V for Vendetta Book Analysis - Essay Example

The Labor Party won power through the 1983 general election and abolished nuclear capability of Britain hence protecting the country from the devastating nuclear war. The party comes to be defeated by another party, Norsefire bringing forth a fascist regime. Through this graphic novel, Moore causes the reader to determine the ideal society by analyzing the prevailing anarchism and fascism. Taking his role as V, the novelist uses plot choices and symbolic character to develop a social commentary on the late 20th Century England.

The masked V engages in terrorism opposing the state with the aim of punishing the ones who had tortured him and causing people to rise and take their own charge. Moore makes appropriate use of symbols to portray the fascist dictatorial rule: the author uses the eye to refer to the surveillance organizations which watch over its citizens; the nose refers to the detectives who would sniff out offenders; the mouth points out at the state controlled media which was claimed to be spreading propaganda; and the finger has been used to refer to law enforcement institutions.

These symbols have been used by the author to express own opinion of the system of government. It provokes the reader to reason in line with what the author thinks. This aims at portraying fascist dictatorial leadership as undesirable and a negative practice in the then society, which remains relevant even in the modern world. In fact, from the start of the novel, Moore shows the negativity of the fascist government. While the police are meant to protect the citizens, they are the same people who threaten to rape and kill Evey.

Ironically, V rescues her despite the character being so much associated with terrorism. This probably was to depict anarchy and fascism as being worse than terrorism. With V being masked, the reader is meant to appreciate the inner person in everyone that would cause one to act in a particular manner. In fact, Evey concurs with this argument noting that V’s identity could be tantalizing but “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 inner person stands out more than the outer one thus the importance of protecting the former. V becomes an uncovered enigma with the bulk of the story emanating from the perspective of other characters such as Evey, Eric Frinch and the hardheaded policeman hunting for V. What remains clear is V’s destruction and morally ambiguous acts that points to the theme of rationalization of atrocities all for the purpose of freedom and stability. But unmasking this person becomes important in understanding the author’s theme in the novel.

Though V’s identity appears in various layers, this character could be argued to have been well established from the start of the novel. Apart from the imprisonment of Evey and Prothero’s interrogation, V appears as a modern day Guy Fawke who would do anything for the sake of what he believed in. Just like Fawkes, V becomes strongly convinced about his beliefs and would do anything to ensure that the existing rule has been abolished. V and Fawkes could thus be considered as revolutionary kinsmen.

However, V not only wants to be Fawks but what he represented, that is rebellion. V exhibits rebellion against ideology, religion and government as solution to rigid dictatorial leade