Source: https://biggsrbr.weebly.com/english-ii-honors-blog/v-for-vendetta-blog
Timestamp: 2019-04-22 08:56:58+00:00

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"We've had a string of embezzlers, frauds, liars and lunatics making a string of catastrophic decisions. This is plain fact.
But who elected them? It was you! You who appointed these people! You who gave them the power to make your decisions for you! While I'll admit that anyone can make a mistake once, to go on making the same lethal errors century after century seems to me nothing short of deliberate.
You have encouraged these malicious incompetents, who have made your working life a shambles. You have accepted without question their senseless orders. You have allowed them to fill your workspace with dangerous and unproven machines.
And all you had to say was NO."
I found it really facinating that, at times, V seemed perfectly sane. He was protecting Evey and had a plan worked out for everything, even when he died. Additionally, when he was speaking with Evey about freedom and such, he made complete sense. But some of his actions were absolutely crazy. For example, when he tricked Evey into thinking she was in a concentration camp, he was trying to teach her what he went through years ago, which was a good idea. However, I think he could've found a better way to explain it to her without absolutely traumatizing her.
V was trying to change the country away from their inhumane government system. I found a theme of him being like an actor in a play. He wore a mask like many people in shows and in his shadow gallery- he manipulated people to believe the set he made was real life. There were 'actors' such as the woman with the cell next to evey. Within each play he created he taught the person he trapped a lesson much like how plays have a lesson taught. When he put the officer in a resettlement camp with the dolls to teach him what it was like for V in the camp and when he put Evey in the prison he showed her why there is such need for a change in their world and why it should mean so much to her too.
Ooh, that's an awesome concept, comparing V to an actor in a play, and tying it to Valerie. He's very theatrical in general, like when he instructs the 'orchestra', while the buildings explode. He's insanely dramatic, and I think maybe he is that way because he was deprived of the colourful, music lives he reads of in his books.
The question of V's sanity is really intriguing. How does he seem so "sane" and then do completely crazy things? Well, there are a few possibilties. One is that V is just "acting" sane; this connects with Liv's comments above. Psychologists use the term "mask of sanity" to describe how serial killers can sometimes fake being "normal" while preparing to do horrible stuff - maybe that's what's up with V, he just knows how to imitate sanity well.
Whatever you decide about V, Clarisse McClellan is also called "insane" and sent to psychiatrists. Comparing and contrasting her "insanity" with V would be a great topic!
Another theory of how V portrays himself as sane while performing insane stunts is perhaps at one time he was actually "sane." Although, throughout some of his experiences in the camp and everything else he developed this sense of insanity. This allows him to act sane, by mimicking his old self while executing these radical acts of vengeance.
There were a lot of cool themes throughout this novel but one I really enjoyed thinking about was the illusion of ultimate power. One question I frequently asked myself was who really has the upper hand? Alan Moore sort of tricks us at many points in the book into thinking that one individual character has the high ground over another. At most points I thought V had some sort of higher power because he was outsmarting and physically killing everyone with a position in government. But in reality he only killed three people: The bishop, Dr. Surridge, and Mr. Almond. The first two were for revenge from Larkhill and Mr. Almonds murder was in some form of self-defense. I also thought he had all the power when he reveals that he has had access to fate all along in chapter two of book three. However, having access to fate does nothing except push leader to the breaking point. So who really has total dominance? The people of Great Britain. The people have the potential to overthrow this totalitarian government, but they just needed a push in the right direction to do so. V’s Actions and words was that push. When Evey is contemplating what she should do after V dies. She sees a scenario in her head in which she pulls of the mask and unveils that V is actually herself. This is the real moment of realization for her. She finally realizes that V is anyone and everyone. She becomes conscious of the fact that anyone could have done what V did. He was just the first to take the initiative to do so. You can see on pages 258 and 259 how easily the mob of people overthrow the guards after their learning of V being alive and his talking to them. V not only lives through Evey who literally wears his mask but he also lives through the people of Great Britain as well. Do you guys agree or do you think one character has ultimate power the whole time?
