Hobbes (Calvin and Hobbes) - Hobbes' Reality

Hobbes' Reality

From Calvin's point of view, Hobbes is a anthropomorphic, usually bipedal tiger, larger than Calvin and full of his own attitudes and ideas. But when the perspective shifts to any other character, readers see merely a stuffed tiger (there are some occasions in which Calvin's perspective of Hobbes is visible in the same panel as a parent, but the parent was not looking at the time). This is, of course, an odd dichotomy, and Watterson explains it as thus:

Many readers assume that Hobbes is either a product of Calvin's imagination, or a stuffed animal that comes to life when Calvin is the only one around, or when nobody else but him is looking. However, Watterson rejects both of these interpretations, saying, "Hobbes is more about the subjective nature of reality than dolls coming to life"; thus, there is no concrete definition of Hobbes' reality. Watterson explained: "Calvin sees Hobbes one way, and everyone else sees Hobbes another way." Hobbes' reality is in the eye of the beholder. The so-called 'gimmick' of Hobbes is the juxtaposition of Calvin and Hobbes' reality and everyone else's, with the two rarely agreeing.

Despite this, in the world of the comic the other characters often speak of Hobbes as Calvin's "imaginary friend." As well, it is sometimes difficult to imagine how the "stuffed toy" interpretation of Hobbes is consistent with what the characters see. For example, when Hobbes pounces on Calvin, the next panel shows Calvin lying on the ground, covered with dirt, with Hobbes lying on top of him, and then when Calvin walks in, his mother can clearly see him beaten up, and she is left completely baffled. Another example is when Calvin wants Hobbes to take a bath with him, so Hobbes disguises himself with bubbles, and when Calvin assumes that Hobbes needs a hat and tie, he attempts to get his Dad's hat. As Calvin is bringing a tie through the living room, sneaking behind his Dad, his Mom exclaims, "Dear, why are you taking a bath? And wearing your best hat?!" Also, Hobbes "cuts" Calvin's hair (rather unsuccessfully), leading his parents to think that he cut his own hair badly. In another example, Hobbes "assists" Calvin's attempt to become a Houdini-style escape artist by tying Calvin to a chair. Calvin, however, cannot escape, and his irritated father must undo the knots, all the while asking Calvin how he could do this to himself. In a rare interview, Watterson explained his approach to this situation:

Additionally, aspects of Hobbes' existence as a "real" tiger and a stuffed animal converge with little dispute from Calvin. An example is Hobbes's frequent washings or "baths" in the laundry machine which Calvin accepts. Likewise, in one strip, Calvin states that Hobbes becomes "a little loopy" when he comes out of the dryer. Another example is when Calvin's mom signed Calvin up for swimming lessons, Calvin asks why Hobbes can't come, so she responds (eyes rolling) "it's not good to get tigers wet," to which Calvin asks Hobbes why this is true, and Hobbes replies "it takes us all day to dry out, and until we do, we smell funny." Another example is that although the debut strip showed Calvin capturing Hobbes with a snare in such a way that seems like it's the first time they've ever met, another strip implies that Hobbes is older than Calvin and has been around his entire life. This strip has Calvin quoting that he can't recall anything from when he was under the age of three. Hobbes responds to this by saying Calvin spent most of the time burping up. Though other characters often refer to Hobbes as a "stuffed tiger" to Calvin, he avoids or ignores those comments (for example, when Hobbes is believed to have been stolen during a burglary, Calvin's mom reassures him that a robber would not want a stuffed tiger, to which Calvin responds "But Hobbes is so trusting...").

In response to the journalist's assumption that Hobbes was a figment of Calvin's imagination, Watterson responded,

Hobbes is often the voice of reason, contrasting Calvin's manic impulsiveness. It is ambiguous if this rationality is in Hobbes as a distinct personality, or in Calvin as a kind of conscience. In the end, the question becomes less about absolute truth and more about different versions of reality: the nature of Hobbes' existence is never a puzzle to be solved, but rather a subtle comment on the power of imagination, and on the similar power of a lack thereof.

Susie Derkins also comments on Hobbes. After Calvin vigorously refuses her proposal to play with her and her toy rabbit, Mr. Bun, Hobbes comments that "Mr. Bun seems comatose, did you notice?" contrasting Hobbes' "reality" to that of another stuffed animal. Hobbes has a very large crush on Susie as well, much more than Calvin.

Calvin sometimes threatens to wound Hobbes, like when Hobbes declares that Calvin and Susie are going to be married and asks whether he should wear spats. Calvin replies "In a minute you'll be wearing a body cast!"