The Subversion of Human Freedom in ‘V for Vendetta’ by

Alan Moore. A Futuristic Approach and Comparative Analysis

in Contemporary Modern Societies

Gilbert Ndutu Munywoki

gilmunywoki@gmail.com
2020

Abstract

Human rights and political freedoms are very important in a society, and lies at the nerve of
history and political thought of democratic societies. Political freedom can be explained from the
realms of being free from both oppression and coercion in the participation of a country's political
progress. Political freedom encompasses the freedom of the majority of citizens to influence and
guide a political course as well as the freedom of minority groups to voice their concerns.
Increasing research has shed light on how freedom is denied in Alan Moore's comic book, 'V for
Vendetta.’ Alan Moore, in his book, depicts a society caught in the undertow of anarchism,
fascism, and the oppressive regime under the iron fist of the Norsefire government. Little attention
has been paid to compare ‘V for Vendetta’ to world’s oppressive political systems. In fiction work,
reality leaves a lot to imagination. However, literature always mirror the society, both at present
and future. Most fictions works written at different chronological accounts always come alive at
one point in time. There is a lot of similarity between the society in ‘V for Vendetta’ and that of
today. Themes such as fascism, sexual abuse, dictatorship, media political propaganda,
oppression and anarchy in Alan Moore’s comic have for the past, and even now, been witnessed in
the society today.

Keywords: Political freedom, democratic societies, oppression, anarchism, fascism.

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Introduction

‘V for Vendetta’, a comic book authored by Alan Moore recounts the chronological events

when the British were under a tyrannical government while the rest of the world lived in the lucid

aftermath of a nuclear war. The acts that undermine human freedom are succinctly expressed by

presenting its star 'V' as the main protagonist as well as a villain. The story unfolds on anarchy

versus fascism and the former is depicted as a quest to freedom, free will, and individuality, which

are greatly repressed by the government (Moore & Lloyd, 1989). The book presents chaos and

resistance as the counteraction measure to deal with the oppressive government. 'V' assumes a

central role in the opposition, in both physical and psychological independence. As the storyline

unfolds, the struggles faced by people and how V assumes the role of a sole redeemer mirrors

some of the political discourses that happen in the modern world.

'V for Vendetta' is a British graphic novel, whose illustrations are guided by David Lloyd

and a complementary art done by Tony Weare. The book was first published in 1982 in black and

white as serial in a short-term British anthology named Warrior, which was done in ten limited

series whose publishers were D.C. Comics. In 2005, Warner Bros released a movie based on the

novel, which came under the same name as the book. The publishing firm admits to having sold

more than half a million copies of the graphic novel in the U.S. by the end of 2006. Freedom is one

of the most elementary human rights, and every civilized nation seeks to uphold the freedom of her

civilians. He is both a terrorist and a hero in the resistance to freedom. He fights the despotic

regime through the use of violence, blowing buildings, and murdering government officials. While

the government of England exhibited several forms of oppression, such as restricting the rights and

freedoms of its citizens, 'V' is represented as a significant embodiment of reason. He sensitizes the

public that idleness and apathy will only serve to encourage the government to rob them of their

rights and therefore becomes a key figure in opposing the fascist regime.

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Research Objectives

a) To review how British citizens are oppressed by the despotic Norsefire government in Alan

Moore's comic ‘V for Vendetta.’

b) To explore different global dictatorial political systems that have denied people freedom

and their oppressive mechanism.

c) To draw comparative analyses between V for Vendetta and today's world's brutal political

systems.

Methodology

The study assumed a descriptive research design for secondary data sources. When dealing

with secondary sources of data, analysis becomes easier and saves time because the data has been

collected by someone else and useful if they address the study objectives (Boslaugh, 2007;

Vartanian, 2010). To achieve the objectives of this study, I did an extensive review of existing

literature using both quantitative and qualitative aspects. In a methodological perspective, reviews

on secondary sources are taken as content analysis, where the researcher has the freedom to

incorporate both quantitative and qualitative aspects in both contents and descriptive criteria

(Sileyew, 2019). I reviewed relevant literature from books, published articles, magazines,

reputable journals, newspapers, and websites. I used data from reliable and valid secondary

sources and as Winlde (2010) affirms, there was no need for doing validity and reliability check. I

searched the internet to include words Anarchy, freedom, dictatorship, oppression, torture, mass

killing to identify potential sources addressing the study. I then reviewed the study titles, abstracts,

and as well as the whole text if need be, to establish its relevance to the study.

Anarchy, Power, and Politics

The main tenet of anarchism is that people can live normally in a just and harmonious

society without being ruled upon by a government, whose imposition van be evil and harmful.