Pat, I definitely agree that this book seems to be a power struggle for the upper hand, yet I always felt V was on top. V was always 3 steps ahead of everyone else, counting the people he killed. I didn't realize but in an odd way V only killed three people if you include the other circumstances. It seemed to be a dystopian society, so I agree that the people wanted change. Yet, know one wanted to start this change. I truly believe that V, Evey, or anyone that carried V had ultimate power.
I found it fascinating that V turned out to be no one special at all. In the end, Evey even said that what V stood for was more prominent than who he actually was. Towards the conclusion, you can really visualize that V wasn’t a person all along, he was an idea. The story shows that everyone is capable of withholding a powerful idea regardless of who you are, and it only takes one person to initiate a whole new beginning to a brainwashed way of life. Carrying out his ideas, V was able to reveal the antidote to the curse that was put on his people. Ideas and thoughts are constantly run in and out of our minds; however, using the ideas makes them far more significant like V did.
I think that this was very similar to Fahrenheit 451. If a person does not use their ideas, they leave nothing behind. Mildred would watch tv, listen to her seashell radio, and drive fast cars all day. This is the same as all of her neighbors. They are being fed ideas from the people controlling the seashell radios. Similarly in V for Vendetta, the ciitizens are being given ideas from the government. In order to leave a legacy behind you need to use your own ideas.
It's also fairly similar to One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest for the same reasons. In Cuckoo's Nest, the patients of the ward are forced to live precisely in the manner that Nurse Ratched wants them to. However, McMurphy decides to go his own way and act on his own ideas; his actions have a major impact on the ward, similar to how V's actions had a major impact on the country's government.
The plot of V for Vendetta was of an intricate plan by a test subject victim nicknamed V and his female teenage apprentice to topple a totalitarian government of the United Kingdom. The citizens were in a constant state of denial where they rely only on the government. V's vision was a nation of freedom with people to defend that freedom. However the people were too afraid to rebel which led V to expose the government, kill the nation's leaders, and to give courage to the citizens to defend their freedom.
What I find the most intriguing was when V points out a cycle. He says, " Anarchy wears two faces, both creator and destroyer. Thus destroyers topple empires, make a canvas of clean rubble where creators then build a better world "( Moore 248). This means that to improve, one must begin anew. And to every destruction there is creation. This simple law spreads out to different levels in reality and history. For example, the colonist broke off from the British Empire because their treatment from their laws was unfair and caused a tough life on the colonist. To solve the problem, they rebelled and started a new nation where the rules and law benefit them. But this cyclical rule even applies to one of the more biggest things in reality, stars. When a star reaches it's death stage, it releases the gas required to make new stars. The death of a star provides the gaseous nutrients to create 2 or more infant stars. It seems that the cycle of death and rebirth appears in the smallest and largest part in everyday life.
Just like in Greek Mythology, the phoenix would burn up to ashes, then be reborn from the ashes. With the amount of control the government had and the position the people were in, the only way to fix anything would be to start from scratch. Everything need to come toppling down so it could be rebuilt better.
The idea of the phoenix and rebirth also relates to Fahrenheit 451. After the bombing of the city, Granger compares mankind to a phoenix that burns itself up and then rises out of its ashes. Granger states that, “We know the damn silly thing we just did. We know all the damn silly things we’ve done for a thousand years” (Bradbury 163). Man’s advantage is his ability to recognize when he has made a mistake, so that eventually he will learn not to make that mistake anymore.
The idea of freedom in V for Vendetta was also tied with the idea of fear. Just as the people were too afraid to rebel against the government for freedom so was Evey until V helped her free herself. She doesn't realize this until V imprisons her and points out that she's been a prisoner her whole life when he says "You're in a prison. Evey. You were born in a prison so long, you no longer believe there's a world outside"(Moore 170). Just as the people no longer believed in freedom until V gave them an opportunity to defend it by taking down the ones in charge.
