Academic Hellsing
This was also on the BoH forums, so if you saw it there... Well, if you're helping me, ignore it. If you didn't help me there, help me here. xD
For English class, we have to write five in-depth, passionate essays in the following forms; Illustration/Example, Process/Explanation, Division & Classification, Comparison/Contrast, and Cause/Effect. Being the complete literary loser I am, I decided to take the challenge the teacher offered us: To write all five essays about the same topic.
I am currently beginning this challenge, due by the seventh of December, with an essay on the study of Walter's betrayal and the motivations behind such actions. I don't know what category this fits under, but that can come later. Here I will post rough drafts for you all to help me beta, edit, proofread, and comment on.
-ESSAYS WILL HAVE SPOILERS UP TO THE CURRENT CHAPTERS-
Angel of Betrayal
One question has plagued the thoughts of all since the devastating truth has been revealed; a single discovery has changed the face of Hellsing for all eternity, not only for Sir Integral and her loyal servants, but also for the entire planet. London is in ruins, the United States is overrun with Nazi vampires, and the world is on its knees at the mercy of Millennium and the Third Reicht. Integral Hellsing stands in the midst of the rubble, facing the imminent threat with her faithful vampire Alucard, and as victory seems near at hand an all too familiar figure appears atop the enemy zeppelin; Walter C. Dolneaz has become an enemy of the Organization, and not from any outside cause. The butler has been betraying the Hellsing Organization since perhaps as early as 1944. The Angel of Death is not a harbinger of hope for Integral any longer; His reign of terror has just begun, but the question still lingers. Why would Walter betray the Hellsing Organization? There are many possible explanations, yet none seem to be entirely plausible. The singular way to discover a motive is to try and delve into the mindset of a butler; a servant to a great Organization, a proper member of British society, and perhaps one of the most notorious traitors of all time.
The Benedict Arnold of the third World War may have fixed the roots of his betrayal in the year 1944, when the vampire Alucard and Walter infiltrated the headquarters of the Third Reicht in Warsaw. At this point in time, Millennium was in the preliminary stages of creating an artificial vampire, a creature they could utilize in their battle to overtake the planet in the name of Germany and their Fuhrer. As Walter puts the attack in motion, his fighting skill draws the attention of the Major, the leader of the Millennium project. The fat major makes Walter an offer that usually would be answered with a resounding ‘no’; “Be with the volunteer soldiers of the waffen-SS, my troops- The Letze Battalion! The Wehrwolves!” Strangely enough, Dolneaz doesn’t directly refuse this invitation. Instead, the boy answers with a sarcastic, insulting response of, “You must be half asleep, fatty.” Was Walter implying that the offer was null, as he was already allied with Millennium? Perhaps the butler was simply deferring his decision to another time, when Alucard was not near enough to hear him. The least likely of scenarios is that he was still loyal to Hellsing, that he had no intention of betraying his master at this point in time. Somehow the final scenario is doubtful; True loyalty would usually prompt outright refusal to such a request. Not only this, but Walter is very blunt throughout the rest of the series, giving his opinion in a polite yet very clear manner. Despite this, suspicion was not aroused until many years later; such cocky behavior may have been accredited to Walter’s youth and vitality.
Richard Hellsing was a power-hungry man, the younger brother to Arthur and the sibling who failed to inherit the Hellsing legacy. As Arthur fell terminally ill, he warned Walter that Richard could attempt to kill Integral, Arthur’s daughter, in order to gain the Organization for himself. Walter stood beside Arthur’s deathbed until the bitter end, but strangely enough disappeared immediately afterward- Leaving Integral at the mercy of her uncle and his dark ambitions. The young girl was forced to find the last hope of defense she had, pursued through her own home at gunpoint as she found the last dungeon in the depths of the mansion; The vampire Alucard, a midian bound into servitude and loyal only to the head of the Hellsing family, had been sealed away from the world. As Richard Hellsing shot his own niece through the shoulder, Alucard awakened to defend his new mistress, slaying her treacherous uncle and his cohorts before kneeling to swear fealty. Though it is a touching story, there is a whole in the continuity of the entire affair. After being warned directly of Richard’s intentions, Walter left Integral defenseless in the manor, alone with her greedy uncle. Being aware of such circumstances, it would be almost unthinkable to abandon a young girl, but ulterior motives were most likely in play. Was Walter trying to eliminate the intelligent Hellsing heiress in order to expand the means of Millennium, or was Alucard’s awakening part of a much larger and sinister plan? His revival would only make victory over the entire world a much harder task, but it seems the Major does not care so much for the ends as he does for the means; The insane officer is obsessed with war, every aspect of battle and the terror it brings to the world. His dream is that of the ultimate war, one that covers all aspects of the globe and brings a massive clash between immortal monsters to fruition. His battalion consists of humans scientifically converted to vampiric freaks, bloodthirsty creatures that only wish to follow their orders and wreak havoc on the human population. By awakening Alucard, Walter would help bring the Major’s dream of ultimate war to a startling reality. Implications of such a grand-scale plan may appear to be gross exaggeration, but the intentions of a madman cannot be revealed by simple observation; the focus of this analysis is on Walter’s motives in betraying Hellsing, and attempting to discover any reason that could spawn such hatred toward the family he once served.
