Moral Ambiguity in V for Vendetta

V for Vendetta written by Allan Moore and illustrated David Lloyd is set in a dystopian not-too-distant future in a totalitarian state in the 1980’s. Just after a nuclear war has taken place, Africa and continental Europe seem absolutely shattered and Britain is on the verge of economic collapse.  

The protagonist “V” (a shadowy radical anarchist) attempts to destroy that government ruled by Fascist High Chancellor Adan Susan, who rules through fear and intimidation. Great Britain is no longer safe, and the fascist regime has set up concentration camps for anyone who is considered undesirable for the leaders.  Furthermore, by intervening media channels, the government filters information to manage citizens’ behaviours and opinions.

Although “V” is mentioned in media as a “dangerous terrorist”, we can see at the beginning of the story that the protagonist saves Evey a 16-year-old girl. Everything V does in order to fight the government has usually been associated with a “moral dilemma” of whether his hostile behaviour is detrimental or beneficial.

In my opinion, V’s behaviour is morally ambiguous, because on one hand, some people rationalize the atrocities he commits just for the sake of a “higher goal” (perceived as Liberation). On the other hand, he does kill hundreds of people, bombs the parliament and so on. (Perceived as “Terrorism”)

First of all, we need to understand moral ambiguity is usually the result of uncertainty. What we do is that we question ourselves regarding how we should feel or react to specific actions or situations and, as there is a gap between the intentions of the author and the audience’s reaction. When moral ambiguity occurs, the readers are not openly communicated about what is right or wrong causing confusion in the audience.

  

Is it everything we do just right or wrong? It is Good vs. Evil? There seems to be a blurred line between them. In V for Vendetta, V fights for freedom (this should be considered right, shouldn’t it?), but HOW DOES V DO IT? It is done through killing (the innocent and guilty ones), capturing and torturing people. Such actions are not of a hero, but V believes it is right! It is for the good of the country.

On the other hand, Eric Finch does kill V, because he thinks he is doing right as V does not believe in Fascism. Moore has intentionally established a context where THERE ARE NO MORAL CERTAINTIES WHATSOEVER. There is no black and white in our lives, and I don’t think there will be as we are constantly dealing with an internal fight about what is wrong and what is right.

In your opinion, to what extent do the ends justify the means?

References

Moore, Alan y David Lloyd. V for Vendetta. DC COMICS, 1989.

“The Ethics of Ambiguity” Simone de Beauvoir (1947). In marxists.org. Retrieved from: https://www.marxists.org/reference/subject/ethics/de-beauvoir/ambiguity/ch03.htm#s5

Fortune teller

I was watching an interview to Allan Moore. He stated that

 " in most worlds of Science fiction, you are not talking about the future, you are talking about the present. You are using the future as a way of giving a bit of fantasy element"

I suddenly understood how we usually fantasies with the future, but our future is always marked by our present. We imagine that things will be different, almost perfect, but in order to have a perfect future, we would need perfection in the present. This way, we end up imagining our future present and wondering: What for?

 "Either the future will rest blue the present, in which case it will not listen to him; or it will be different from it and his predicament would be meaningless."    1984

What Allan Moore does in V for Vendetta is to criticize. He wants to make people conscious of their situation, of the concecuences of the past, to remind them of what or how it used to be. He is not predicting what is going to happen, he is describing what is going on. As V does with Evey, Moore tries to change Our path towards anarchy and rebellion against the stablished and unfruitful system.

So are Moore and Orwell predicting the future? I bePiece that, as we learn in history, you need to know the past to understand the present and predict the future. In this case our history says: people are easy to lead ifignorant, knowledge , conviction and strenght are power, man likes figing Fire with Fire, because the stablished burocracy does not work. Does not matter how convinced, most people have a price, or at least you have to loose an important part of yourself in the fight for your beliefs.

So, there is not much new under the sun. We are always slaves of someone or something. Always rebelling against something. And always hoping for either the end of our suffering or the arrival of our hero.

Major themes and symbols in V for Vendetta by Allan Moore. Chris Muise, http://www.hyperink.com/Quotv-For-Vendettaquot-Summary-Book-One-Chapter-1-The-Villain-b260a10

Alan Moore talks V for Vendetta YouTube video http://youtu.be/QX7ehbE1vc0

1984, George Orwell

Hero and antihero

We are used to think and see that in almost every movie, book, story, etc. there is a hero and a villain. Of course, this reinforces the plot and it gives space for a conflict and an outcome in which one of the two parts wins. However, in dystopian novels there are characters that are not able to cope with their life and who think differently from what is pre-established resulting in the co-existence of both the hero and antihero in a single character.