“All that is necessary for evil to prevail is for good men to do nothing.”- Edmund Burke. Throughout history, whenever evil crimes have been committed, they are only committed because those with the power to stop it failed to. In many cases it has been possible for those in power to stop these heinous crimes, but they don’t because of ignorance, prejudice, or simply because they don’t see it coming. In V for Vendetta, the citizens of London stood idly while fascists, headed by Adam Susan, take over their country. Maybe not one person could have stopped the fascist regime from taking over, but as a whole if the people of London had formed together and resisted, then they could have had a fighting chance. While the people live in misery and sulk on through their depressing lives they hardly even realize that they could have done something to prevent this. This is what V opens their eyes to when he says “But who elected them? It was you! You who appointed these people! You who gave them the power to make your decisions for you! ... And all you had to say was NO." Not only is V is trying to liberate the people of London, but he is also trying to open their eyes and make sure it never happens again.
V is a lot like living history. Shocked by his past and nervous of his city's future, he lives based on the fact that no one should ever live in misery and allow higher powers to control society like he did in his past. History is important to make sure bad decisions are not repeated. V was acting as a catalyst to speed up the revolution in London. Under such brainwashed circumstances, the people of London needed a new set of eyes: eyes like V's that had not succumbed to the influence of the government, in order to understand the systematic wrongdoing which they lived by.
I agree with Jack on the point that if the citizens of London had tried to do something before Norsefire had gained total control they could have been stopped but instead they let it happen and then go about blaming everything else except for themselves for why their lives are so messed up. I believe they all thought what could one man do so they backed down and that is why when V shows them that one person does have the power to make all the difference they rise up and decide to actually fight back for a change.
In all honesty, V is a very chilling character. At least to me. He's not quite... right, as you can see multiple times, he's violent, and above all, he's a terrorist. Sure, he has good intentions, but when it comes down to it, V is ultimately a terrorist, and a murderer. He's grown to become one of my favourite comic book characters (which is a considerably large feat, trust me).
It's easy to like V; we're reading fiction, and V is charismatic and smart and ruthless. But if V were real, blowing up buildings and killing public officials- would we trust him so easily? The fascist government isn't a long, long way off from our current society, where Congress is continually finding ways to restrict us, and our freedoms. It makes me wonder if a few decades from now, if we find ourselves in the same predicament as London, would V be so welcome amongst us?
I definitely agree with your point about how V, in the end, is a terrorist, and in real life would be far harder to trust. Not only are we reading the book with the knowledge that it's fiction, but we see everything from V's point of view (as well as several other characters' at various points). You have to look at the situation from a normal citizen's point of view just to begin to attempt to understand how scary V could seem. I know that I probably wouldn't trust a seemingly insane, nameless, faceless man, who goes around killing people, blowing up buildings, and quoting various famous works at the same time.
Mya, I love this point that you are bringing up! I admit that I got caught up in V's charisma. But, at the end of the day, I realize that V was a terrorist. Although V stands for what is right, I believe that he goes about it in the wrong way. This summer, I visited the Apartheid museum in South Africa. During my visit, I learned of many anti-apartheid activists who used bombs and guns to get their message across. While they were fighting for all the right reasons, the road to hell is paved with good intentions. While learning about these activists, I couldn't help but connect their stories to V's actions.
This is a very true point, I found him to be very dynamic, and villainous, especially when he kidnapped Evey. But I do think we would welcome V if our society understands that the government had become fascist, but also if we keep up with the caring less about politics and more about pleasure, then V could easily become a foe to everyone.
I never really thought about how ruthless of a character V was until now. I agree with Joe that since we know it is fiction and we see this through V's eyes and not the public's that we begin to feel that everything he does is right, even though bombings and murder is a wrong thing to do. I also think that because the government is Fascist that we already subconsciously don't like the authorities and that reflects in our support for V.
Looking back, I’m starting to realize how much I thought of V as just a concept or belief (or a symbol of a concept or belief), and not really as a person. V’s unusual personality, his unique mask, and his lack of a normal name seem to dehumanize him to the point that one may actually believe that “there’s no flesh or blood within [his] cloak to kill” (Moore 236). A reader can see that this isn’t just coincidence, but his intention, especially after hearing his instructions to Evey moments before his death, telling her that she must discover who he is (by which he really means what he represents) but that she must not see his face. If she was to see his face, she would realize that he’s just a human with an odd personality, most likely some sort of brain disorder, a very strong opinion and a great deal of willpower and intelligence; though he may be impressive, he is just a person, and people can die. If she never sees his face, he will always appear to her as a powerful idea which, unlike V’s physical being, cannot be destroyed. This sense of immortality and the illusion of being superhuman that V has created is infinitely beneficial, and provides a substantial amount of power over people mentally. In my opinion, V’s seeming immortality and superhuman abilities are his greatest achievement and most essential tool.
