Comparing 1984 And James Mctigues's V For Vendetta

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In George Orwell’s 1984 and James McTigues’s V For Vendetta, protagonists Winston Smith and Every Hammond are initially trapped within the oppressive constraints of a totalitarian party system. As their stories progress, both characters are given the chance to betray what is most important to them in order to end their immediate suffering when faced with a torture-enforced transformation of their thinking. However, the consequences of this development for the protagonists are starkly different: Winston betrays his life and idealism to escape pain, becoming a devoted and completely ineffective member of the party he once sought to destroy; Evey, on the other hand, refuses to bargain her integrity for safety, leading to her changing into a true-and active- revolutionary. This …show more content…

Also, Orwell depicts the physical and psychological degradation Winston experiences during his interrogation: “He was beaten until he was senseless, and then beaten some more. They demanded confessions, details, and names of co-conspirators. He gave them everything he could think of, but it was never enough. The pain was excruciating, but worse was the knowledge that he was betraying everything he believed in” (Orwell 253). Winston instantly giving up all knowledge he had highlighted his struggle to maintain defiance in the face of overwhelming pain and psychological manipulation, which was the start of his downfall. Transitioning to V For Vendetta, Evey Hammond is subjected to brutal interrogation by what she believes to be the Norsefire regime's enforcers. However, unlike Winston, Evey refuses to betray her principles, even in the face of extreme pain and suffering: “Thank you, but I’d rather die behind the chemical sheds” (Wachowski 76). This quote marks a pivotal moment for Evey as she chooses to embrace her freedom rather than succumb to

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