, and at the same time, realises the need for mass rebellion and vigilante justice. Johnson describes London as a place where “Malice, Rapine, Accident conspire”. Thales is most critical about foreign elements influencing British society and believes that the French and Spanish people who come and reside in London are responsible for shifting the boundaries of ethics and morality. Johnson is also against the Walpole government, and attacks it with allegations of favouritism, nepotism and a callous attitude towards the citizens. As Harriet Raghunathan states in her introduction to Johnson in the Worldview Critical Edition of the poem, “everyday life is a battle, in which the individual strives to maintain his integrity in the face of an insidious moral invasion, as a country tries to avoid military or political capitulation. England is now a mercantile capitalist country and this is reflected in Johnson’s picture of pervasive mercenary values and the competition and struggle everywhere apparent in the poem.” Christopher Nolan’s Gotham is also a city exposed to chaos and anarchy, where criminals like the Joker and Bane are able to suppress the masses and create an atmosphere of apocalyptic frenzy. In Matthew Arnold’s terms, the Joker and Bane symbolize the populace “doing as they like.” It is a populace as the “sterner self,” which “likes bawling, hustling and smashing”. In The Dark Knight (2008), the villainous Joker posits a Nietzschean allusion. Early in the film, he states, “I believe whatever doesn’t kill you simply makes you . . . stranger”. This line is a punning adaptation of the familiar Nietzschean aphorism, “What does not kill me makes me stronger.” This allusion invites the viewer to consider the different aspects of the human struggle to maintain order against nihilism and chaos. It may suggest that while the city’s corruption and amorality may not kill the citizens, it will ignite in them the strength and fervour to bring about a revolution. Thales, as the speaker of London, assumes a vanguard position by remarking on the shortcomings of political institutions and encouraging citizens to unite in protest. His vision of an ideal place is the countryside, which is still untarnished by moral corruption and is free of the foreign influences of the French. Thales is able to inspire because he is a citizen of London himself and thus harbours a sense of belonging and goodwill towards the city. In a way, he illustrates the link between the personal and the political. Because he is poor and unrewarded, with all his wealth dissipated, he is able to feel strongly for the Londoners. Since the whole land is in need of rejuvenation, the degenerate creatures must be replaced by such men who will prefer a virtuous simplicity to corrupting luxury, cultivate sturdy independence instead of a sycophantic dependence and bring to moral ugliness and decay, a new vitality and beauty. In Gotham, this role is taken up by Batman. However, he, as a vigilante, operates outside of the law. Batman seeks law, order, and justice for Gotham and its citizens; such is his justification for acting outside the law. In the first movie (Batman Begins, 2005) itself, the fact that it is necessary to sometimes step outside the rules of society in order to save it is established clearly. During his training Ducard tells Bruce, “Crime cannot be tolerated. Criminals thrive on the indulgence of society’s understanding.” Like Thales, Batman is also accepted as a defender of justice because of his own personal experiences. Having seen his own parents being shot and murdered and being orphaned at a young age forces Vol 1.1
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