Year 12 IB Extended Essays 2017

In The Curse of Capistrano , the actions of Zorro as a hero are viewed as rightful and just, based even

on today’s standards despite having been published almost a century ago. In his quest, the Senor

only serves what he believes is necessary for his adversaries, his constant humiliation of Sergeant

Gonzales being a great example of in this in contrast with his actions against Captain Ramon. Despite

being provided with a multitude of opportunities to spill the blood of the tyrannous Captain, the

meticulously honourable Senor Zorro reminds him of their first encounter in saying that his

“Scratched shoulder is healed,” and that he is now fit to fight, “[Wearing his] blade by [his] side,”

(p.122). This is when the highwayman challenges the captain to a fair duel where the Good Captain

is eventually bested and put to rest for his wrongdoings. At this point in the novel, the captain is also

portrayed as quite dishonourable, angry and thus not one to “fence according to the code” (p.123),

building on the officer’s disreputable qualities beyond harassment and unjust punishment. It must

also be considered that Ramon was the reason for the inequitable arrest of the Pulido family; a

motive fuelled only hatred and the shame of being rejected by Senorita Lolita, their daughter. By the

time of his death, Captain Ramon is portrayed as an antithesis of the virtuous law enforcer he was

introduced to be, making Zorro’s actions towards the end of the novel reasonably justified and

Ramon’s death a product of justice. Of course, in a post- World War I era, this was what people

required: an infallible hero who all could look up to, as McCulley provided the world with someone

who was able to rise from the ashes, no matter the scale of the destruction it witnessed, inspiring

hope within the reader.

Much of Zorro’s character spawns from this necessity. McCulley concocted a just hero with a

virtuous moral compass in a time when the world population needed it most, and it truly shows.

Wherever Senor Zorro ventures, he is respected and revered, and yet his alter-ego as Diego de la

Vega, whilst respected, this is only a result of his social status as a caballero. Of course, this is a

deliberate course of action undertaken by Diego so as not to raise suspicion that the lazy, frail Diego

de la Vega could be the Renaissance man that is the elusive Senor Zorro. The secret identity of the

Highwayman resides among the people in the day, and fights for them in the night – not asking for

praise and believing it his duty. It must also be considered however, that despite the vast differences

between Zorro and Vega, both are selfless in their actions and methods.

The Chocolate War ’s vigilantes are rather twisted, and this warped representation of such a sacred

concept as justice is the reason that the novel remains controversial to this day. The timing of this

novel, set and written during the Cold War, is quite evident throughout, and has a clear effect on its

portrayal of justice. Even from an outside perspective, their actions often alternate between good

and evil, and Cormier effectively encapsulates the separate viewpoints on vigilantes and their effect

on society as a whole; the Vigils do try to work for the overall benefit of the school, and yet at the