Anarchism is also opposed to capitalism and advocates for direct action by the working class to
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demolish the oppressive capitalistic order, including government institutions (Igariwey & Mbah,

2001). Pierre-Joseph Proudhon, one of the pioneers of the doctrine of anarchy thinks that

governments are a plague from God. Liberalists and realists do not seem to come to assent on

international relations theory (Grieco, 1988; Nye, 1988; Keohane, 2011; Mearsheimer, 1990; Niou

& Ordeshook, 1991). Some of the famous classical realists such as Reinhold Niebuhr, Thomas

Hobbes, and Hans Morgenthau ascribe power politics to the innate nature of man. On the other

end, neorealists such as Kenneth Waltz support anarchism and argue that lack of a sovereign

authority makes states to be more self-reliant and therefore easy to forge their own survival and

vigilance. In his book In Man, the State, and War, Waltz defines anarchy as the authorization of

war or its causes and that war happens because nothing stops it (Waltz, 1959). According to

Hobbes' conception, the states' subject is a regime of representation (Därmann, 2006). To put to an

end the culture of vicious civil wars, those ruled have to realize and let the sovereign represent

them. The theory of international relations in the modern world has underestimated the magnitude

of the issue of anarchy in politics (Cerny & Prichard, 2017). To contain the ballooning anarchism,

Krasner (1999) posits that today's nation-state should coalesce political integration and cohesion,

state's legitimacy, structural differentiation, and institutional 'relative autonomy.'

Anarchism, fascism and oppression in ‘V for Vendetta’ by Alan Moore

The novel 'V for Vendetta' revolves around the British government that limits personal

freedoms and rights. We also get to see people rise to fight for their freedom, where 'V' plays a

significant to oppose the government. Throughout the novel, there are several instances where the

government fails to grant fundamental rights to its citizens. The government does not allow people

to read what they prefer, and illegally sending people to jail on the grounds of skin color, sexual

orientation. The elderly are murdered by cruel subjection of gas chambers. Character V in ‘V for

Vendetta’ is expressed through his struggle against the Norsefire regime of representation. England

becomes stateless, under the rule that brutally persecutes opponents, ethnic minorities, and

homosexuals. V's blows up the house of legislators which is a symbolic tower of Big Ben into
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small bits (Moore & Lloyd, 2005) and by his act, he demolishes the central site of representation.

He also hijacks the central representation by interrupting the government's propaganda-mongering

television to address all people. The author shows his rich allusion to literature by dubbing the

national broadcaster as the "Voice of Fate," which means the absence of freedom. Rosenstock

(1932) notes that the democracy of every European rebellion reaches out to all. For instance, while

Luther used the printing press, Lenin used radio broadcasts.

In the movie 'V for Vendetta' there is symbolism in the destruction of the buildings of

legislation over four centuries old. The film is set in a post-apocalyptical archaic environment

where the building is desolate (Bulloch, 2007). V demolishes the building as a way of showing that

it has for long been recessed out of its initial aim, and showing that ideas cannot be harbored in a

building, but engraved in the minds of people. Bigotry is also another characteristic of the fascist

government. Typical of other fascist governments, England, under the Norsefire government, is

happy to celebrate the successes of one racial group, the Caucasians, and wages vicious attacks on

members of all other races. Most of the other races are sent to concentration camps, and most of

them end up dying, tearing their cultural achievements.

The society directs its fanaticism towards women, where all-powerful figures in the

government are all men. In contrast, women are streamlined to lower and demeaning opportunities

besides prostitution and chorus line dancing. The police department is rogue, intimidating, and

corrupt. A group of secret police officers called the '‘fingermen’' wields extra punitive powers and

says they can do what they want. Such an act of doing whatever the police please is an exclusive

right which is self-deservedly to the powerful in the society and abused by the police by having sex

with a prostitute and killing her. After exiting a video feed, the Leader threatens to behead Mr.

Derek Almond if he fails to get the perpetrator of the explosions. The Leader's brutality is not only

shown to the public but also the authorities in his government, a clear indication of the use of fear,

conformity, and threat as a guiding principle of the state. V states that so long as the Norsefire

regime is in power, there can never be the rule of law or political freedom. After destroying the
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'Old Bailey' he says he wanted to remind the government what it seems to have forgotten, that

people should not live in fear of the government they put in place.

In a democratic rule, people should be free to check on the government and V wants to

impart some sense to the people of England through a revolution. What makes V so much daring,

unrepentant, and obsessed with killing with impunity, even risking his own life? V does not fear

being killed nor does he stoop for the government's intimidation. The Larkhill torture facility had

psychologically prepared him to face the government. Besides, while at the facility, V learned

skills in martial arts and therefore seasoned for any attack. From another perspective, V's heroism

can also be seen as the emasculation of personal political ideology and the quest for a noble and

higher course (Sage, 2007). He tells Evey he is more than the mask he wears, an embodiment of

reason, not bones and flesh. V leads inspector Finch together with the people to discover the

wrongs the government has been doing and tells them to resist it. Fearless, the people rise and

mount pressure for the government to back down. In the end, it is arguably right to say that 'people

should not fear the government, but the government should be afraid of them.'

