# Justice and Revenge in Lorna Doone

> Theme guide for Lorna Doone by R. D. Blackmore.

The narrative contrasts lawful justice with vigilante revenge, particularly through the Doones' criminal exploits and the community's eventual uprising. John's quest to avenge his father's murder and the final assault on the Doone valley highlight the moral complexities of retribution.

## Where it surfaces

- [The Warpath of the Doones](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/lorna_doone_se/chapters/iii-the-warpath-of-the-doones): The gibbet of Red Jem Hannaford symbolizes rough frontier justice, while the Doones represent lawless revenge.
- [A Very Rash Visit](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/lorna_doone_se/chapters/iv-a-very-rash-visit): Mistress Ridd seeks justice for her husband's murder but is met with a fabricated story of self-defense, highlighting the failure of informal justice and the seeds of future revenge.
- [An Illegal Settlement](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/lorna_doone_se/chapters/v-an-illegal-settlement): The community's fear and inaction after John Ridd's father's murder illustrate the breakdown of legal order and the cycle of violence.
- [Necessary Practice](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/lorna_doone_se/chapters/vi-necessary-practice): John's purchase of gunpowder is explicitly motivated by a desire to avenge his father's murder by the Doones.
- [Tom Deserves His Supper](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/lorna_doone_se/chapters/xi-tom-deserves-his-supper): John's mother has weaned him from thoughts of revenge for his father's murder, and John reflects on the ambiguity of legal versus illegal robbery, questioning the justice of the King's tribute versus Tom's theft.
- [A Man Justly Popular](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/lorna_doone_se/chapters/xii-a-man-justly-popular): John rejects revenge for his father's murder, while Tom Faggus turns to crime after being unjustly ruined by the law.
- [Master Huckaback Comes In](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/lorna_doone_se/chapters/xiii-master-huckaback-comes-in): Uncle Reuben is outraged at being robbed by the Doones and insists on seeking redress, reflecting the theme of justice.
- [Quo Warranto?](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/lorna_doone_se/chapters/xv-quo-warranto): The failure to obtain a warrant against the Doones underscores the inadequacy of formal justice, leading to plans for direct action.
- [Lorna Begins Her Story](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/lorna_doone_se/chapters/xx-lorna-begins-her-story): Lorna reflects on the lawlessness of the Doones and the 'curse' of living among thieves, questioning morality and justice.
- [A Safe Pass for King's Messenger](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/lorna_doone_se/chapters/xxiv-a-safe-pass-for-king-s-messenger): John experiences the law's delays and the political trials of Lord Russell, highlighting the flawed justice system.
- [A Great Man Attends to Business](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/lorna_doone_se/chapters/xxv-a-great-man-attends-to-business): John Ridd seeks justice for his wrongful detention, while Lord Jeffreys dispenses a harsh, personal form of justice against the corrupt officer Spank.
- [John Is Drained and Cast Aside](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/lorna_doone_se/chapters/xxvi-john-is-drained-and-cast-aside): Lord Jeffreys's arbitrary dismissal and warning highlight the capricious nature of justice and the dangers of political involvement.
- [John Returns to Business](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/lorna_doone_se/chapters/xxxvi-john-returns-to-business): John's determination to confront the Doones and rescue Lorna reflects a personal quest for justice, tinged with the threat of revenge.
- [A Good Turn for Jeremy](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/lorna_doone_se/chapters/xxxviii-a-good-turn-for-jeremy): The ambush plot against Jeremy Stickles and John's intervention highlight the ongoing conflict between law and the Doones' lawlessness.
- [A Troubled State and a Foolish Joke](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/lorna_doone_se/chapters/xxxix-a-troubled-state-and-a-foolish-joke): John Ridd refuses to participate in the attack on the Doones, choosing not to take revenge in cold blood for his father's murder, and instead leaves vengeance to God.
- [Jeremy in Danger](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/lorna_doone_se/chapters/xlvii-jeremy-in-danger): Jeremy Stickles' attack by the Doones underscores the ongoing conflict and the need for justice against the outlaw clan.
- [XLVIII: Every Man Must Defend Himself](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/lorna_doone_se/chapters/xlviii-every-man-must-defend-himself): John Ridd vows to kill Carver Doone for threatening Lorna, seeking personal justice.
- [Jeremy Finds Out Something](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/lorna_doone_se/chapters/liii-jeremy-finds-out-something): Jeremy Stickles discusses the failure of law to address the Doone outlaws, highlighting the tension between legal justice and local tolerance.
- [Mutual Discomfiture](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/lorna_doone_se/chapters/liv-mutual-discomfiture): The assault on the Doone stronghold is an attempt to bring justice, but internal rivalries undermine it.
- [Getting Into Chancery](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/lorna_doone_se/chapters/lv-getting-into-chancery): The arrival of Chancery writs introduces a legal battle over Lorna's inheritance, contrasting with the violent justice sought against the Doones.
- [LXII: The King Must Not Be Prayed For](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/lorna_doone_se/chapters/lxii-the-king-must-not-be-prayed-for): The Doones' preparation for attack and the King's death disrupting justice efforts reflect themes of lawlessness and retribution.
- [Slaughter in the Marshes](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/lorna_doone_se/chapters/lxiv-slaughter-in-the-marshes): John witnesses the brutal slaughter of the countrymen by the King's cavalry, highlighting the harsh justice meted out to rebels.
- [Falling Among Lambs](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/lorna_doone_se/chapters/lxv-falling-among-lambs): John Ridd is unjustly captured and nearly executed by Colonel Kirke, highlighting the arbitrary and vengeful nature of military justice during the rebellion.
- [John Is John No Longer](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/lorna_doone_se/chapters/lxviii-john-is-john-no-longer): John's capture of the robbers and the public acclaim for catching disreputable witnesses; the hanging of Doones by Colonel Kirke as a form of rough justice.
- [Not to Be Put Up with](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/lorna_doone_se/chapters/lxix-not-to-be-put-up-with): The Doones' unchecked atrocities, including the murder of a baby, provoke a call for justice and foreshadow the community's eventual revenge.
- [Compelled to Volunteer](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/lorna_doone_se/chapters/lxx-compelled-to-volunteer): The community's desire for retribution against the Doones for murder and outrage, culminating in John Ridd's reluctant leadership.
- [A Long Account Settled](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/lorna_doone_se/chapters/lxxi-a-long-account-settled): The attack on the Doones is framed as a long-overdue reckoning, with each man seeking vengeance for personal losses, yet John questions the morality of the slaughter.
- [The Counsellor and the Carver](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/lorna_doone_se/chapters/lxxii-the-counsellor-and-the-carver): The attack on the Doones is framed as a just act of vengeance for their crimes, but John grapples with the legal and moral implications of taking the law into his own hands.
- [Blood Upon the Altar](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/lorna_doone_se/chapters/lxxiv-blood-upon-the-altar): John Ridd's pursuit of Carver Doone after Lorna is shot embodies a personal quest for justice and vengeance.
- [Give Away the Grandeur](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/lorna_doone_se/chapters/lxxv-give-away-the-grandeur): John kills Carver Doone as retribution for Lorna's shooting, but feels remorse and a sense of wrongness afterward.

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/lorna_doone_se/themes/justice_and_revenge
- Themes index: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/lorna_doone_se/themes