I believe that roses are an important symbol in the novel V for Vendetta. At first, we see V tell Evey that the government have "eradicated culture... tossed it away like a fistful of dead roses." (Moore 18) And continuously throughout the remainder of the novel we see roses used. V places the flowers with each of his victims and he grows them in his house as we see on page 221. I believe that Moore uses the roses to symbolize individuality. When V says that culture was thrown away like a fistful of roses he is also talking about how the loss of culture is linked to the loss of freedom and also all of the people killed within the concentration camps who died. Which, is why he leaves them with his victims who killed people within the camps, to remind them of the individuals they took stole from the world.
I agree Catherine, also the roses were portrayed as being rare and they hardly grew in the city of London; in fact, when the rose was given by V to Doctor Delia as she died she was shocked because it had been a while since she had seen one in the city. Therefore, I agree that the roses were a symbol of culture; the citizens hardly saw the roses because they were stripped of their individuality by the government and unable to truly think for themselves. It does also make sense that V would give roses to the people killed in the same camp he was imprisoned in, because the brutality in the camps made them individuals taken from the world, unable to be themselves and rejected by society.
The roses V used as a signature to each person he killed were Scarlet Carson roses. V would use them to avenge Valerie's death because those were the kinds of flowers that Valerie grew before they put her in the concentration camp. Valerie's letter inspired V to live without fear (probably why he used it for Evey when V put her in prison) and when he was in the concentration camp, he was allowed to tend to the garden, and grew Valerie's Scarlet Carson roses.
When ever they thought they took the upper hand, FATE was taken my surprise and lost their lead. One of the best aspects of this book was how V would always have the advantage even when it seemed he down for the count. One example of this was when he aired his message on TV, then was shot and “killed” but it wasn’t actually him. V truly is a mastermind but his actions would portray him more as a psychopathic man on the loose. As he explained to Evey, anarchy wears two faces. V was the destroyer who set up the scene for Evey to be the creator. As the destroyer, V acted as a terrorist demolishing buildings and killing well know people such as the priest. To him, all of his actions were a form of justice with a hint of revenge, but in the eyes of the public, he is just another terrorist. As the reader, we can see and know everything that’s happening but to any character out in the streets of the book, V will not easily been seen as a hero.
A part of the novel that I found most interesting was the magic trick V showed to Evey early on in the novel. He makes a rabbit disappear out of its cage, and then makes it reappear, although the cage is gone. This is V’s early attempt of trying to show Evey that she is trapped in a prison with her beliefs encaged. What she has already been educated on is what has been keeping her from escaping the prison. The rabbit embodies Evey, and the cage symbolizes the prison she was born into. When V makes the rabbit disappear, it's like Evey pretending her figurative prison doesn't exist. She's in a different place aside from what's real, and she could be happier there, but it's more important that she come back to reality to face the cage. Then, when V brings the rabbit back, but makes the cage disappear, it's like he's telling Evey that she needs to break out of her jail cell, and be able to see the world beyond the bars. This is an important event because it foreshadows what happens to Evey later in the book.
I agree with Will on the symbolism of the magic trick in the beginning of the book as hinting towards Evey's escape from here own "prison" later on in the novel. Except in the case of Evey's escape from her prison and the rabbits from its, the rabbit needed V's help entirely to escape while for Evey he just provided the back drop and she did the escaping on her own as he says on page 174 "You did it all yourself I simply provided the backdrop. The drama was all your own". I believe this symbolizes that how in the beginning of the novel Evey might have needed V's help to entirely escape from the prison, like the rabbit did but as she grew through out the book all she needed was the right backdrop.
