Alan Moore's graphic novel V for Vendetta is not only a call for revolution but also an explanation of how such process is to materialize. V, who transcends beyond a character and embodies the concept of revolution, establishes the procedure for social change. He understands that his role is to avenge and “make rubble” of injustice and corruption; however, true social reform must move beyond destruction and forge an improved society on the ruins of an oppressed past. Therefore, V adopts Evey Hammond, a young victim of the regime, as his protégée and educates her to guide society through the second stage of revolution: reconstruction. Moore proposes that only through a combination of destruction and creation will transcending change come to pass. Through Evey's radicalization, Moore sets forth a revolution model for society who leads them into the creation stage of their never-ending quest for change.
In V for Vendetta, Evey Hammond is only ready to assist society in the creation stage of their revolution after undergoing her own transformation. At the beginning of the graphic novel, she is rescued through the death of her oppressors. This, just as the destruction of corrupt institutions, creates the space for freedom. V not only creates this space for both Evey and society but also calls them out of their passivity. Particularly, he challenges Evey to be stronger than her past because “[it] can't hurt [her] anymore, not unless [she] allows it” (). Furthermore, the government has turned her into a “victim” and a “statistic,” but she has the power to free herself (). It is Evey's responsibility to find such power within herself and become “forever changed” ().
Evey's transformation occurs when she leaves ignorance behind and be...
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...society as she guides them away from the fascist regime and its debris and into a land of social and political freedom. Through this process, revolution brings transcendental transformation. Moore suggests that revolution is a two-step open spiral. From the starting point, society has to go back and destroy the corruption. Once the injustice has disappeared, society can start rebuilding its values and move forward. If the clearing has been done well, there will be no more need of destruction, and society can solely focus on creation. However, to reach such a stage of reconstruction, it is not only necessary to destroy the past but also to understand the value of power, freedom and one's inevitable social and political responsibility. This understanding is crucial as a defensive mechanism since oppressive regimes can only take power from those willing to give it up.
In “1984,” Orwell portrays Winston’s secret struggle to undermine the totalitarian rule of Big Brother and the Party in Oceania. The different government agencies, such as the Thought Police and Ministry of Love, exercise unrestricted totalitarian rule over people. Winston actively seeks to join the rebellion and acquire the freedoms undermined by the Party. On the other hand, Heinlein’s brief narrative, “The Long Watch,” depicts a contrasting struggle championed by Dahlquist against the power hungry Colonel Towers and the Patrol. In his struggle to prevent the total domination of the world by the Patrol, Dahlquist chooses to sacrifice his life. Le Guin’s “The Ones who walk away from Omelas,” illustrates a communal form of injustice tolerated for the benefit of the entire city but necessitating the inhumane imprisonment of a child. He portrays the ambiguity of human morality and the individual struggle to determine right from wrong. The authors address social change and power in different ways, reflective of their individual perceptions. Hence, in each narrative, the author illustrates the individual’s role in effecting social change and the conditions under which such change becomes possible.
were not as radical as the transformation to democratic thought. It is here that Wood points out the “uncontrolla...
Destruction of individuality is an idea both authors explore to expose the broad social wrong of an oppressive society. Both Orwell and Niccol use their protagonists to demonstrate how dictatorial governments that destroy any semblance of individuality are inherently wrong. Orwell uses third person narration, which directly follows his protagonist as he fights to maintain his individuality in a society driven to eliminate the capability of “love, or friendship, or joy of living” by making him “hollow”. By employing the use third person narration Orwell portrays to the reader that even an individual with powerful intent to remain different can be broken down and made to believe that “2+2 = 5”. Similarly, Niccol uses extreme close up shots focusing on Vincent’s cleaning process and the motif of constant DNA checks to reinforce how authoritarian societies can demolish all sense of individuality. Vincent, an “in-valid” must take extreme measures to overcome the prejudices of soc...
Several conflicting frames of mind have played defining roles in shaping humanity throughout the twentieth century. Philosophical optimism of a bright future held by humanity in general was taken advantage of by the promise of a better life through sacrifice of individuality to the state. In the books Brave New World, 1984, and Fahrenheit 451 clear opposition to these subtle entrapments was voiced in similarly convincing ways. They first all established, to varying degrees of balance, the atmosphere and seductiveness of the “utopia” and the fear of the consequences of acting in the non-prescribed way through character development. A single character is alienated because of their inability to conform – often in protest to the forced conditions of happiness and well being. Their struggle is to hide this fact from the state’s relentless supervision of (supposedly) everything. This leads them to eventually come into conflict with some hand of the state which serves as the authors voice presenting the reader with the ‘absurdity’ of the principles on which the society is based. The similar fear of the state’s abuse of power and technology at the expense of human individuality present within these novels speaks to the relevance of these novels within their historical context and their usefulness for awakening people to the horrendous consequences of their ignorance.
She presents two contradictory images of society in most of her fiction: one in which the power and prevalence of evil seem so deeply embedded that only destruction may root it out, and another in which the community or even an aggregate of individuals, though radically flawed, may discover within itself the potential for regeneration. (34)
Different societies have risen and fallen in the common search for the “perfect” civilization. In the books 1984 by George Orwell and Brave New World by Aldous Huxley, both authors portray a dystopian society with some troubling similarities. Orwell and Huxley each stress the use of power to control the masses. This influence is always situated with a small group of individuals that uses it to control every aspect of the people’s lives. Using such a method brings to mind a severe totalitarianism of rigid control that terminates individuality. Each society makes use of a caste system. Each caste has certain tasks and rules it must follow. Any sign of individuality is immediately disciplined and the societies are set up so the people will never question the morals or humaneness of their situation. Such concepts have been stopped from common thought so the people in power remain in power. Religion has been eliminated and logical thought have been destroyed. The days are continuously filled with worthless everyday jobs and a wish to be alone is considered a dangerous. In both books the...