The Norsefire government has derailed civil liberties, put into forced color-coded curfews,

and banned all cultural and religious diversity. People lived under the retrogressive fear to question

the government, and those who questioned were incarcerated or killed. Contrary to law, the

government promises to protect its people in exchange for conformity to its laws. The government

also has a media outlet where they sow propaganda in a bid to control, monitor, and rule a factor

reminiscent in George Orwell's nineteen eighty-four (Orwell, 2009). A group of media specialists

meets to discuss how to cover up the story of Parliament's destruction. The specialists resolve to

announce over the "Voice of Fate" that the building was brought down at night to ease traffic

congestion, an epitome of hypocrisy and propaganda of the media system.

Moore draws a very clear-cut distinction in the true meaning of freedom. In the

characterization, democracy does not merely mean doing as one pleases but also assumes a more

advanced approach by freeing oneself from weakness, apathy, and ignorance, which calls for hard
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work, enlightenment, and discipline. To be able to attain freedom, there is a need to free oneself

from weakness. V kidnaps Evey, deliberately starves, shaves, water boards, and torture her for

several days so that she can be set free from the weakness of her quest for happiness which is a

'dangerous' prison as V puts it. V argues that people need to be courageous enough to free

themselves from the prisons of their governments and the detentions of their minds. To achieve

freedom, V thinks that education and seeking of knowledge are paramount, and we see him always

reading and learning. V has a penchant for literature and philosophical works; we see him

introducing Motown, Billie Holiday, and Black Uhuru. As V plays Motown, he responds to Evey's

unawareness of the music. Motown music was mainly composed of the marginalized group, and

V's like for such music serves to embrace a marginalized culture that was referred to as

'contextless' by the Fascists (Carter, 2016). Evey's transformation in the novel from a coward

victim to an engaged and emboldened person serves to connote the masculation of both mental

states that is essential to self-liberation.

Early in the book, we see Evey being victimized and almost raped by the government's

'‘fingermen’' for breaking curfew rules, (Ott, 2010). Although V saves Evey from a coward

situation and making her resilient, he considers himself a villain who is synonymous a lawbreaker.

Though such a term has a negative connotation in a government system, V is an offender in a

society where the law has taken back seats. The laws put in place by the dystopian government are

brutal, and it is in that sense he refers to himself as a "villain" in an untraditional sense. V is a

symbolism of radical change that goes against the status quo by revenging national officers and

institutions. The struggles of V is presented as a revolutionary force, a way of attaining

ideological, metaphysical, and mental liberation, which is vital for the citizens to achieve social

and economic independence from authoritarianism (Gray, 2010). As an anarchist, V does not

assume the role of leading mass resistance towards the dystopian rule but acting as a catalyst to

self-liberations through destructive and negating activities.

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V mentally incapacitates Lewis Prothero, who is the news anchor behind the 'the voice of

Fate, kills Bishop Anthony Lilliman who engages in pedophilic behaviors, and goes ahead to kill

Dr. Delia Surridge, the chief scientist at the concentration facility (Mailloux, 2019). Even though

V's actions are violent, they are justifiable in some sense. The system of government has no regard

for gender equality, and women are greatly oppressed. After the murder of Derek by V, his wife

Rosemary Almond is left desperate and in want. She has to realize the cruel burden and new status

she is subjected to as a widow. Even the government does not grant her state support (Macfarlane

2014). Besides, she cannot get a job because she has no experience. Rosemary's lamentation

amplifies the oppression women face, such as being rendered financially unstable. She is also

forced to dance in a club to get money because she has no financial stability. In that context, she is

being used as a means to an end, which does not befit ethics (Lindner & Bentzen, 2018). For her to

get a livelihood, she has to offer gratification to men who have no regard for women rights.

In the oppressive Norsefire regime, pedophilia haunts young girls in ‘V for Vendetta.’ The

perpetrator, Bishop Antony Lilliman, worked as the chaplain to Larkhill concentration facility,

where V was once locked up. His work was to offer 'spiritual' support to the detained as well as the

head of 'Children's hour' Sunday service. It turns out that he uses the Sunday service as a

recruiting venue to molest young girls. He also tries to rape Evey, who is rescued by V afterward

forcing him to drink 'holy water' mixed with cyanide. Even today, the clergy is still grappling with

the shame of some of their 'men of God' who engage children in sexual relationships.

