Vicious

Fiction | Novel | YA | Published in 2013

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Symbols & Motifs

ExtraOrdinaries (EOs)

The EOs of Vicious are both a motif of the book, as well as a commentary on superhero fiction and comic book tropes. Throughout the book, the existence and powers of EOs allow for speculation on the book’s major themes, as well as a glimpse at what reality might look like in a world populated by EOs. In superhero fiction, lines between good and evil are often finely drawn. Superheroes like Superman and Batman are firmly on the side of good, where as their nemeses (Lex Luthor, the Joker, etc.) are defined as evil. Vicious subverts these tropes, offering morally gray EOs who possess qualities of both heroes and villains.

In the world of Vicious, EOs are made as the result of a traumatic brush with death. Eli and Victor speculate on the qualities required for a person to become an EO, and while they never settle on a specific formula, they agree that the circumstances of death must be traumatic/violent and there must be a desperation to live. The four main characters of the book show this type of experience in two different ways. Victor and Eli induced their death experiences, purposefully putting themselves in physically traumatic situations in an attempt to gain powers. By contrast, Sydney and Serena have an unintentional death experience. The different outcomes show that the circumstances of death do not necessarily affect a person’s moral nature after death. Sydney and Victor (one accidental and one intentional death) just want to live their lives on their terms. Eli and Serena expect more now that they have powers, and they use their gifts to further their agendas. Heroes and villains are created in the same way.

Words, Names, and Definitions

Words and the power they hold play a large role in Vicious. Aside from the labels of “hero” and “villain,” other labels are applied to EOs and non-EOs alike that define what/who they are to a certain individual or population. Within the police EO database, Eli marks his intended victims by giving them middle names which contain “Eli,” a label that says they are both like him (an EO) and not like him (someone marked by him). After Eli murders an EO, he puts their profile in the database’s “trash” folder, showing the low regard he holds for an EO’s life. Eli even changes his own name from Eliot; “Eli” being a Hebrew name with Biblical connotations, meaning “elevated” and suggesting Eli’s sense of himself as chosen by God.

Victor’s name is similarly symbolic; he endeavors and ultimately wins victory over Eli. Victor’s destruction of his parents’ books also shows his disregard for unnecessary words, or words with mutable meaning. While his opinion is not shared by everyone, Victor believes the majority of what his parents write is extraneous. By blacking out their books, he distills their self-help concepts into meanings that fit his pessimistic view better. After becoming an EO, he uses the destruction to highlight words that mean something to him. Most notably, he blacks out all of one book except for “for” and “ever” to represent his quest to end Eli. For Victor, the right words represent strength and commitment.

Science and Religion

Science and religion are both opposing forces and two sides of the same coin in Vicious. Victor embodies science, and Eli represents religion. The similarities and differences between the two men show how science and religion work together and independently.

Both science and religion are forces beyond human control. Science can be studied and verified, but there is still much unknown and no definitive evidence to suggest that what humankind knows is, in fact, correct. Belief in science requires faith in the methods used to study it, much like religion requires faith in the unseen. In Vicious, Victor and Eli put their trust in science and religion, respectively, when attempting to become EOs.

After their deaths, Victor and Eli diverge. Victor still believes in science and uses scientific evidence to hone his power over pain. By contrast, Eli uses religion to reconcile his existence, choosing to believe God returned his life and made it nearly impossible for him to die. Science keeps Victor grounded within his mortal body while religion stokes Eli’s conviction that he is godlike. Religion also keeps Eli from seeing other EOs as individuals, despite no evidence to support this. It may be that other EOs had a similar religious experience but chose to act upon it in a less violent manner. Eli’s personal religious beliefs inflate his sense of self-importance and blind him to other perspectives. Schwab implies a relationship between zealous religiosity and hero-worship, suggesting that both can separate an individual from their empathetic self.