Year 12 IB Extended Essays 2017

however, this novel is not the most current representation of vigilante justice believed by the

masses –the vision most believe in now is a fair vigilante who does not hesitate, but will not kill so as

not to affect the lives of those associated with their victims. By this point, people no longer yearn for

a hero who is infallible, rather one who is a symbol like V, with their own faults to make him more

relatable.

Theatricality is a large part of V’s character. An example of this is the fact that he brings Lewis

Prothero to the Shadow Gallery in order to end his life. He also finds much of his character

influenced by the likes of Guy Fawkes – from the mask to the successful demolition of parliament in

the UK as a result of the aforementioned distrust of the government. Similar to both Zorro and the

Vigils, V is secretive; however he is not afraid of being discovered and is always prepared with

contingencies. V’s identity is never revealed in the novel, even after his death, which can be

interpreted to show that V was an everyman, doing what he believed to be correct and just – the

perspective of the masses. His murders, while methodical and meticulously planned, are also very

personal when compared with the motivations of Senor Zorro, aligning him closer to the Vigils, and

this can be taken a step further to highlight his disregard for the effect his killings may have on those

around his victims, evident once again in the murder of Derek Almond. This serves to make V more

realistic as a vigilante in the eyes of the reader, a ‘hero’ with a more human moral compass unlike

his predecessor vigilantes, who were either purely good or iniquitous.

It is impossible to have vigilantism without any hint of justice. Some vigilantes are nothing but

textbook heroes, loved by all and embarking on missions without legal authority to improve the

quality of life of all involved, and the highwayman, Senor Zorro, is the perfect representation of this.

At a time where the world is truly devastated, the caballero is the symbol of infallibility many looked

to for hope. Some vigilantes, however, are fuelled by secrecy and control, having others do their

biddings and prosecuting those who refuse to submit. The Vigils truly twist the meaning of the word

justice, proving to the world that sometimes, injustice will win and that there is simply nothing that

can be done about it. By the end of The Chocolate War , the Vigils end up accomplishing the exact

opposite goal of vigilantism. Finally, some vigilantes blur the line between justice and revenge,

apprehension and relentless vengeance. V does not stop until all those who wronged him have been

killed, yet these people are also responsible for the corrupt state of Britain at this time, making V’s

ruthless acts of murder seem justified in large. At the time of its publication, the vigilante in the

trench coat Guy Fawkes mask became a symbol of anarchy and justice, not infallible, but

incorruptible. Over time, society’s vision of justice in vigilantism has transformed from a symbol of

hope, revered by all, to twisted and untrustworthy – ready to betray what they once stood for, back

to a beacon of hope, however this time flawed yet imperishable.