Oppression and Contravention of Human Rights in the World

Sadam Hussein, Iraq

The world has seen the worst of times, through cruel dictators who have ruled people with

an iron fist, where law knows not and people are oppressed. In the list of the world's known

dictators, Saddam Hussein is perhaps the one we have witnessed in our times. He was the president

of Iraqi from 1979 to 2003 gaining international fame from torturing and killing thousands of Iraqi

citizens. The former Iraqi president oppressed the Iraqis for more than three decades, orchestrated
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regional wars, and tore down the country to a rogue police state. Even at his trial, Saddam scorns a

judge who terms him as a 'former' president. The scorn underlines self-delusion and egotism from

a man who argued that he was God-sent to rule the country. In 1982, while going to Dujail, Dawa

militants attacked his motorcade. In response, the whole village was punished, where more than

140 men were arrested and killed. 15oo other people were incarcerated where they were brutalized.

In 1988 at a northern Kurdish village of Halabja 5,000 people were killed and 10,000 maimed

through a poisonous gas when a section of his citizens was thought to be disloyal (MacFarquhar,

2006). The people who survived sustained blindness, cancer, and birth complications to women. In

2006, he was found to have committed crimes against humanity and was therefore hanged.

Robert Mugabe, Zimbabwe

For a long time, Zimbabwe has seen Robert Mugabe rise from a celebrated freedom fighter

to a tyrant, a ruthless dictator who violated human rights and sparked electoral violence in all

electioneering cycles (RAJIAbdullateef, Joseph & Alanamu, 2019). Robert Mugabe brutalized and

intimidated his opponents as he sank the country to unfathomable depths of inflation. Mugabe's

forceful eviction of the white settlers due to his political ideology led to a devastating food crisis

where thousands starved amidst famine and drought. He did not care about millions of

Zimbabweans lacking basic commodities as long as he remained to be the president. At one point

in time, the rate of inflation rose to as far as 231 million percent (Winter, 2019). By driving off the

thousands of white settlers away, Mugabe aimed to cut funding to the oppositions, attract new

supporters in exchange for land, and intimidate black farm workers whom he termed as disloyal.

From 2000, Mugabe's strategy was to work with his mates from the guerilla warfare

because it was easy to influence and rule over. He termed those who opposed him as traitors and

were often subjected to an eventful death. It is widely believed that Mugabe orchestrated

'Operation Gukurahundi', a bloody massacre where more than 20,000 people lost their lives from

1982 to 1987 (Doran, 2015). For years, he bullied the opposition and most notably Morgan

Tsvangirai. The death of Morgan Tsvangirai in 2019 was termed by many as a loss to the people of
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Zimbabwe and many liberation movements. Tsvangirai, a bold man who stood for Mugabe and

championed political rights was often caught at the end of brutality from the military. On 11th

March 2007, he was arrested, locked up, and beaten by the Zimbabwe forces until he passed out.

A freelance journalist who smuggled pictures of the injured Tsvangirai was also abducted

and killed that weekend (Ploch, 2010). Tsvangirai's oppression in political circles underlines how

the military poses a threat to democracy. The constitution of Zimbabwe states that the military

should not take part in politics in any manner, as enshrined in section 208(2) of the Zimbabwean

constitution (Zimbabwe CONSTITUTION, 2013). Contrary, it is alleged that the generals in the

military supported Mugabe and his Zanu Patriotic Front (ZANU-PF) subject to a 'mutual

accommodation', whereby the officers are granted privileges (Maringira & Masiya, 2017).

Although many people see Mugabe as a liberator, has led people to the attainment of independence

in 1980, his dictatorship clouds his good deeds.

General Idi Amin Dada, Uganda

A similar incidence of ruling through fear and intimidation can be drawn from Uganda's

Idi Amin 1971-1978 rule. Having served in the British imperial King's African Rifles, served in

World War 2 in Burma, Amin, conventionally or otherwise, rose through the ranks to become a

commander in chief in 1966 (Leopold, 2020). Five years later, Amin wrestled and seized power

from Milton Obote the country's head of state then. In his regime, he assumed an intimidating,

sadistic, and fearsome attribute, and was responsible for the disappearance or death of at least

300,000 people (Kaufman, 2003). He was dubbed 'the butcher of Uganda.' Idi draws a spotlight to

himself, intentionally or otherwise, to the world and often showed off his despotic power.

Amin used three death squads to kill and torture civilians, namely the State Research

Bureau, Public Safety Unit, and the Military Police (Kannyo, 2000). In the same line of Uganda's

presidency eight years after Idi Amin was ousted, Yoweri Kaguta Museveni acceded into power

after overthrowing Tito Okello, who ruled for six months. Under the rule of Museveni, Uganda has

never had a free and fair general election. He has been elected five times in a row and has often
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been criticized for cracking down on the opposition using police as well as suppressing the media.

