Year 12 IB Extended Essays 2017

Abstract

The vigilante hero in literature is a manifestation of what the people believe in, and it is a

representation of the justice which many long for. Over time, the vigilante hero has changed as a

result of many changes in the world, and thus with the attitudes of the masses. Most notably, the

concept of vigilantism has changed with time in terms of representation, character attributes, and

their narrative, all of which I will attempt to analyse in this essay. Through the study of three novels

– The Curse of Capistrano , The Chocolate War , and V for Vendetta , all published as results of different conflicts in the 20 th century, I will have analytically evaluated how the vigilante hero has

evolved over the course of the last hundred years. The vigilante has evolved from pure and peaceful

as a result of the demands of the people, before becoming dark, secretive and coercive as an

allegory for the attitudes of the people at the time, before finally reaching a stage where the masses

can relate to the flawed aspects of a just hero. This study explores how the vigilante hero and their

character representation, and how the theme of justice is still relevant today in its most current

form.