Year 12 IB Extended Essays 2017

their extensive differences in the portrayal of justice, it can be seen that The Chocolate War and V

for Vendetta both revolve heavily around government oppression, and the attitudes of people

around the world remained largely the same throughout the time frame between the release of the

two novels. Unlike The Chocolate War , however, Moore employed these dark times and general

distrust to form a new kind of vigilante - one who not only provided hope to the people, but also

provided a figure with whom they could relate. In a time where people truly felt oppressed by the

state, V was an extreme of this, imprisoned against his will as a test subject in the Larkhill

Resettlement Camp, before escaping and raining justice upon those who took advantage of others.

Instead of being a symbol for the masses to idolize, nor one who exploits others for personal gain, V

and with him the representation of the vigilante hero in literature evolved to be one whom many

could relate to in both motivation and morality.

As important as justice is to any vigilante, their conflict is equally as important as for many, it is a

commentary on the time period as a result of which they have been conjured. Zorro, V and the Vigils

all provide real-world responses to worldwide affairs which appeal to the people as either real or at

the very least a symbol of hope to believe in. Brought to life just after the First World War, Zorro

provides an infallible hero who works with and for the people, making him the perfect idol for a

devastated human race. Eventually, however, as time passes and another World War has taken

place, with the world constantly on high alert, the Cold War terrorises humanity. In the midst oef

this fear, the Vigils represent the superpowers during the Cold War, fighting through their ‘puppet

states’ in the students, controlling and ruling Trinity High with secrecy, yet at the same time an iron

fist. V tackles a similar concept to the Vigils, also coming from a time where the world is essentially

run by oppressive authorities, and worldwide perspectives remained largely the same between their

publication dates. It is to be noted, however, that V for Vendetta revolves more heavily around the

concept of surveillance and government distrust due to its setting, as this was a real-world plight

which caused mass hysteria around the world.

Now that sociocultural context has been developed, the differing representations of the vigilante

propounded by each author can be effectively explored. Vigilantism can be interpreted as a direct

dispute to the formal boundary established between formal crime and punishment, between the

concepts of law and justice. The words ‘vigilante’ and ‘justice’ are forever intertwined with each

other, as vigilantism is a concept almost invariably dependent on justice and both the writer and

reader’s interpretation of it. Today, vigilantism is presented in various ways, ranging from ordered to

chaotic, but this vast array of perspectives has been built up over time, along with their own brands

of justice. Based on the time periods in which they were written, morality and representation of the

vigilante have varied, and these three novels effectively encapsulate this shift in code.