In the case of “V” for Vendetta the main character “V” can be seen as both the hero and the antihero. “V” acts in a way seeking the common well-being that he considers will create a better society. Although he uses violence to pursue an altruist objective, his goal is to end once in for all with the regime that they are being subjected to in order to thrive freely. For example, he attacks the “bishop” who was considered by the rest of the people as a good man (he even was his “grace”) while in fact he was a pederast who exploited young girls for his placer.

 

 “I will not hear talk of freedom, I will not hear talk of individual liberty. They are luxuries. I do not believe in luxuries”. As stated in this quote, freedom and liberty were out of the picture. “V” considers that if the existing justice can’t be believed, he will have to create one that could be, in which the only way to achieve freedom is through justice, acting as the hero. 

However, “V” at the same time is also an antihero since he ruptures with the cast that society imposes and he rebels against the stated conventions. In a way, a contradiction emerges when he follows the ways of anarchy and violence to terminate the higher violence that “the Leader” imposes.

Finally, do you think it is possible for both hero and antihero to coexist in a single character? Would one of these two have to be eliminated for the other one to remain? 

References

Lloyd, M. y D. Distopía e intertextualidad en 1984 de George Orwell y V de Vendetta de Alan Moore. 2009.

Moore, Alan y David Lloyd. V for Vendetta. DC Comics, 1989.

What is it behind the mask ?

"Did you think to kill me?  There’s no flesh or blood within this cloak to kill.  There’s only an idea.  Ideas are bullet-proof" (Moore 236).

Intriguing and exciting are the two words that come to my mind when is it about defining V. 

 

V finds inspiration in Guy Fawkes, from whom he adopts his face with a mask and that is precisely what caught my attention, the fact that we are not able to see V's face, which at the same time allows him to adopt the face of an ideal.

He forgets about his name. He becomes an idea that near the end Evey understand and after imagining the face behind the mask, she realizes that knowing the face makes the idea human, and humans are fragile, are mortal. It would give it a gender, a personality; it would make we fit that person into the concept of his humanity.

"If I take off that mask, something will go away forever, be diminished because whoever you are isn’t as big as the idea of you" (Moore 250)

The mask protects him from everyone else. We don't know who V is but due to his actions and his mask we relate him to an idea: revolution. 

 

Based on this, I believe Moore gave us this story with a female follower of V, to give power to the idea of representing an idea more than becoming someone. Highlighting the fact that anybody can be V if they have already free their minds towards revolution.

Another interpretation that we can see in the novel is Larkhill. This is the place where the man in room number five (5=V) becomes V. In the Shadow Gallery, V recreates Larkhill. He does it to revenge Prothero, but curiously since it is a representation of his past and experience, V uses his own Larkhill to free Evey from her fears and past, to show her the world through his eyes, to free her mind so that she could see what is really right and not what she has been told by an repressive government.

All in all, if we think about it, in literature, everything is a representation of something else and nothing is what seems to be.

Kohns, Oliver. Guy Fawkes in the 21st Century. A Contribution to the Political Iconography  of Revolt. Image [&] Narrative. 2013. PDF 
 
Moore, Alan. V for Vendetta. DC Comics. 1988. PDF

Revolutionary spirit in 1984 v/s V for Vendetta

In the novel “1984” we get to London, a totalitarian capital lead by one party that oppresses the citizens and do not really provides them with cloths, or enough food. Besides the information given to the people is not the truth: they can see there’s a sort of war going on, but nobody know anything about it; there are loads of posters with “Big Brother’s face”, the leader fo the party but that nobody knows; the history has been changed by the government in order to make the citizens believe what the government wants.

In terms of freedom, Londoners in the novel are obliged to watch the Government’s tv programme and they are not allowed to turn the tv off because they are constantly being observed. What’s more, they do not even have time to think about what is going on.

Like in the graphic novel “V for Vendetta”, 1984’s main character has revolutionary intentions and thoughts, which are eventually penalised by the totalitarian government through the use of torture.

Unlike the endless revolutionary spirit present in V that do not die and that will keep present in future times, the revolution that Winston Smith feels is killed by the government and he becomes one of the thousands of citizens that do not have time to think again, so much so that he becomes part of the system again, showing us that the means that our “leaders” would use in case of a revolution in the present times are likely to work and to be used no matter what it implies.

Leaders what people to believe what they say, and it looks like we are starting to believe it.

References:

*Orwell, George. 1984. Editions Underbahn Ltd., 2006.

