People need dramatic examples to shake them out of apathy, and I can’t do that as Bruce Wayne. As a man, I’m flesh and blood; I can be ignored, I can be destroyed. But as a symbol… as a symbol I can be incorruptible. I can be everlasting. – Bruce Wayne in Batman Begins
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This quote is the defining moment of Bruce Wayne put into words. It is when Batman actually begins. Once he realizes that Gotham needs him, but not as Bruce Wayne, as something more, is when he first realizes the possibility of Batman. And the rest is history.
This quote lays out a theme that is carried through the entire trilogy. The theme that Batman is more than Bruce Wayne in a costume. Batman is a symbol of hope. It doesn’t matter who is in the suit. All people need to know is that Batman is there watching over the people of Gotham.