I think the way that Alan Moore portrayed V in the novel was an absolutely wonderful demonstration of the thin line between insanity and genius. V often spoke in quotes or references at opposed to statements of his own creation. This often made him seem off compared to other characters in the book. However, V shows that confusion can sometimes be the greatest weapon. He creates the illusion that he is a mad man and with such illusion created he attacks his opponents. A character who also uses such a technique would be Joker from the Batman trilogy. He also bordered the line of insanity and genius in order to confuse his opponents and to then get the upper hand. Both Joker and V hide behind masks to also use the illusion of the unknown to scare their enemies. As once quoted by Edgar Allan Poe, "Science has not yet taught us if madness is or is not the sublimity of the intelligence." Through out the story, I continually questioned whether V was mad or genius only to realize that he was both. To me, this was a very exciting hidden concept within the novel.
When I was reading V for Vendetta, I was thinking the exact same thing as Grace about V. He was always either a madman or a genius in my mind and it kept me reading trying to figure out which. When his riddles and rhymes came together throughout the book Alan Moore had me thinking that V was a mastermind vigilante, but at other times I really did question V's strategics. For instance, when he put Evey in the jail cell to "set her free" I thought he may have overdone it. I see the point he made and I understand how he uses drama, but I just thought it was just a little bit too extreme.
“The human race is intoxicated with narrow victories, for life is a string of them like pearls that hit the floor when the rope breaks, and roll away in perfection and anarchy.”(Mark Helprin) This quote, in my opinion, perfectly describes V’s vendetta as it is carried out from beginning to end. Each of V’s feats, from blowing up Larkhill to having a Viking’s funeral, can be symbolized by a pearl on a rope. All throughout the story, the police grip tightly at each end of the string, frequently relaxing one hand slightly in false hope only to have another pearl, or act of terrorism, strung on. With each pearl the hands hold tighter and move further apart. Finally, when that last explosion occurs with V in the subway train, the rope breaks. All of the pearls, all of the meaning of the recent events, roll away in perfection, leaving only anarchy in their wake. I must admit that I fell victim to this suspense and had a string of my own while reading this novel. When the rope finally broke, I gained a new appreciation for V’s genius in watching his final act. I believe that this is the effect that Alan Moore was hoping for when putting together this amazing novel. This toying with emotions is what made reading V for Vendetta my favorite summer assignment this year!
Michael, I like how you compared the end of V for Vendetta when Evey puts on V's mask to carry on what he lives for to Martin Luther King Jr. and all that he lived for. I also made this connection when reading the novel and MLK is a perfect example of how even when someone dies, their ideas and all that they fight for can be carried on as "immortal." I thought this was a very good point.
I agree that immortality is not living forever. Immortality represents the flow of everything you stand for from one generation to the next. You are not dead until everything you stand for and all of your beliefs have vanished. How long that takes all depends on the kind of person you are. V proves himself as a symbol of freedom for his city, and no matter who it is wearing the mask, what V stands for doesn't change.
I agree completely that being immortal doesn't mean living forever. I think that parents are immortal because they have such a great effect on their children. They teach them their beliefs and how to act. In essence, we are always partially wearing our parents mask.
One thing that really stood out to me in V for Vendetta was the letter that Evey read from Valerie in her cell. Just that one letter from a complete stranger gave a young girl hope in life and taught her to never give up. The letter was so powerful in so many ways. In one way it gave Evey a friend and made her feel accompanied and not so lonely. Also, Valerie's story was so depressing, yet so inspiring at the same time. She says, "But it was my integrity that was important. Is that so selfish? It sells for so little, but it's all we have left in this place. It is the very last inch of us. But within that inch we are free." That "last inch" that Valerie was talking about saved Evey's life. Instead of making a false accusation upon V just for her benefit, she kept her integrity and refused to sign the false statement. That is why I think this letter is so important, because in the end it helped saved Evey's life.
I agree with Devon here. Evey was depressed and just about ready to give up when she found this letter. Reading it not only gave her hope and the motivation to keep going, but made her no longer afraid of death, releasing her from the "prison" that V claims she had been living in her whole life. V helps Evey realize that if you live for an idea, death does not really end your life, as the idea that you stood for takes your place on goes on.