Even in this smokescreen of lies and inconsistencies, there are a few instances in which Walter displays devout loyalty to his mistress that cast the situation of his betrayal into doubt. When Luke and Jan Valentine infiltrate the Organization, Walter had the opportunity to let Integral be killed, but he killed the zombie troops that were vital in the capture and destruction of the organization. If he truly wished for Integral’s demise, he would not have defended her in such a manner. Instead, he puts his life on the line to prevent her death, succeeding in saving her and the Organization. Another such occurrence is when Walter fights the Captain of Millennium; He orders Integral to get in the car and drive away, allowing her to escape while he fights the werewolf. Strangely, the fight sequence between Captain and Walter is not shown, but it is after this that the butler appears to have revealed his treachery. The original appearance of the entire situation was that Walter had been captured and brainwashed, but statements made by the butler himself and several others have informed us that he had in fact betrayed the Organization long before the third World War.
The confusion in this situation may never be entirely resolved in regard to each specification of Walter’s behavior, but several conclusions can be drawn from the evidence displayed above. The butler has shown many instances of doubtful loyalty, but at the same time he has shown even more instances of devout servitude the Hellsing family. Perhaps the brainwashing impressed him to believe he has been betraying the family for a long time; The evidence provided toward his treachery is sketchy at best. Walter C. Dolneaz may simply be a loyal steward captured and manipulated under unsavory circumstance. In the same instance, he could have been playing two hands in the game this entire time; One with Millennium, and one with Hellsing. Either game is a dangerous one, but the difference lies in the honor Walter seems to hold so dear. Would he endanger his self-respect by allying himself with the Third Reicht and betraying Hellsing? The answer lies deep in the mind of a traitor; A maze that none can penetrate until they are guided through.
Currently working on: Angel of Betrayal
Planning to post Rough Draft: 15/11/06, Evening
For English class, we have to write five in-depth, passionate essays in the following forms; Illustration/Example, Process/Explanation, Division & Classification, Comparison/Contrast, and Cause/Effect. Being the complete literary loser I am, I decided to take the challenge the teacher offered us: To write all five essays about the same topic.
I am currently beginning this challenge, due by the seventh of December, with an essay on the study of Walter's betrayal and the motivations behind such actions. I don't know what category this fits under, but that can come later. Here I will post rough drafts for you all to help me beta, edit, proofread, and comment on.
-ESSAYS WILL HAVE SPOILERS UP TO THE CURRENT CHAPTERS-
Angel of Betrayal
One question has plagued the thoughts of all since the devastating truth has been revealed; a single discovery has changed the face of Hellsing for all eternity, not only for Sir Integral and her loyal servants, but also for the entire planet. London is in ruins, the United States is overrun with Nazi vampires, and the world is on its knees at the mercy of Millennium and the Third Reicht. Integral Hellsing stands in the midst of the rubble, facing the imminent threat with her faithful vampire Alucard, and as victory seems near at hand an all too familiar figure appears atop the enemy zeppelin; Walter C. Dolneaz has become an enemy of the Organization, and not from any outside cause. The butler has been betraying the Hellsing Organization since perhaps as early as 1944. The Angel of Death is not a harbinger of hope for Integral any longer; His reign of terror has just begun, but the question still lingers. Why would Walter betray the Hellsing Organization? There are many possible explanations, yet none seem to be entirely plausible. The singular way to discover a motive is to try and delve into the mindset of a butler; a servant to a great Organization, a proper member of British society, and perhaps one of the most notorious traitors of all time.