*Moore, Alan. V for Vendetta. Gramedia Pustaka Utama, 2006.

FEAR IS THE KEY OF CONTROL

While reading both novels,  V for Vendetta and nineteen eighty four I found a common pattern used by governments; The use of fear to control people. And thinking critically, if going back in time it makes much sense taking into consideration the Nazi movement in Europe, facism in Europe, the aparthaid in Africa and even closer the militar uprising that took place during the 70’s in our country.

Fear is an innate quality in all oridnary human beings, and they function and respond based on fear. For instance people vote for a candidate or support an idea controlled by the fear of something happening or not happening. There are certain kind of people who are capable or less succeptible to be taken over by fear but sadly they are often very few.

Goverments, politicians and movements have had awareness of this fact since always and they have made use of fear as a primary tool whenever they need to achieve their goals. More especifically techniques such as marcial code, discrimination against homesexuality, mass media control can often be found.

More worrying, it is believed by some that some of the biggest and most powerful nations have intencionally provoked some attacks to evoke fear in people. Such is the case of the 9/11 or the Ebola epidemy more recently; for both there are several who believe in conspirations that propose that governments are responsible for millions of dead people and the panic caused, all this persuing power and domination.

“Fear, like every other “productive” resource, is subject to the laws of production. Thus, it cannot escape the law of diminishing marginal productivity: as successive doses of fear-mongering are added to the government’s “production” process, the incremental public clamor for governmental protection declines. The first time the government cries wolf, the public is frightened; the second time, less so; the third time, still less so. If the government plays the fear card too much, it overloads the public’s sensibilities, and eventually people discount almost entirely the government’s attempts to frighten them further”.

More concretely, and seeing it from a more pedagogycal perspective, there has always been teachers who based their teaching methods in fear; they believed that students will learn better or faster if bein afraid. As  Machiavelli (The Prince) stated, it is easier and safer to be feared than be loved.

References

Fear vs. Power; Published on March 11, 2013 by Robert Evans Wilson, Jr. in The Main Ingredient

Fear: The Foundation of Every Government’s Power; Robert Higgs ; 2005

Number 5 and its meaning in V for Vendetta

Number “V”

The number 5 has always had a divine connotation, since in the Bible it refers to the five wound of Jesus on cross, which therefore gives the number a sense of grace. Besides, it also means the grace from God towards humans on Earth. When it comes to the human race, it mixes the 2 (the unstable ch

aracter) and 3 (the divinity). However, for others it refers to a balance or harmony.

The graphic novel “V for Vendetta” makes reference to the number V several times: every title of the chapters has a letter “V” on it, the main character is called “V” which is the same symbol that represents the number 5, we get to know that “V” stayed in the Larkhill Resettlement Camp in Room V, he also listened to Beethoven’s fifth symphony, and so on.

Another reference to the numer 5 (V) is V’s motto “Vi Veri Veniversum Vivus Vici” from Latin which means by the power of truth, I, while living, have conquered the universe.

In the graphic novel “V for Vendetta”, the number is always present one way or another. Perhaps, the reason why it is present is because in the novel the world hasn’t got harmony, it’s not balanced, and that is actually what the character V is looking for, rather than revenge itself. We could infer that his revenge will be expressed in the change of that world, trying to move it from a world in disaster and dictatorship, to a fair world. 

Sources:
Moore, Alan. V for Vendetta. Gramedia Pustaka Utama, 2006.

https://baronvonhoopla.wordpress.com/2007/03/04/the-number-5-in-v-for-vendetta/

http://www.ridingthebeast.com/numbers/nu5.php

V for Vendetta in our Current Society

As we have discussed in class, the letter V in V for Vendetta has several meanings, such as the number five, the sign of victory Winston Churchill used to do, among others. This got me thinking about the many other meanings this letter may have, which is why I looked for the following five meanings within the graphic novel.

1. 1   “the novel revolves around five (V) key “transformations” – the creation of V himself, the transformation of Evey from victim into active figure, the descent and reawakening of Finch, the shift of Mrs Almond from “party wife” (docile, subservient fascist matron) to “fallen woman”/assassin, and the wider social awakening through rebellion” (Chen 4). It can also stand for the room in which V was in at Larkhill (room V).
2.      This letter can also represent all the people who were victims of torture by oppressors in the Larkhill concentration camp.
3.      V can mean villain as V introduced himself for the first time to Evey.
4.      V within a circle resembles the anarchy symbol upside down. And in the novel, it becomes a “visual metaphor for the public’s descent into anarchy.” (Muise)
5.      V stands for various, for the many meanings it has to it both literally and figuratively.