I love the thought of Evey having the "last inch". I believe this made Evey capable of taking over the identity of V in the end. this made her feel free enough to take over such an empowering role.
At first I found it interesting how many times the letter "V" was used, aside from being the name of the novel and protagonist. But quickly I realized that Alan Moore did this for a bigger reason. Alan Moore does this to continually remind us what V's purpose is. Vendetta, revenge, and justice are just some of the things V represents. The V is not only seen at the beginning of every book and chapter, but is also used in Valerie's letter, V's prison cell, victory, the violet carsons, and so much more. Also the V for Vendetta symbol graffitied on propaganda signs reminded me of the anarchy or circle-a symbol. The anarchy symbol is used to represent cause or a change through any action necessary, very similar to V. Knowing all this it is easy to see why Allan Moore continually used the letter "V", and that is to remind us, the audience, what V's purpose is. And the purpose is to get back at anyone or everyone that ruined the society. V for Vendetta seemed to be a grand alliteration.
Like Ricky, I too saw the symbolism of the letter V throughout the novel. It was shown in almost everything V did, encouraging the citizens of London to take part in the Vendetta. For me personally I did not just notice it but I also enjoyed it. Immediately after the letter V was introduced as an important symbol, I found myself looking for it the whole time while I read. Even in the title, V strikes thousands of questions for the reader to think over. By writing with such a strong symbol consistently in his book Alan Moore keeps his audience intrigued and entertained which made it much easier for me to get into.
I agree with Ricky's out look on the importance of the letter V in the novel. But I feel while it can be linked to many smaller occurrences in the novel it was mainly used to express two. Revenge, a.k.a Vendetta, and Cause, Valerie. Revenge is the biggest driving force of the novel because if none of this had happened to V he wouldn't feel the need to fight back like he did. And the second biggest is because of Valerie. When V received the letter during his incarceration I believe this is where he decide that if he was to make it out alive he would fight back in Valerie's name. Without Valerie I don't believe V would have the strength needed to do what needed to be done.
I agree with Ricky, the amount of times the letter V symbolizes something is really amazing. Everything in the novel had some sort of connection to the letter V. V was kept in room 5, or roman numeral V, he asks Evey to dance with him on November 5, Evey's name sounds like (E V), Valerie's name starts with V, and while the explosions occured, he would play music to Beethoven's 5th!
Who is V? That is the biggest question tossed around after reading the book V for Vendetta. V is an idea, he has a physical form but it is never shown. They hint that he is all these people but we never know because then the idea he has set forth loses its magic. It has no conviction if his identity is known, the question as to who he is keeps the idea of him alive even after he's dead. If I had to take a guess to who V truly is I'd say everybody. I believe he embodies all the hatred and animosity and thoughts of revenge that the people in London feel towards their government, and he uses that to help overthrow Norsefire. To put it simply V is Revenge.
I agree with Patrick and I think this also applies to when V is shot. He even says there is no flesh and blood in his cloak to kill, only an idea. And ideas are bullet proof. This also comes into play when V is dying and he asks Evey to know whose face is behind the mask but never know his own face. He is saying that if Evey takes off the mask, she'll just see that V was a somewhat normal guy. But he wants Evey to know him for the idea he stood for and carry on his ideas.
In V for Vendetta, I believe that V is not really a person behind the mask, but simply an idea, and a rebellion against a cruel society that he accuses the people of choosing for themselves without question. The ending portrays this when Evey refuses to unmask V and see who has been creating the stir or rebellion in London for such a long time. Evey knows that even if she reveals the person's identity, it won't change anything; it would be more important to keep him alive by becoming him, therefore keeping the hope for the city alive as well. In my opinion, V symbolizes rage and revenge towards the city of London-he was once enslaved in the concentration camps, which he claimed drove him towards insanity and the need to fight back-but also hope for the city, for with the leader and some of his party dead, V's reign will never end, even after his actual death.
I think it is important to the book that V doesn't have an actual name. If his name was revealed it would destroy the fact that V can be anyone and that he doesn't have a label.
