Eyes on our freedom?

“We do not merely destroy our enemies; we change them.” 

Contextualizing...

1984 situates its focus on a Totalitarian estate. As it can be appreciated, a ruthless vigilance from the Super state has taken this to a brand new level, leaving no spaces, freedom nor opportunities for people to believe, reflect and behave like they want. On the contrary, “the party”, it is always looking from a spyhole every single move people do in order to control each inhabitant and the step they are about to make.

The plot centers on the story of Winston Smith, who works in the Records Department in the Ministry of Truth and it is a current member of the Outer Party. To escape from the tyranny society in which he is immersed, he begins a diary, determined by his own values, believes and willingness to escape from the Big Brother´s stalking. Winston is determined to stick to his vision of being human under inhuman circumstances, Consequently, screens are placed everywhere you go, at home, at work, in the places he attends frequently, therefore, no place in the community is safe from the eyes of Big Brother.

One day, when Winston Smith was working, he catches the eye of an Inner Party Member named O´brien, and thought he was an ally, an accomplice who shares the same ideals and opinions regarding the situation they are involved. He also catches the eye of a dark-haired girl from the Department of Fiction called Julia, who at first, he believes was his enemy. As time goes on, Julia hands a note to Winston that says “I love you”, thus when they finally meet, she draws up a complicated plan for them to be alone in a world full of eyes.

They start a relationship hidden from the eyes of Big Brother and their enemies. Finally, both characters fall in love, meeting every chance that they can in their secret nest (secure room). Unfortunately, during one of the secret encounters, there were surprised by a telescreen that was put in their loving place.

The couple is punished for the crimes they have committed over the years of vigilance. Specifically Smith was punished in the room 101, where he suffers so much pain in order to reeducate his mind and actions. After all of this, the duet sees each other again; however, neither of them seems to have the same feelings, actually, Winston does not want to think in nothing that can be considered rebellious, but the opposite, he love Big Brother, as his lasts words in the novel.

That sense of betrayal from Winston to Julia can be appreciated with the following quotation:

“And perhaps you might pretend, afterwards, that it was only a trick and that you just said it to make them stop and didn’t really mean it. But that isn’t true. At the time when it happens you do mean it. You think there’s no other way of saving yourself and you’re quite ready to save yourself that way. You want it to happen to the other person. You don’t give a damn what they suffer. All you care about is yourself.” (George Orwell, 1984)

Julia speaks these lines to Winston, when talking about their experience in Room 101. Through this paragraph, she explains that she wanted the pain and affliction she felt in the room were shifted to Winston, and he tells that he felt exactly the same. These reciprocal betrayal symbolize the Party´s aim regarding the wishes they have with the people, therefore it ended up being a victory to them, since no love, neither loyalty nor bonds are strong enough to beat the Party´s. 

Remember the slogans on the walls?

2 plus 2 is 4, but if you don´t want to suffer... it can be 5

WAR IS PEACE
FREEDOM IS SLAVERY 
IGNORANCE IS STRENGTH

V for Vendetta 

It tells the story about a man, his journey for revenge and the desire to right the wrong in a totalitarian society in England. Due to the changes the society and government have been making after the war, a dictatorship appears from the authority to control and rule people.

V for Vendetta, rescues a woman, Evey Hammond, from a dangerous situation in which members of the Norsefire secret police wanted to take advantage of her. V, as he identifies, is always wearing a cloak, hat, wig and Guy Fawkes mask. He is also skilled, fast and strong. V takes Evey under his wing, even though she barely understand him, as he speaks with quotations and rhymes, she is content living a carefree life with V despite she is essentially his prisioner.

V´s Vendetta steams from a period of his life, when he was confined at the Larkhill Resettlement Camp. When the causes of the detention were never disclosed, what really happened to him there was shown in deep details. Indeed, V suffered at the hands of his keepers in a very inhuman way. After that and using his skills, he finally manages to escape from that place by his own methods, so he blew it up. Then, he decides he was going to go after all of those who were responsible for his torture. Now, people who were involved in his suffering have moved on to higher roles in the government, but that is not an obstacle in V´s revenge, since he will not stop, until he settles his goal.