         While I was looking for information about the meaning of V within the book, I realized that what I was really interested in was not in the actual meaning of the letter, but in the meaning that people around the world have given to V’s actions and quest against the system, and the impact these interpretations have caused.

As a starting point, I believe it is of paramount importance to keep in mind that out of the five meanings of the letter V in the novel I just mentioned, most of the real-life manifestations influenced by V are usually based on the third and/or second ones i.e. people may often feel victims (oppressed and violated) of the government or other organizations.

The main representative of V’s ideals is Anonymous, a network of activists who feel oppressed by different entities or who feel the need of a radical change of a particular aspect that affects their lives and those of the rest of the world population. Although it exists since 2003, its proponents have increased exponentially since the release of V for Vendetta (movie).

Anonymous has summoned those who support their cause in several opportunities, and this movement appears to have gained strength with time. The manifestation that represents Anonymous the best is the MMM (Million Mask March), which is held every year in the fifth of November world widely, being the 2014 version the most important and biggest one. This version of the MMM was intended to show the governments the power that people have and to share ideas regarding the “enemies of the human,” who are those that attempt to control aspects of people’s lives that shall not be controlled (such as Google and Facebook’s private information violations, and corrupt politicians who have made it just to be unjust) as well as to distribute information regarding the imprisonment of Julian Assange (founder and editor of WikiLeaks). The participation was tremendous as manifestations were seen in most of the world, although focused on the United States and Europe. 

All in all, I came to the conclusion that each one of us will make from V, the letter, and V, the character what we think suits us better. Each one of us have our own beliefs and ideologies and V for Vendetta teaches us that we always has and will have something to fight for, regardless of what we are confronting, as annonymous has proved countless times through their cyber boycotts.

What does V mean to you? What will you fight for? Or against?

I also invite you to read these two pieces of news to comment about:

http://www.kake.com/home/headlines/Police-Men-wearing-Guy-Fawkes-masks-disrupt-classes-at-KU-281686891.html

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-11-06/hong-kong-democracy-protesters-in-fresh-clashes-with-police/5871952

References:

Chen, Peter. "Examining V for Vendetta - Film, Graphic, Novel, and Interpretation." 28 May 2006. Academia.edu. 21 November 2014. <https://www.academia.edu/1397120/Examining_V_for_Vendetta_Film_Graphic_Novel_and_Interpretation>.

Muise, Chris. Hyperink. n.d. 21 November 2014. <http://www.hyperink.com/Major-Themes-And-Symbols-Innbspldquov-For-Vendettardquo-By-Alan-Moore-b260a9>.

1984 vs V for Vendetta

                                     

George Orwell and Alan Moore are well-known writers who were famous in very different times. Orwell in the 1940's and Moore from the 1980's to present times. This difference in time affected their work, and especially the ones that are relevant for the purpose of this post. 

   

On the one hand, 1984 was written after the horrors of World War II, when the world was starting to get ready for the 'Cold War'. Considering this, we can understand the references to totalitarian governments, and to the strange distribution of the world in the novel. In addition, Orwell presents a dystopian society, in which the system or the government has complete control, and the proles (common people) are manipulated without much trouble, living in constant oppression without even noticing. The hero of the novel is Winston Smith, who works for the ruling party,  and is defenseless against the power of the almighty government. The major themes that surround the hero are vulnerability and passivity. At some point in the novel, he realizes that there is nothing that can be done to change their fate, to stop the party or the Big Brother. Therefore, he also realizes that they are all trapped, without any possible exit, and that all the faith that he had in the proles was meaningless because no matter what they do the Big Brother will always be watching, and the party will always have total control of everything. 

On the other hand, V for Vendetta was first published near to the end of 'Cold war', living in a much freer social context, one in which freedom and other ideals were starting to become a reality for the people, after everything the world has been through, trying to leave behind the horrible memories that War produced, with a much empowered society that was not going to accept everything that their leaders say. Here is where Moore introduces a dystopian society, again, with a firm leadership headed by a High Chancellor and its main party, but with a complete opposite hero. The hero, V, is a strong, determined and aggressive character who has decided that people should not accept the government's oppression anymore. To achieve this, he uses the force of the people, along with chaos, anarchy and a lot of gunpowder. There is no place to doubt or passivity here, even though at the beginning of the story he is fighting alone, people take their position beside him as well, encouraged by the hero's image. The ideal that the power should be for the people is emphasized. People rising against the government, that is the right answer, the only possible response to get the power back, and to ensure a future of freedom.