I totally agree Andrew. If V said, I don’t have a name, but you can call me Paul, it would have totally messed up his image. He couldn’t start a revolution with Paul. I think V was the perfect name for him because every time someone said V, I tried to think of what they thought V meant. Even when I was reading Alan Moore’s short story at the end of the book I was trying to figure out what V represented to him. In the book there are so many hints as to what V could mean, but it is never revealed why he really calls himself V. It was the perfect name choice for the character because his name alone was just as intriguing as his actions and words.
On page 221, identical outfits of V's are lined up in the corner while Evey and V discuss about the gelignite explosives. V states, "After all, as you point out, you won't be needing it" (Moore 221). His words and the lining of costumes foreshadow his fate and Evey's future. V's revolution will continue and pass down through each new V.
For the most part, V’s true identity is irrelevant. It does not matter whether he is Evey’s father or a complete stranger, what matters is the message he represents. This is why his mask is such an important symbol in the novel; essentially it is the mask that makes V himself a symbol. He is not striving or glory or personal gain, even going as far as to request Evey not look at his face in death. It is Evey’s ignorance towards V’s true identity that enables her to put on the mask - figuratively and literally. She, in the final pages of the graphic novel, becomes V. Her personal identity is no longer relevant as she too is an icon of something much larger than herself. What makes this aspect of the novel so interesting, is that V’s identity being unimportant in the context of the story is exactly what makes it necessary to discuss outside of the print.
Claire, I agree that V's identity doesn't matter, and V is more of a concept or idea. All that matters is what V, the idea, accomplishes.I love that Evey took the roll of V. But, you forgot near the end of the novel the mob of people also took the roll of V.
I agree with you Claire. There is no relevance in V's identity. The mask is a symbol of justice and courage. V tried as hard as he could not to revel his identity throughout the novel; I also believe V is a symbol that demonstrates selflessness and bravery.
One of the most intense scenes I thought, was when V is speaking to Evey after she founds out V tricked her into thinking she was being kept in a concentration camp. He informs her actually people lived through what she experienced, the campers were taken behind the chemical shed and shot. Her mother, father, and lover were killed there, and that was traumatic for Evey to hear for the first time. V continues "You were in a prison, Evey. You were born in a prison. You've been in a prison so long, you no long believe there's a world outside. That's because you're afraid, Evey. You're afraid because you can feel freedom closing in upon you. You're afraid because freedom is terrifying." To put it in another way, V refers to the prison as the government taking control of everyone because citizens have no say in any choice the government makes. The tycoon wants to keep this perfect utopia he created, from getting out of proportion. In the hope of this, V wants Evey to open her eyes and see what she is actually living through instead of trying to forget it and transform it into something better.
There's a fine line between sanity and insanity. In today's society, the saner that someone seems, the more insane they actually are. Is Codename V insane or is the corrupt, destructive government insane? V's mask always shows an I'm-ahead-of-you look and a you-can't-stop-me-doing-what-I'm-doing look, which might make him seem to be insane, but he is the only one who has a clear vision and knows what is going on in London and wants to make a change. There is a plethora of ways to go about doing what he did, but considering the time he spent in the Larkhill and what happened there, he has perfectly sane reason for killing the people that he did, torturing the people that he did, the way that he did. Dr. Delia Surridge even understood why he had her on his list and wanted to die so that she didn't have to live with herself anymore. Knowing all the information about V makes me want to think he's sane, but its just little things like how much thought he puts into everything he does, how meticulously he does everything, and how he is never wrong that make me think that he is insane. I found it interesting how the author made V's speech bubbles different from everybody else’s; they are curvy and irregular and add to V's secretive attitude. Given that V's true identity is never revealed, the only difference between him and just another citizen of London is that he is unafraid of anything, including fighting against the government until justice is served.
In my opinion code name V plays the part of the protagonist and antagonist. V does work as the hero to free fascist England, but he does this in a villainous way by killing and destroying. Also the part when he keeps Evey hostage in the "prison". But, even though he seems sort of cynical, V works to free England as a jesture of good.
