Snowball Quandry

The comic strip Calvin and Hobbes often focuses on the theory of human nature and actions in terms of morally good and bad through philosophical quandaries experienced by the characters as shown through a child's perspective.

Calvin is a six-year-old boy depicted as impetuous and living life in the moment, and doing whatever he can to make life more exhilarating in that moment with no sense of restraint. He is said to be named after the 16th century theologian John Calvin who was noted to support the belief of Peccatum Originale from St. Augustine, which is the reference of "original sin" by Christians. Calvin however is not autobiographical as Bill Watterson has said that he identifies more with the character of Hobbes. Depicted as a stuffed tiger that only comes to life when alone with Calvin, Hobbes takes a more rational view of the situations and seems to be more aware of the consequences. Even with that sense of awareness, he seldom interferes with Calvin's spur of the moment decisions other than a few indirect comments that could be taken either as warnings or philosophical ponderings. Thus it is not surprising that Hobbes is named after the philosopher that held what Bill Watterson described as "a dim view of human nature" Thomas Hobbes from the 17th-century.

Watterson himself represented his work with strong moral convictions. Retiring from the comic strip after only 10 years, he stated that he wanted to go out on top, and that he had done all he could with Calvin and Hobbes. What could have amounted to millions was also turned down by Watterson, by not merchandising his work. He stated "if I could not control what my own work was about and stood for, then cartooning meant very little to me".

As often dominating the foundation of the strip, the moral dilemma of why virtue is so hard and vice is so fun is the central dilemma behind "Virtue needs cheaper thrills". It opens with Calvin and Hobbes in the snow, where Calvin prepares to "paste Susie's pate with a snowball", followed by laughter. Before he throws however, Hobbes poses a bit of philosophy to Calvin, stating simply before walking away "Some philosophers say that true happiness comes from a life of virtue". Thus Hobbes tries to help Calvin gain perspective. Calvin is then seen tossing the snowball to the ground and going through a quest of what to him seem acts of virtue to gain