In his book, ‘Sowing the Mustard Seed’, Museveni accounts for all the struggles he and other

young men faced to liberate Uganda (Museveni, 2020). However, since then, he has tainted his

name to Ugandans due to his own ulterior political interests and intolerance to different views,

especially from the opposition and civil rights activism. Museveni turned the Ugandan Judiciary to

be a puppet institution, a toothless dog that cannot bite, a court that cannot prosecute any illegal

deed brought against him. The court is also used to oppress his political enemies such as Robert

Kyagulanyi (a.k.a Bobi Wine) and Kizza Besigye, one of the fiercest opposition leaders who have

been brutalized by Museveni's rule.

Oloka-Onyango (2016) gives an account of how the court system is flawed even in serious

matters such as a national presidential election. Even after applying for amicus curiae to the

presidential petition, he received intimidating messages from colleagues asking him why did he

be-friend the court. The prologue is a tale of how political machinations supersedes law in less-

democratic countries. Onyango was yet to realize that the whole court process was a waste of time

because the presidential results were already pre-determined. Kizza Besigye has faced Yoweri

Museveni in four consecutive elections (Sjögren, 2018). The 2001, 2011, and 2006 elections

witnessed police brutalities sanctioned by the state to intimidate and scatter opposition campaigns.

In 2006, the Ugandan opposition leader was abducted and arraigned in court, where he was

charged with treason, a decision that resulted in massive protests. In 2011, he was seriously injured

by the police when his car was smashed its windows and doused with pepper spray and tear gas,

forcing him to flee to Kenya to seek medical attention (BBC, 2011). Before, then he had been

arrested three times in protests against high prices of commodities.

General Mohamed Siad Barre, Somalia

The reign of General Mohamed Siad Barre (1969 to 1991) marks a period of inter-clan

conflicts, corruption, police brutality and killings, political imprisonments, economic crisis, and

famished populations (Ingiriis, 2016). Siad was responsible for planting the seeds of anarchy
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through favoritism to his clan, Marehan. He ensured his people had free access to an abundance of

water, pasture for livestock, and arable land at Juba and Shebelle while sidelining the isaaks clan

(Little, 2003). This situation caused political tension because the marginalized clans were planning

an inter-clan war to unseat Barre, as well as fight for an equitable share of resources (Ingiriis,

2018). In Somalia, most of the people are nomads, keeping cattle and camels. Pasture, water, and

grazing land are therefore important to them. Most conflicts between the nomadic populations are

caused by fight over land, pasture, and water (Muluken, 2020). At the end of the 1980s, the

stateless state of the nation favored the rise of clan factions such as the Somali Patriotic

Movement, the United Somali Congress, and the Somali National Movement. In 1991, Siad Barre,

Somalia's long-serving president was wrestled from office through a coup.

Political Media Propaganda

The media, press, online, and television have an important role in informing, educating,

entertaining, and keeping the government in check. The media acts as a link between people and

news that happens across the world (Happer & Philo, 2013). The media is a very effective tool for

the mass transmission of messages. With the increased adoption of digital technology, the media

can be a useful and efficient means of creating political interactions among different stakeholders

(Chukwuere & Onyebukwa, 2017; Calderaro, 2018). However, the media can be used as an agent

for sowing propaganda on certain political ideologies. Propaganda is any piece of information that

is used to influence and orient people towards an agenda in a way that yields an emotional rather

than a rational response to the message (Smith, 2016). During the era of President Sadat of Egypt,

he used 'Radio Cairo' as a medium of sowing political propaganda for peace.

The broadcaster used terms such as 'reactionary' and 'feudalist' in the description of the

Arab world who were against Egypt in 1967 peace talks (Hijab, Murad, Al-Bayati & Al Sheikh,

2018). The radio also used intimidation and threatening messages by saying that those who oppose

peace oppose war too and the cost of peace is high, and they should remember the cost of war.

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Sexual Abuse; Rape and Pedophilia

Over the years, the church has often been caught in the dark spotlight of sex scandals a

factor that makes it waver in viability and legitimacy as a guardian of moral authority (Gerber,

2020). The Catholic Church is arguably one of the religious organizations haunted by the ghost of

sexual abuse. In the 1990s, the media was awash with cases of sexual abuse by the Church.

Boston Globe (2002) shone more light on how the catholic clergy abused children. Besides, he also

revealed how the church covered the perpetrators of such heinous acts. Pope John Paul II led an

inquiry to sex scandals that loomed in the Vatican and condemned such an act as opposed to the

teachings of Christ. His successor, Pope Benedict, was remorseful and even apologized on behalf

of the clergy but failed to put a strategy to combat such vice that continues to taint the church.

