Thursday, April 30, 2015

Dear Zorro

To, 
Zorro, 
Los Angeles, 
C/o Johnston McCulley


Dear Zorro,

What a swashbuckling character you are! From the eye mask just above the thin moustache to the flowing cape, the flat-brimmed black sombrero to the fiery distinctive swathe of Z that you cut through the air in three quick strokes using your rapier, I was impressed with you quite early on. And then when you reared up on your steed, Tornado, with your sword held upright, I marveled even more.

The best thing about your costume was that it abetted your wiliness, instead of hindering it. You would keep a dagger in your left boot for emergencies. And while anyone else would have long since tripped on the cape (imagine doing all those acrobatics with a cape that might well twist itself around your neck twice over), you are able to use it to trip others and disarm them. Often you throw your hat with surprising swiftness at others. How you manage to retrieve it, I never could figure out.

You demonstrated amazing gymnastic ability, effortlessly leaping across from one roof to another, often surprising pretty women just about to have their bath, jumping over tall structures, without falling, and always landing on your feet. You were a great swordsman and your aim was precise and exact, another point in your favour.

Nor did you ever use mere strength to outsmart your opponents in your quest to fight against injustice, avenge the helpless and aid the oppressed. It was the force of your intelligence, your foxiness, with which you won your way, time and again. The fact that your name is Spanish for fox might have something to do with the appeal. I’ve always had a thing for the language.

And then again the fact that you were a secret identity upped the notch quite a bit. No one ever suspected that you were the alter ego of Don Diego de la Vega, a foppish Californian nobleman living in Los Angeles at a time when the Spanish held sway there. Incidentally, as Don Diego, you pretend to be a dull, insipid character, who writes poetry and cannot be trusted with any weapon, probably to enable yourself, as Zorro, to shine brighter in comparison.

The disguise is so impressive that even Lolita, a noblewoman fallen upon bad times, is charmed with you, and looks down upon Don Diego. Why movie and book heroines fail to catch on to something that is so obvious to the rest of us, is another of life’s mysteries.

You were a sort of Spanish Robin Hood, who defended the people of the land against the tyranny of the rulers. Your name paid tribute to the foxlike stealth with which you overcame and outwitted the bad guys. Your popularity soared when you began the practice of publicly humiliating the villainous and bumbling policia of the land. 

With you around, the common folk received both their dose of free entertainment as well as the satisfaction of knowing that those who trampled upon them were being made fools of.


11 comments:

  1. So glad you chose Zorro. I was just ten years old when the series debuted on American TV. I watched it faithfully and in the days with no VCR, OnDemand, DVR, internet...well, you get the idea, you glued your butt to your spot on the sofa and watched. Even the commercials. Thanks for your wonderful posts this month and I'm so glad you participated again in the challenge.

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  2. I used to love reading Zorro comics. :) Lovely letter that you have penned for him
    Congratulations on completing A-Z Challenge :D
    My A-Z posts: http://sundarivenkatraman.blogspot.in

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  3. Good old Zorro. I enjoyed the movie heaps and remember reading the comics in my youth. Congratulations on finishing the challenge. Truly enjoyed your posts.

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  4. I loved Zorro movies. Quite a detailed letter, loved it. Congrats on finishing the challenge!

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  5. What a wonderful end to a lovely series! have enjoyed reading all your posts...some known characters who brought to mind pleasant chunks of my childhood and some new whom I met here!!

    Very impressed with the way you wrote your letters, and the fun was in the details! I can imagine how painstakingly you must have done every post!

    Love and hugssss!

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  6. Zorro is the logical choice for the letter Z. I have always loved a good sword fight.
    Well you've done it. You made it all the way through A-Z. Great job!
    I've enjoyed reading all your open letters to your favourite cast of characters.
    I'll be back to keep reading. :)

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  7. Your posts have been great. Zorro--now that's a great character. We grew up watching the Disney serial... definitely a character that captures the minds of young boys...

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  8. Cynthia, your posts are awesome and this one comes as cherry on cake. Congrats for nailing it:)

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  9. J here, stopping by from the #atozchallenge - where I am part of Arlee's A to Z Ambassador Team.
    I celebrated our "Z-day" by watching the iZombie television show.
    Hope to see you at the after party. I'm looking forward to when the Reflections Linky List opens on Monday, May 4th.
    I've followed your listed social media.
    Ha! This post is great. Love the humor. Great job.
    -J @JLenniDorner

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  10. Zorro has always been one of my favorites

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  11. Zorro has always been one of my favorites

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