Why was Rorschach willing to forgive The Comedian's “moral lapse” with Sally Jupiter?

Question

I do not have the book with me now so I cannot get the direct quote but when Laurie Juspeczyk confirms that The Comedian sexually assaulted Sally Jupiter, Rorschach dismisses the incident saying that he won't speculate on the temporary moral lapse of a man in service to his country.

It is obvious that Rorschach is not bothered by some excess in the cause of fighting the "bad guys", and so it makes sense that he could overlook The Comedian's brutality on the job.

However, Rorschach seems to maintain a pretty uncompromising moral standard about good and bad, given that Sally Jupiter was not a "bad guy" and sexually assaulting her was not for the cause of justice, why was Rorschach willing to forgive The Comedian for the assault?

Answer 1

Rorschach also stated in both the comic book and in the movie that he thought the original Silk Specter (Sally Jupiter) was a bloated whore. Knowing what we know of Rorschach's past, whose own mother was a whore, he probably feels either ambivalent, or he doesn't actually see it as a crime. Remember that Rorschach walked the streets of New York where hookers and whores were 'displaying their wares' and did nothing. Perhaps, in his mind, neither is a crime or, better yet, they're getting what they deserve without his involvement.

It is a good question. He did execute a rapist and leave his dead body on a police station front porch. Why not the Comedian, who was if not as bad, than worse than some other criminals? Perhaps Rorschach also had some professional 'respect' for the Comedian, whom he saw as something close to an equal. Remember that Rorschach acknowledged that he himself isn't a good person either; he's a monster just like everyone else.

Answer 2

Despite it often being claimed that Rorschach's moral world is seen only in terms of Black and White (His mask being the manifestation of this), it cold actually be observed that he only operates in relative Grays. Remember also, those black and white areas are constantly shifting their boundaries, in endless flux.

For what is a fundamentally psychotic character, the idea that the world can only be gauged on such an extreme spectrum is actually a type of cover, a way for Rorschach to enable his own behavior through a supposed ethical structure (however warped such a structure may be).

As Jersey pointed out,

Remember that Rorschach walked the streets of New York where hookers and whores were 'displaying their wares' and did nothing. Perhaps, in his mind, neither is a crime or [...]

The man isn't exactly a law dispenser; he is relatively literate of the law, but not to the extent of a professional enforcer, nor does he seem to be litigious himself. So, as you've noted yourself, his 'good-bad' spectrum is something entirely subjective, and is defined by his own code of behavior: which is both autonomous of and distinctly separate to the norms of society.

Given his mother's occupation, his total disenfranchisement, his penchant for masculine violence (if such a thing is so readily accepted) and his psychosis itself, is it any wonder he holds such little regard for a 'Bloated whore'.

Rorschach, as a Darkened Mirror to Dr Manhattan, seems to perceive and organize his experiences of reality in a lateral, dispassionate way. The violation of a human body is, as he himself notes, a 'moral lapse', but considering the Hallowed nature of The Comedians many achievement (not to mention a certain amount of sympathy for his philosophy) would perhaps allow him to dismiss the incident as trivial.

Answer 3

Rorschach probably felt that the Hooded Justice had already administered a suitable punishment. The fact that Sally later had a relationship with the man who had tried to rape her would make it difficult to feel too much moral outrage.

Answer 4

Simply: Rorschach is insane and his agenda constantly shifts based on what is happening. He doesn't see black and white unless it suits his need to kill. Many times in the book, he makes contradictory statements about one thing or another once you read it a few times.

Answer 5

Everyone has talked about how insane Rorschach was, but did it never occur to them that he knew something deeper about the Comedian? We know Rorschach respected the Comedian, and why was that? Is it because he was a macho badass? I argue no, that is not the primary reason....

I believe that the reason Rorschach fundamentally respected the Comedian is because he knew that when push came to shove, only the Comedian could possibly do the right thing. The story begins with Ozymandias killing the Comedian, and why was that again? The Comedian was the only hero, excluding Rorschach of course, who would have stopped his sick plan of murdering millions of innocent people for no legitimate reason.

So when the Comedian did something kinda crappy, like raping a grown women... not a little girl, a women of the world .... he didn't like it, but he felt the right thing to do was to look the other way. If the world was perfect, then non-rapists would stand up to megalomaniacal narcissist elitists who plan on murdering millions of innocent people, but the world is far from perfect.