“Oppression doesn’t exist whereas ideas do.”

As is already known by you, 1984 is a novel written by George Orwell between 1947 and 1948 and V for Vendetta is a series of comic which is written by Alan Moore in 1982. This is a graphic novel about a totalitarian system in which the rights of free thinking and expression were forbidden and the face of the Anarchy which is “The philosophy of a new social order based on liberty unrestricted by man-made law; the theory that all forms of government rest on violence, and are therefore wrong and harmful, as well as unnecessary” (dwardmac.pitzer.edu), appeared with V, the main character who is the icon of revolution and who fought for people’s freedom besides his own revenge. “Your pretty empire took so long to build, now, with a snap of history's fingers, down it goes.” (Moore, 1989)

 

Both novels, 1984 and V for Vendetta share very relevant topics such as totalitarianism which wraps repression, oppression and submission; loyalty, Irony, packages and what they produce on people. But they differ in some of the ways that those are faced in each novel. In 1984, Orwell did not allow Winston to achieve his goals, he let him to be controlled and repressed. Winston was just able to establish the sense of people’s individuality, subjectivity and the hunger of freedom whereas Moore allowed V, in V for Vendetta, to express the sense of anarchy in all its ways and let him win and produce changes in the totalitarian system through his acts and ideas.

1984 is really interesting for many points of view. The sense of Irony through repression it presents with the ministries, proclaiming exactly but what their names actually mean, the way the totalitarianism is shown, the false loyalty and the packages (the slogans).

A clear example of this is “The idea of screaming certain favorable slogans in favor of the political party, shouting against of the traitors in a way to escape from the vigilance of the thought”. (Portal de las culturas)

Or the language related to not free memories. The truth ministry, which is dedicated to manipulate or destroy the historical documents of every kind in order to obtain that the past evidences match with their version of the history. Or the language related to not free imagination. The books were forbidden, the only documents they could read were the ones given by the government. And the language as the most significant way of stealing people’s feelings. The love ministry which is in charge of administrating the punishments and different kinds of torture.

In V for Vendetta, the only book allowed to read, was the bible, which express the government thinking, which is shown to people in a specific world with specific punishments and rules they should follow in order to be free in other lives. This again presents Irony and repression since the novel represents the corruption of it through its best prophet, the priest, a complete normal person who was supposed to be correct but instead of that, was corrupting a girl being supported by the system.

Another similarity is that in both novels exist the human necessity of transmitting, sharing and moving and being moved; feelings which are based on ideas, ideas in which the only reality is the package where they are print. In the case of 1984, the slogans are the clear sample of how ideas through language (the package) can motivate or move people to do something. The slogans moved Winston and created awareness on him about the city reality finally making him reveals against the “Big brother party”.

In the case of V for Vendetta, the story written in a toilet paper (the package) that Evey found when she was a prisoner is the example of what ideas again, through language can make in people’s hearts and mind. There it was expressed what the writer was supposed to feel and think without mattering where or in which condition. It is supposed or understood that her feelings of freedom and strength were always there waiting to be read and shared in order to move other people. Here it didn’t matter if that was true or not. But it moved Evey and that is the point. Another interesting reflection here which represents the idea of Anarchy again is that this small creation of piece of text automatically becomes a kind of literature since it touched other’s hearts and nobody can avoid it and judge it, nobody can control other’s sense of subjectivity or other’s likes, other’s identity. So in a way the forbidden literature (everything except the bible) was broken at this time. When ideas exist there is no literature forbidden. Or also the sense of the impossibility to kill ideas or “you can kill a man but can’t kill an idea” (Sophocles). Moore plays with these concepts and makes them win in the V final revolution.  

“I know there's no way I can convince you this is not one of their tricks, but I don't care, I am me. My name is Valerie, I don't think I'll live much longer and I wanted to tell someone about my life. This is the only autobiography ill ever write, and god, I'm writing it on toilet paper. I was born in Nottingham in 1985, I don't remember much of those early years, but I do remember the rain. My grandmother owned a farm in Tuttlebrook, and she use to tell me that god was in the rain. I passed my 11th lesson into girl's grammar; it was at school that I met my first girlfriend, her name was Sara. It was her wrists. They were beautiful. I thought we would love each other forever. I remember our teacher telling us that is was an adolescent phase people outgrew. Sara did, I didn't. In 2002 I fell in love with a girl named Christina. That year I came out to my parents. I couldn't have done it without Chris holding my hand. My father wouldn't look at me, he told me to go and never come back. My mother said nothing. But I had only told them the truth, was that so selfish? Our integrity sells for so little, but it is all we really have. It is the very last inch of us, but within that inch, we are free. I'd always known what I wanted to do with my life, and in 2015 I starred in my first film, "The Salt Flats". It was the most important role of my life, not because of my career, but because that was how I met Ruth. The first time we kissed, I knew I never wanted to kiss any other lips but hers again. We moved to a small flat in London together. She grew Scarlet Carsons for me in our window box, and our place always smelled of roses. Those were there best years of my life. But America's war grew worse, and worse. And eventually came to London. After that there were no roses anymore. Not for anyone. I remember how the meaning of words began to change. How unfamiliar words like collateral and rendition became frightening. While things like Norse Fire and The Articles of Allegiance became powerful, I remember how different became dangerous. I still don't understand it, why they hate us so much. They took Ruth while she was out buying food. I've never cried so hard in my life. It wasn't long till they came for me.It seems strange that my life should end in such a terrible place, but for three years, I had roses, and apologized to no one. I shall die here. Every inch of me shall perish. Every inch, but one. An Inch, it is small and it is fragile, but it is the only thing the world worth having. We must never lose it or give it away. We must never let them take it from us. I hope that whoever you are, you escape this place. I hope that the world turns and that things get better. But what I hope most of all is that you understand what I mean when I tell you that even though I do not know you, and even though I may never meet you, laugh with you, cry with you, or kiss you. I love you. With all my heart, I love you. Valerie”. (Moore, 1989)

 Another concept is the false loyalty. In 1984, we can see it when the store owner is always being loyal to the dictatorship but he seems to get a mask of honesty. And in V for Vendetta, when people get the masks, they no longer profess loyalty to anyone so just after then, they can tell the truth.

Finally, I would like to add that 1984 makes me think in our reality. How United stated is controlling our minds through packages, Ironies, some ways of repression and false loyalties. Making us to think, react and reflect as they want us to do it and V for Vendetta in what comes after, the ideas of revolution that probably will appear in a near future in which we are going to reveal with masks as we were taught to do it in order to end with the oppression. 

Valentina Guerra, Dicember 11^th, 2015.

References:

dwardmac.pitzer.edu. (s.f.). Obtenido de http://dwardmac.pitzer.edu/Anarchist_Archives/goldman/aando/anarchism.html

Moore, A. (1982). V for Vendetta. En A. Moore, V for Vendetta.

Portal de las culturas. (s.f.). Obtenido de https://portaldelasculturas.wordpress.com/2012/06/10/1984-critica-y-analisis-de-la-obra/

Sophocles. (s.f.). Obtenido de http://www.theatredatabase.com/ancient/sophocles_005.html