At the same time, with Evey Hammond in charge,  V does everything he can to try to educate her and pass along his message. At first, it was difficult, considering there was not communication from Evey to V, due to the complexity of language he uses, but it all comes together for her at the very end. Even to Evey, V is mysterious, enigmatic and never gives a clear answer. He is always determined and insistent on showing how to live free from the injustices of the government and the fear to face them. V hides his identity from her as much as he can, unto his plan eventually works. But has been shouted, it´s in this particular moment when Evey thinks to take v´s place as a hardened revolutionary committed to spark the people of England into action.

Taking into account both, the novel and the comic, it is clear that the two of the story lines are built under a tyranny or a fascist regime from the government. Basically, what the regime is trying to do is to set several rules for them to have absolute control over people. On the one hand, in 1984, George Orwell expresses his perspective of dystopia, in which three states known for their totalitarian way of governing uses advancements and technology to maintain the people in total control, in constant observation by setting telescreen everywhere and in molding his mind to its favor.

The author, George Orwell, was influenced by totalitarian regimes of the age, such as; Hitler´s Nazi Germany and Stalin´s Soviet Union. In which both heads were venerate and feel the need to eliminate the people´s distinctiveness and individuality in order to expand the Party´s requirements and needs.

“Down in the street little eddies of wind were whirling dust and torn paper into spirals, and though the sun was shining and the sky a harsh blue, there seemed to be no color in anything, except the posters that were plastered everywhere. The black mustachioed face gazed down from every commanding corner. There was one on the house-front immediately opposite. BIG BROTHER IS WATCHING YOU, the caption said, while the dark eyes looked deep into Winston's own. Down at street level another poster, torn at one corner, flapped fitfully in the wind, alternately covering and uncovering the single word INGSOC”. (Alan Moore, V for Vendetta)

A totalitarian dominance tries to emphasize the control over the elements by transferring the message that is everywhere, is infinite and is powerful. Posting awe-motivating posters is one of several ways to this purpose.

On the other hand, in V for Vendetta, the same control is viewed in order to keep people from rebel and break the system. Inside this comic, a similar entity is on top of the power if we compare it with the Party´s Big Brother; here appears Chancellor Sutler, who remains his ideals by using slogans that make people fear them. After what being stated, in this comic, there is an entity that fights the power of the government and succeeds on his purpose.

With regard to 1984, Winston Smith, first resists the force of the Party, nevertheless, he end up surrounding to the potency of that organism, whereas on V for Vendetta, V stick to his philosophy and despite all of the problems he may present during his crusade, he achieve them, furthermore he leaves a trace for Evey to continue with it.

“Behind this mask there is more than just flesh. Beneath this mask there is an idea... and ideas are bulletproof.” (Alan Moore, V for Vendetta)“People shouldn't be afraid of their government. Governments should be afraid of their people.” (Alan Moore, V for Vendetta)“Everybody is special. Everybody. Everybody is a hero, a lover, a fool, a villain. Everybody. Everybody has their story to tell.”(Alan Moore, V for Vendetta)

As it can be seen with these quotes, those are a few examples concerning the way of thinking the character has against the totalitarian regime in the British society those days.

Remember, Remember, the 5th of November, the gunpowder treason and plot. I  know of no reason why the gunpowder treason should ever be forgot.

(Traditional rhyme used by V)

As a matter of conclusion, I personally believe that even though, society, governments or other entities impose us not to think and analyze, leaving no much freedom...

It is important to find it, that way, we can have a moment for ourselves with no boundaries or limitations. Also, as the text states, our freedom is in our minds. 

If you don´t see that in the novel and the comic, just take a look at Winston. He finds that little freedom, writing on his diary...

REFERENCES

Moore, A. (1982 - 1988). V for Vendetta. Vertigo Comics.

Orwell, G. (1983). 1984. New York: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.

Moore, A. and Lloyd, D. (1990). V is for vendetta. London: Titan.

Howe, Irving. 1984 Revisited: Totalitarianism in Our Century. New York: Harper Row, 1983.