The Significance of Joel's Watch In The Last of Us
Warning — This article delves deep into some of the main plot points of The Last of Us and The Last of Us 2.The Last of Us franchise is rife with symbolism. From Ellie's switchblade in The Last of Us to Dina's bracelet in The Last of Us 2, numerous items signify the importance of someone or something to their owners. It turns out that no matter the state of the world, human beings can still be materialistic, including Joel.
Quite possibly the most iconic item of Joel's (apart from his plaid shirts) has to be his broken watch. A gift from his daughter, Sarah, the watch can always be found on Joel's person as soon as Sarah gives it to him. There is a lot of significance behind Joel's watch, so much so that the character continues to wear it well into the events of The Last of Us 2.
The Last of Us: Ellie's Mom and Her Story Explained
Joel receives the watch from Sarah during the last few minutes of his birthday. Exhausted from the day's work, Joel collapses into his couch before Sarah presents him with the gift. The watch comes as an obvious shock to Joel. Not only is he surprised that his teenage daughter was able to save up for such an expensive gift, but his work obligations must have caused him to forget his own birthday. With no words to show his appreciation, Joel jokes that the watch is broken before watching TV with Sarah.
This tender moment involving the watch soon takes a dark turn as Joel and Sarah find themselves looking for a way out of their home city of Austin, Texas. The city, now besieged by Infected, has forced its citizens to evacuate to the nearest quarantine zone. Joel and Sarah manage to escape the city, but Sarah is mistaken for an Infected individual and shot by a soldier. Sarah dies, and Joel is left to
Read more on gamerant.com
