So where's Waldo, really?

           For the last two decades, <Where’s Waldo?> series has been an unforgettable companion to its young readers. Despite being a very straightforward and plain puzzle book, Waldo and his friends are continuously well-received, sustaining its worldwide fame. Why is it so successful? It’s quite simple: The puzzle is challenging. While its target audience is young children of age 3-5, the puzzle is not immediately solved by older audience. Naturally, the book occupies its real target –the children – with considerable amount of time, and encrypts a powerful image. This image has an advertising effect, enabling a smooth transition from generation to the next one. This seemingly irrelevant analysis is necessary to justify the non-triviality of the question “Where’s Waldo?” and to reveal that Waldo is something much more significant than a mere children’s book.

          As been previously mentioned, the puzzle is straightforward: One is asked to find Waldo, the sleek main character, in a two-page illustration teeming with other characters in a random environment (e.g. Department store, beach, etc.) It is quite obvious, but of course it is difficult to find Waldo in the crowd although he is elaborated some distinct features which slightly lighten the burden. Same applies in real world – even a newlywed couple will be incapable of spotting one another in a picture of overcrowded beach. In this sense, the question “Where’s Waldo?” is a powerful metaphor to the withering of individuals in a crowd. Indeed, most, not if all, of individuals are just mere specks when they are surrounded by the crowd. And this is not limited to the literal application of the meaning.

           Incapable of detecting a certain individual in a picture of a crowd is not a big deal. However, the same phenomenon is prevalent in the real society as well. For instance, Mr. Smith is a competent worker, a caring husband, and a father who always has time for his kids. But from the point of view of the society, he is an insignificant part of the economically active population. If Mr. Smith is fired, he is not an “unemployed”; rather, he is a particle comprising the unemployment rate. Every individual is so unimportant and loses its identity as a discrete entity in a society. Colleges strive to select highly distinctive students through brilliant essay prompts – such as this one – but sadly all the efforts are in vain because the individuality is disregarded in today’s society.

Individuality is consequently ignored.

           Except for the very few people whose distinct influences reach out to every part of the society, the members of society are no more than a “Waldo” in the gigantic illustration. While the question “Where’s Waldo?” is preoccupied with Waldo and his special features that differentiate himself from the crowd, it paradoxically implies what an insignificant being Waldo is, due to the very fact that one must give efforts to find him. “So, where’s Waldo, really?” Well, every one of us is a Waldo – a small, meaningless speck of dirt. And if one needs to ask that question for his Waldo, he is going to have hard time finding him. Good luck to all the players of the virtual <Where’s Waldo?>.