1000 words, ~4-5 pages
100 points
To prepare for this essay, please read "Letter from Birmingham Jail" by Martin Luther King and "Civil Disobedience" by Henry David Throeau.
In addition, please watch V for Vendetta (2006) directed by James McTeigue, or High Noon (1952) directed by Fred Zinneman.
Address one or more of the following questions in your essay. The questions you choose to answer will be up to you. How you group them will also be your choice as a writer. Remember that your essay should have a well-focused thesis which is supported by clear reasoning and detailed examples. Use modern day examples and refer to course readings in your essay.
How does one determine what is just or unjust, and how far should one go in seeking justice?
For example, in V for Vendetta, consider what motivates V, Why does he commit acts of "terror." Do you approve of the way he treats his captive? Do his ends justify his means? Why or why not?
Consider also Henry David Thoreau in “Civil Disobedience” or Martin Luther King Jr. in “Letter from a Birmingham Jail.” Is acceptance of an unjust system tantamount to agreement with it? Why do King and Thoreau break to the law? What are the consequences of breaking the law?
Should one ever resort to violence? Does V. need to use violence to solve his problem or not? Does the public understand his position? Why does V want to blow up parliament? Should he? Why or why not? Why does Will Kane use violence, and what does his wife think of violence? Does Kane need violence? Why or why not? Discuss the conflicts that arise over this issue among the townsfolk. On the other hand, why does King insist upon non-violence? What are the consequences, both positive and negative, of choosing violence or non-violence? Finally, when, if ever, do the ends justify the means?
Along the way, somewhere in your exploration of this topic, discuss and define one or more of these terms: civil disobedience, vigilante, terrorist, militant, or extremist, and note how King and Thoreau and the film V for Vendetta use some of them.