A certain report on a catholic church in German finds out that at least 3,677 people were

sexually abused by clergy from 1946 to 2014 (Winfield, 2019). The report also says that 16.7% of

the cases were rape-related and most of them boys and under 13 years. In 2014, the African

Mission On Somali (AMISOM) troops were accused of torturing and raping women while on their

peace-keeping mission (Human Rights Watch, 2014). Sabrina White (2018) notes that there is a

need to engage stakeholders from feminine activisms to civil society agencies to address the

Women Peace and Security (WAP) on sexual abuse and exploitation.

Biological Weapons as Instruments of Mass Destruction (IMD)

After the 9/11 President Bush's controversial National Security Strategy was alleged to use

weapons of mass destruction to rogue nations in the Middle East as retaliation. The doctrine rests

on what the strategy terms 'technology and radicalization' (Record, 2003). Biological weapons

designed from biochemical compounds of harmful viral, fungal or bacterial organisms and once

disseminated to target enemy they cause disease to man, animal or plants in what is referred to as

'bioterrorism' (Berger, Eisenkraft, Bar-Haim, Kassirer, Aran, & Fogel, 2016; Pal, Tsegaye, Girzaw,

Bedada, Godishala & Kandi, 2017). In the 1980s, there were claims that the Soviet Union would

use biological weapons against the U.S in the cold war. During the First World War, the German
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army used anthrax (Bacillus anthracis) on sheep meant for Russia and infected French cavalry

with a certain bacteria species that cause glanders. After the Second World War, production and

testing of biological weapons continued in disguise. Between 1950 and 1960, the U.S carried a

highly secretive open-air dissemination of agents of bioweapons (Levy & Sidel, 2008).

Comparative Analyses between Events in Alan Moore's ‘V for Vendetta’ and Contemporary

World

The movie 'V for Vendetta' released in 2006 presents us with a futuristic storyline, drawing

inferences on state-engineered torture, the Iraq war, oppression of homosexuality, the bird flu, and

pedophile clergy. Directed by James McTeigue, the film is an allegory of the government's

dictatorship. In both the book and movie, V wears the Guy Fawkes mask, which is still used today

as a symbol of revolt. The mask has become a popular placard that has been used to show

resistance, from peace rallies to nuclear protests (Call, 2008). The masks are named after Guy

Fawkes, after his failed attempt to blow the legislative building of England in November 1605

(Jones, 2017). Montes (2011) adds that the Guy Fawkes mask has become a political sign for the

young generation in our times. The mask's prolific fame makes it the most top-selling mask on

Amazon.com ahead of Harry Porter and batman masks (Bilton, 2011).

Money Heist (La casa de papel) is also another drama film that has attracted a huge fan

base all over the world. Written by Alex Pina and directed by Alex Rodrigo, we see demonstrators

using Dali masks and a red overall portrays a rejection of modern capitalism. The recurring of the

Italian use of the song 'Bella Ciao' as used in the cry for freedom against an oppressive rule has

also being used in different parts of the world as a theme to resistance and skepticism towards

dictatorial governments (Vassanelli, 2019). Even in some instances, the song has been translated

into local dialects keeping the theme still influential. Themes of the use of the Dali mask appeared

in Puerto Rican demonstrators in 2019. In France, demonstrators donned both Dali and Guy

Fawkes in their protest against the government's pension reforms (Kar-Gupta, 2020). Both types of
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masks are indispensable in the modern political iconography for relaying messages of rebellion

and a desire for democracy (Kohns, 2013). The continued use of Dali and Guy Fawkes mask

emphasizes how anarchy, rebellion, and political power are becoming dynamic in a digital modern

world. In the Norsefire government, religious freedoms and cultural diversity are limited.

Similarly, we see 148 Shiite Muslims being murdered after an attack on his motorcade at Dujail

(El-Shibiny, 2010). The incident shows how leaders have no regard to right of worship as

enshrined in constitutions of many countries of the world.

Guy Fawkes was the leader of the catholic rebellion that planned to overthrow King James

1 and supplant him with a Catholic monarch. Through the oppression, their religious rights were

short-changed. Even today, the freedom to worship has not seen the light of day in some parts of

the world. For years, Nigeria has witnessed religious wars between Christianity and Islam. In

Northern parts of the country, Christians are persecuted and their places of worship torched, an

issue that has led the Christians to respond with violence (Boyi, 2020). In China, one of the most

capitalistic nations in the world, Christianity is often discouraged and faithful persecuted by the

communist regime (Jeffery, 2020). The communist party is keen on suppressing Christianity

amidst a growing population. 'Early Rain' church has been the recent victim of persecution, where

the pastor Wang Yi was incarcerated and his followers forced to flee into hiding (Kuo, 2019).

Shellnut (2017) reports that Christians were forced to replace the portraits of Jesus with that of Xi

Jing Ping. Muslims in the United States have also been experiencing a tough post 9/11 religious

life. Upon election into the presidency, Donald Trump issued an order to block travels from seven

Muslim countries.