The Benedict Arnold of the third World War may have fixed the roots of his betrayal in the year 1944, when the vampire Alucard and Walter infiltrated the headquarters of the Third Reicht in Warsaw. At this point in time, Millennium was in the preliminary stages of creating an artificial vampire, a creature they could utilize in their battle to overtake the planet in the name of Germany and their Fuhrer. As Walter puts the attack in motion, his fighting skill draws the attention of the Major, the leader of the Millennium project. The fat major makes Walter an offer that usually would be answered with a resounding ‘no’; “Be with the volunteer soldiers of the waffen-SS, my troops- The Letze Battalion! The Wehrwolves!” Strangely enough, Dolneaz doesn’t directly refuse this invitation. Instead, the boy answers with a sarcastic, insulting response of, “You must be half asleep, fatty.” Was Walter implying that the offer was null, as he was already allied with Millennium? Perhaps the butler was simply deferring his decision to another time, when Alucard was not near enough to hear him. The least likely of scenarios is that he was still loyal to Hellsing, that he had no intention of betraying his master at this point in time. Somehow the final scenario is doubtful; True loyalty would usually prompt outright refusal to such a request. Not only this, but Walter is very blunt throughout the rest of the series, giving his opinion in a polite yet very clear manner. Despite this, suspicion was not aroused until many years later; such cocky behavior may have been accredited to Walter’s youth and vitality.
Richard Hellsing was a power-hungry man, the younger brother to Arthur and the sibling who failed to inherit the Hellsing legacy. As Arthur fell terminally ill, he warned Walter that Richard could attempt to kill Integral, Arthur’s daughter, in order to gain the Organization for himself. Walter stood beside Arthur’s deathbed until the bitter end, but strangely enough disappeared immediately afterward- Leaving Integral at the mercy of her uncle and his dark ambitions. The young girl was forced to find the last hope of defense she had, pursued through her own home at gunpoint as she found the last dungeon in the depths of the mansion; The vampire Alucard, a midian bound into servitude and loyal only to the head of the Hellsing family, had been sealed away from the world. As Richard Hellsing shot his own niece through the shoulder, Alucard awakened to defend his new mistress, slaying her treacherous uncle and his cohorts before kneeling to swear fealty. Though it is a touching story, there is a whole in the continuity of the entire affair. After being warned directly of Richard’s intentions, Walter left Integral defenseless in the manor, alone with her greedy uncle. Being aware of such circumstances, it would be almost unthinkable to abandon a young girl, but ulterior motives were most likely in play. Was Walter trying to eliminate the intelligent Hellsing heiress in order to expand the means of Millennium, or was Alucard’s awakening part of a much larger and sinister plan? His revival would only make victory over the entire world a much harder task, but it seems the Major does not care so much for the ends as he does for the means; The insane officer is obsessed with war, every aspect of battle and the terror it brings to the world. His dream is that of the ultimate war, one that covers all aspects of the globe and brings a massive clash between immortal monsters to fruition. His battalion consists of humans scientifically converted to vampiric freaks, bloodthirsty creatures that only wish to follow their orders and wreak havoc on the human population. By awakening Alucard, Walter would help bring the Major’s dream of ultimate war to a startling reality. Implications of such a grand-scale plan may appear to be gross exaggeration, but the intentions of a madman cannot be revealed by simple observation; the focus of this analysis is on Walter’s motives in betraying Hellsing, and attempting to discover any reason that could spawn such hatred toward the family he once served.
Even in this smokescreen of lies and inconsistencies, there are a few instances in which Walter displays devout loyalty to his mistress that cast the situation of his betrayal into doubt. When Luke and Jan Valentine infiltrate the Organization, Walter had the opportunity to let Integral be killed, but he killed the zombie troops that were vital in the capture and destruction of the organization. If he truly wished for Integral’s demise, he would not have defended her in such a manner. Instead, he puts his life on the line to prevent her death, succeeding in saving her and the Organization. Another such occurrence is when Walter fights the Captain of Millennium; He orders Integral to get in the car and drive away, allowing her to escape while he fights the werewolf. Strangely, the fight sequence between Captain and Walter is not shown, but it is after this that the butler appears to have revealed his treachery. The original appearance of the entire situation was that Walter had been captured and brainwashed, but statements made by the butler himself and several others have informed us that he had in fact betrayed the Organization long before the third World War.
The confusion in this situation may never be entirely resolved in regard to each specification of Walter’s behavior, but several conclusions can be drawn from the evidence displayed above. The butler has shown many instances of doubtful loyalty, but at the same time he has shown even more instances of devout servitude the Hellsing family. Perhaps the brainwashing impressed him to believe he has been betraying the family for a long time; The evidence provided toward his treachery is sketchy at best. Walter C. Dolneaz may simply be a loyal steward captured and manipulated under unsavory circumstance. In the same instance, he could have been playing two hands in the game this entire time; One with Millennium, and one with Hellsing. Either game is a dangerous one, but the difference lies in the honor Walter seems to hold so dear. Would he endanger his self-respect by allying himself with the Third Reicht and betraying Hellsing? The answer lies deep in the mind of a traitor; A maze that none can penetrate until they are guided through.
Currently working on: Angel of Betrayal
Planning to post Rough Draft: 15/11/06, Evening