The approach towards freedom is hard to achieve against a totalitarian government, but possible to win with the people’s belief. 1984 by George Orwell and James McTeigue’s V for Vendetta portrays the same idealism of the anti-heroes, Winston and V. An anti-hero is “a protagonist who lacks the attributes that make a heroic figure, as nobility of mind and spirit, a life or attitude marked by action or purpose” (“Antihero”). Winston is not courageous, peaceful, and self-centered along the path of freedom for Oceania, whereas the anti-hero, V, is violent in his actions, impatient and careless in his pursuit to free London from the totalitarian government. As a matter of fact, V and Winston have the opposite behaviours; this is significant because it helps to compare the approach of the anti-heroes toward freedom. At the end of 1984 and V for Vendetta, the result of their approach is different from each other; Winston gives up on the liberation of Oceania, while V dies knowing that London is freed from Norsefire Party.
The objective is that Jane Addam’s was able to create citizens not manage clients (Elshatin, 15). This was not an easy task during such a overwhelming era, this did not stop Addam’s from dedicating her life to help better humanity as a whole, something in which our own governement seems to lack. Jane Addam’s contributions to society were not mainstream at the time, however, if one looks back on her works it is clear to see she was just as crucial to society as say MLK. Indeed that is a large statement to make, however, it is true. Addam’s was open doors to those who were treated unequal by our own government as well as the rest of society. Therefore, it was not so much her writings or sayings she taught that created a path for others but her daily works and dedication to helping others that created such an impact on America. America is known for being a land filled with opportunity for all, a melting pot country, a constitution that promises equal rights for all. We’ve learned throughout the course that America is not always truthful to itself due to greed and self- interest. Jane Addam’s was one individual who refused to let the outside tamper her true beliefs, something most of us Americans has failed to do, not only has she done this for herself but she always dedicated her life to restoring humanity’s morals at a
A “utopia is that which is in contradiction with reality,” said the famous French novelist Albert Camus in his collection of essays, Between Hell and Reason. History shows us that seemingly exemplary ideals in practice have led to the collapse of societies. Just examine the two most prominent attempts at a utopia: Hitler’s attempt to socialize all of Europe and create the “perfect” Aryan race coupled with Karl Marx’s beliefs to instate communism into society. The final result was the destruction of their perspective visionary worlds. There was one major facet that prevented these two from creating their paradigms: utopias take away individual freedom and identity and therefore society cannot exist. Aldous Huxley’s science fiction novel Brave New World examines the large disconnect between the future and present day societies, showing how several aspects of this dystopian world lead to the downfall of the individual identity, most prominently exemplified by the death of John Savage.
The 2006 film V for Vendetta, a cinematic remake of the classic graphic novel series by the same name, is the epitome of a Marxist fairy tale. The film is complete with a bourgeoisie government who spreads their ideology, via mass media, to a citizenry composed entirely of proletariats, and a hero who sets out to break said citizenry from the prison of false consciousness. If one examines the setting and environment of the film, and follows the main characters as they fight against, or break free from, false consciousness, evidence of Marxist themes are present throughout the film.
... constant struggle of oppression that human beings have faced throughout history and continue to face. These books are a testimony to the strength of those caught in the struggle and how good change and growth can evolve out of the bad. Struggle is a part of life and through it people can become stronger and learn more about themselves and the world. Power struggles offer opportunity for the oppressors to escape societies hold on them and to become truly aware of the suffering of those who they oppress, it offers the oppressed the opportunity to rise up and it offers society a chance to reform itself and its people. Events of oppression and the inevitable uprising of the underdog offer the perfect opportunity for important change to occur for the greater good of all.
‘Society makes and remakes people, but society is also made and remade by the multiple connections and disconnections between people, and between people, places and things’ (Havard, 2014, p.67).
Dystopian societies are about control and power. Some want to create a perfect society, and therefore must have a strong hold on their citizens to make sure their emotions don't get in the way of a utopian dream Others just want absolute and complete control over the people. However, in order to completely understand the reason for a dystopian society, it is important to first to understand the purpose of government, and understand the mind of the person in control of such a terrifying society. Whether someone can understand why these societies are put into place, they can be identified by its unique characteristics like the ones found in Orwell;s 1984, Huxley’s Brave New World and Shyamalan’s The Village.
Horan, Thomas. "Revolutions from the Waist Downwards: Desire as Rebellion in Yevgeny Zamyatin's We, George Orwell's 1984, and Aldous Huxley's Brave New World." Gale Cengage Learning. Literature Resource Center, 2007. Web. 11 Apr. 2014.
This society has undergone a change so extraordinary that it has taken us from one extreme to the next, leaving many people wondering what happened to make it so. The things that were most highly honored and respect are now treated with disdain. These changes were not all detrimental but the majority of them we could have done without. Ms. Atwood poses that humankind has a nature to develope, whether that development is for the empowerment or destruction of our society is unknown until the consequences take place.