Studying in the U.S for foreign students has also been made more difficult, especially for

Muslim Students (Rose-Redwood, C & Rose-Redwood, R. 2017). Although the first ban was lifted

by the court, the U.S immigration department discriminately oppresses Muslims even from

countries whose travel was banned such as England and Canada (CBC, 2017; Morris, 2017). Some

Muslims who possess legal U.S citizenship have been held and deeply interrogated on accounts of
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 16

their religion when re-entering the. U.S (Graham-Harrison, 2017), a clear sign of religious

segregation under President Donald Trump. Part of what holds the government in place in ‘V for

Vendetta’ is a pandemic, a viral disease called St. Mary's that has spread over Europe and caused

fatalities of over 100,000. The disease was used as a tool for biological warfare by Creedy, who

was the head of the Norsefire Party. Even in modern warfare, there have been controversial reports

on the use of biological weapons, and even if they are used the users use Deception and Denial (D

& D) ideologies (Godson, & Wirtz, 2000). While the world is still facing Coronavirus (COVID-

19) pandemic, the debate whether the disease was a product of a leaked scientific laboratory

experiment on biological weapon have not subsided (Gertz, 2020; Dareini, 2020; Myers, 2020;

Taskinsov; 2020). While demonstration and cry for freedom in ‘V for Vendetta’ crop up at a point

in history, its resonance go beyond its time brackets.

The constant rivalry between white supremacy and black supremacy, excessive use of

force towards African-Americans, and their killing are evident in the U.S political system (Ferber,

2007; Paker, 2009; Sue, Nadal, Capodilupo, Lin, Torino & Rivera, 2008). In free societies,

protests, and resistance directed to the government and police form an important aspect of political

freedom in any democratic system. Even in one of the most developed democratic nations like the

United States, protests and demonstrations are rampant. One latest incident that caught global

attention is the forceful arrest and killing of George Floyd, who died under the cruel hands of

Minneapolis police officers on 25th May 2020 (Munoz, 2020). Just as V embraced anarchist and

destruction of property such as setting government building ablaze as a sign of skepticism for the

government, the U.S protests against the killing of George had a similar theme.

Thousands of demonstrators flocked to the city of Minneapolis and damaged property

worth millions of dollars. The way police in Norsefire government responded to protests in ‘V for

Vendetta’ is somewhat similar to what police respond to demonstrators in modern times. The

police officers dubbed '‘fingermen’' in ‘V for Vendetta’ were cushioned by the rogue regime and

had the mandate to have sexual intercourse with a prostitute and kill her. Such sentiments from law
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 17

enforcement portray a society that is built on a loose fabric of the law. In Chief Headley's epithet

in the 1967 Race riots, Donald Trump warned in a Twitter "when the looting starts, the shooting

starts" (Wines 2020; Thompson, 2020). Persistently, in the mayhem of George Floyd's

demonstration, U.S president Donald Trump also threatened to use police force in the cities hard-

hit by the demonstrations and chaos at the start of June 2020 and even referred to the protesters as

'thugs' (Kanno-Youngs & Benner, 2020, Joseph, n.d).

At the beginning of the movie ‘V for Vendetta,’ there is a sound-over narration that says

'People should not be afraid of their government. Governments should be afraid of their people.'

Under this ideology, V is seen as the revolutionary protagonist, a daredevil who haunts the

members of the Norsefire government. Fueled by contempt and revenge, he strategically murders

several members of the ruling party as paves way for a massive political revolution. Zimbabwe's

Morgan Tsvangirai and Uganda's Kizza Besigye are some of the African opposition leaders that

have faced resistance and torture for going against their dictatorial regimes. Although the two do

not physically murder people, their political influence over their governments causes anarchy,

oppression, and bloodshed especially at the hands of the rogue police. Citizens of the Norsefire

government got protection in exchange for obedience, the same way the Iraqis sang songs of praise

for protection, and those who went against Sadam were jailed or murdered.

In ‘V for Vendetta’, people fear the state, and the state fears its internal corruption and loss

of control in society. The government exerts its presence through intimidation, incarceration, and

death. The core 'agenda' of the Norsefire party is to contend as having a firm rule over people,

while at the same time pretending to safeguard the goodwill and safety of its citizens. Robert

Mugabe offered people land handouts for support, ensured the military enjoyed privileges in

exchange for protection and political ambitions to remain in power by controlling the national

electoral system. In ‘V for Vendetta,’ people who criticized the government were often

intimidated, incarcerated at Larkhill torture facility, or killed. In Zimbabwe, Morgan Tsvangirai

braved police brutality and torture while opposing the contravention of political rights. We also
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 18

witness the reminiscence of the '‘fingermen’' in Zimbabwe where the military Generals are

deployed to kill, torture political dissidents' and protect the oppressive regime.