I think that the "prison" that V explains Evey was trapped in her whole life represents the fear in the country's people and their lack of personality. Many of the citizens in England gave up (or were forced to give up) what they believe in to keep their life. People who stood for what they believed in were either killed, imprisoned, or forced to change. V is explaining that there is no point to being alive if your ideas and personality are dead. When V dies at the end of the novel you see this come together in Evey's head. She figures out that just because the physical man behind V's mask dies, V lives on (as she becomes V herself). As it was said many times on this blog, V is an idea, and the identity of the man (or woman) behind the mask is irrelevant.
I found it fascinating how much Evey learns, matures, and begins to see their society through the eyes of V in just a year. Evey started out as a 16 year old prostitute and ended up taking the place of V when V was killed. When V takes her in so that she wouldn't be killed by the fingermen, she just wants to live a luxurious and safe life in the Shadow Garden. She is very grateful of V for rescuing her, but she then realizes that V is a murderer. V tries to show her that the government is corrupt and soon after she wants to make a deal with V by helping him because V has helped her. Evey knows that she needs to take responsibility for herself and "face what's going on outside" (Moore 43). She matured so much in just a month of meeting V. After being traumatized by V by being forced to go through a resettlement camp experience, she learned just how awful the government is and that she needs to help fight against it. She asks V to give her his knowledge and to teach her what he knows, and in the process, V is shot and dies. Evey then knew what she had to do, she had to continue V's legacy in persuading the people's view of the government in order to reestablish it.
One thing in the novel that didn't make sense though was V's death. I believe that V could have easily taken out the man who killed him. Could it have been that he taught Evey everything she needs to know, therefore no longer needed to be by her side? If there is a cycle of on going "V's", do they just stay long enough to pass on their knowledge?
A theme that I see recurring in this novel is the importance to not give up on your beliefs no matter the consequences. There are many examples of this very theme throughout the novel, but I believe none are more prominent then when Evey is put into a "concentration camp". During her ordeal, she is beaten, tortured and interrogated. But when she is forced to make the decision to die or admit she committed treason, she chooses to die. This shows ultimate dedication to her beliefs. I believe that the author, Alan Moore, tried to show us through his novel that if you truly and deeply believe in set of ideals, nothing on the face of the earth can ever make you turn your back on them.
V has to be one of the most powerful characters that I have read about. The thoughts and actions behind V came across malicious to those who were stuck in the monotony of their world but in reality V was being brave and rebellious towards the dictatorship. While everyone else was being confined and controlled by the government V took a stand and did something bold. He refused to be a bystander and let people just walk around aimlessly and afraid. No one had a purpose because no one was free to do as they please, love who they want, study what they want, live how they want, it was a bland world. V brought to life the issues that were happening in this world and gave the men in power a run for their money. V knew that without him nothing would change and so he found a "minion" that he passed his ideas along too. This way V would never die out and there would always be someone taking action against those who were doing wrong.
I agree with the fact that the identity of V is irrelevant. I also agree that the ideals he stands for is far more important than his identity could ever be. That is actually one of the most interesting things about this character is his ideals. His ideals are unlike many others ideals. While others would place the blame of their predicament of dictatorship on the ones who control them, V does the exact opposite. Instead of saying that it is the rulers fault for everything, he turns around and holds the populous responsible for the current situation. He explains that it was them that allowed this to happen. They elected, gave support, and stood idly by while these few took control of everything. Maybe this reversed thought is what makes V stand out from everyone else and motivates him to start trying to make a change. When others do nothing and take the easy way out, V tells the hard truth but also shows how the population can change things for the better. The lesson in all this is that if you go with the flow and do what everyone else does, then you will achieve nothing or even possibly make things worse. But, if you take the road less traveled, like V did, then you will be able to make a difference in whatever you do.
V shows many things to be a prison. When he puts Evey in the cell, he takes away everything and says he gave the backdrop and she made the drama. V also says that happiness is a prison, he says it's the worst prison at all. I feel like this was cruel of V to do this to Evey. He wanted her to be put through the same pain he felt when he was in room 5 at Larkhill. V made Evey into himself so that, in the end, when he dies she could take over the lifetime commitment of "V" and act the exact same way that he would.

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