Quote
"Anarchy wears two faces, both creator and destroyer. Thus destroyers topple empires; make a clean canvas of clean rubble where creators can then build a better world." (Moore, 222)
Alan Moore's epic graphic novel, V For Vendetta depicts a fictional totalitarian government that has taken over in the United Kingdom. This government is run by a fascist group called Norsefire, lead by Adam J. Susan. Susan and his cabinet have the entirety of the United Kingdom under their control; the control what their people hear, see, and do, maintaining perfect order through fear. V For Vendetta is the story of a vigilante, considered a terrorist by the government, known
simply as 'V'. V and his apprentice Evey are out to bring down Susan's government, and return the power to the citizens of the United Kingdom. The quote above is a line spoken by V to Evey, as he tries to explain to her his master plan. In my eyes, the quote really sums up the novel. It features the main goal of the text (to bring down totalitarian London) and projects what the characters hope will
happen after the novel is complete (a rebuild of the United Kingdom as a whole, where a democratic government is utilized).
Connections
When reading about the crazy government in V For Vendetta one of the first things to come to mind was the war between people and their government currently happening in Libya. Though no actual fighting takes place between the government and its people takes place in V For Vendetta, there are definitely parallels between the two situations. For example, one of the major laws brought up in V For Vendetta is that of censorship. According to the Freedom of the Press, Libya is the Middle Eastern country suffering from the most censorship. In both cases, parties have risen up against the governments with the hope of overthrowing said government, and returning the power to the people.
Another interesting connection I can make between V For Vendetta and my life is the concept of fear. In the novel, V teaches his apprentice, Evey (or simply Eve after a certain point in the book), to loose every connection between herself and the emotion known as fear. After this, she is able to function more freely as her true anarchistic self. This made me wonder, could the lack of fear make people more apt to try outrageous things? If fear what keeps most people in check? Keeping people from rioting and trying to overthrow any form of government, be it a country's leader, or the local board of directors at a school?
Finally, I'd like to connect V For Vendetta to the world itself. This fictional
totalitarian government came about after a nuclear war that left most of the world disheveled. Isn't nuclear war what people are fearing will soon take place between the world's major nations? If a nuclear war were to break out, would we be plunged into a world filled with fascist governments and brooding anarchists?
Visual Representation
The image to the right is from page 236 of V For Vendetta. These panels portray V speaking to one of Susan's many wingmen, asking him to question what V really means to him as well as the
government. What V is trying to say is that, even if his physical body is destroyed, his very being will not be destroyed. Instead, his ideas and plan will live on through the people of London, and therefore he will never die.
Questions
Would a figure like V rise if any country were to find themselves in the position portrayed in V For Vendetta? Should V be considered a hero? Or do his vicious deeds that include the execution of several people make him a villain? V's true identity is never revealed in the novel, should it have been? Is it truly important who was behind his actions? Or is it more important that the actions were done? Would a city like London really be able to get itself back up on its feet after a disaster like this? Or would the city simply be thrown into chaos without a government?
Reflection
I thought that this graphic novel was fantastic. The thought of a totalitarian United Kingdom was so fascinating. It was a topic that had so much potential, and I believe Moore took advantage of all of it. Another great thing about this novel was the art. I appreciated the use of color in this novel; something that my last read lacked. The drawings were bright and precise, and made it much easier to understand what was going on than the dark, scribble-y pictures in From Hell.Once again, the main drawback of the novel was the lack of clarity concerning the characters. Though it was much easier to keep characters straight in this novel, it still got rather confusing trying to keep the various names and faces straight. I would recommend this book to anyone interested in the graphic novel medium. It is a magnificent accomplishment in its industry. I would also encourage those looking to get into or try graphic novels to read V For Vendetta, for it is a great introduction to how great and meaningful the medium can be.
Moore, Alan, and David Lloyd. V for Vendetta. New York: Vertigo, 2005. Print.