A healthy and peaceful coexistence between a government and society is essential for its

stability and growth (Leeson, 2007). We can draw a cross-reference of the lawlessness in the

British government with the one witnessed by Somalia in 1991, whereby the country was caught in

the epicenter of clan-based war and anarchy creating a state of lawlessness. The Norsefire

government through the '‘fingermen’' executed, intimidated, and imprisoned political dissidents.

Similarly, Somalia's General Mohamed Siad Barre suppressed his political enemies. In 1991, he

termed the Mogadishu manifesto, 'destructive' and put to jail the 45 of those who signed the

document. The manifesto sought to force Siad Bare to resign and proposed the formation of an

interim government to oversee electoral reforms (James, 1995). Radio Cairo assumes the same role

as ‘V for Vendetta’s 'Voice of fate' in spreading political propaganda. While Sadat uses the

national broadcaster to spread his propaganda to the Arab world, the Norsefire England regime

used Prothero's 'Voice of freedom' to heap praise on the government and intercept demeaning

information on the government. For example, the broadcaster refutes that the parliament house was

destroyed through an act of protest and asserts that the demolition was in order.

Cases of sexual abuse are evident in Alan Moore's ‘V for Vendetta.’ In the book, police not

only torture and kill people, but also rape women and kill them. Bishop Lilliman is a pedophile and

Roger Dascombe suspects Lewis Prothero is homosexual. Even today, in the 21st century, we are

still grappling with all manner of sexual behavior, from pornography to pedophilia to rape and

homosexuality. An Indonesian student living in England, Manchester was sentenced to life

incarceration for drugging and sexually assaulting forty-eight men (Booth, 2020). Reynhard

Sinaga's serial rape cases are the most 'prolific' in the legal history of England. A Colombian

Newspaper, El Tiempo reported sexual abuse to women and girls by the U.S military in the 21st

century (Gómez Muñoz, 2019). African Union's AMISOM peacekeeping mission at the horn of

Africa and Somalia have had cases of sexual abuse to women.

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 19

Conclusion and Recommendations

Fiction always mirrors society. As writers write, they usually base their works towards real-

fears that affect society. The 20th-century 'doomsday' and despotic works that portray 'end days'

are some of the examples in which we can see society through the lens of literature. In the

conspiracies of manufacture of nuclear weapons, books such as Nevil Shute's 'On the Beach' and

'Alas, Babylon', by Pat Frank's manifests the consequences of global nuclear holocausts. People's

skepticism and the fear of communism made Huxley write 'Brave New World', not forgetting

George Orwell's '1984.' The society today is living in Alan Moore's comic 'V for Vendetta' more

than ever. The plot upon which the narrative revolves all mirrors what plagues the society. Themes

of antagonism, revenge, freedom, oppression, propaganda, anarchism, and fascism are evident in V

for Vendetta and made more realistic in the modern political systems.

From the character of V, masculinity is not good enough towards fighting for freedom, but

knowledge is key where rebellion meets an equal force. In addition, the Guy Fawkes mask worn

by V is a message to people whose rights and freedom are denied. An idea should accompany a

cause, not a person. Contrary to people who tend to be erratic, ideas are less prone to human

failures and thus when an idea is attached to a cause, it becomes easy to save a situation. We also

learn that political freedom, love, and realism can motivate a course of action towards a better life.

Fictional portrayals can also be futuristic and can point towards a certain change long after the

work was created. The incidences captured in Alan Moore's ‘V for Vendetta’ are all evident in

most global societies. V for Vendetta's oppression is seen in dictatorial regimes of Iraqi's Sadam

Hussein, Uganda's Idi Amin, Zimbabwe's Robert Mugabe, and Somalia's General Mohamed Siad

Barre. In each case, themes of mass killing, intimidation, anarchy, and suppression of political

rights are evident, as well as they are portrayed in ‘V for Vendetta.’

The use of media as a channel for political propaganda is still alive today, and significantly

being fanned by the internet where social media is key in the dissemination of political strategies

and mobilization. The degree of state-engineered violence is directly proportional to the intensity
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 20

of election competition as well as institutional challenges that may limit the use of force (Bhasin &

Gandhi 2013; Hafner-Burton, Hyde & Jablonski 2014). Therefore, the consequences, experiences'

and lessons from past elections define future expectations and outcomes. To change trends of

political violence especially during elections there is a need to do judicial and law enforcement

reforms. The military and police should not be used for political expediency. The contention of any

political post should be set in a free and fair platform, without any ulterior intervention or

malaligned interests of the electoral body. The church should also do thorough reforms to ensure

they stand as guardians of moral code.

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 21

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