Comparing The Allegory Of The Cave And V For Vendetta

Guy Montag from Fahrenheit 451, written by Ray Bradbury, reflects onto the prisoner of Plato’s “Allegory of the Cave,” because both characters progress into enlightened and inquiring members of society after being estranged to being ignorant for their entire lives once they undergo struggles and revelations. Ray Bradbury’s novel centers upon Guy Montag, a fireman; however, the gusto of this novel focuses on the irony of his career. Being a fireman in this society means you partake in being a catalyst of destruction, or a butcher of nature or society. “Allegory of the Cave” features a prisoner for a character who acts as a catalyst for preventing society from expanding upon its horizon unknowingly. These two texts are evidently alike in which both characters discover knowledge that gives them a degree of clarity or understanding for the world they live in. Expectedly, with this newfound knowledge of the unknown; it devises struggle.

Both Alan Moore in the novel ‘V for Vendetta’ and Arthur Miller in the play ‘The Crucible’ utilise stylistic and language features to explore the central themes of power, rebellion, and justice that consequently develop the idea of mass hysteria as a social construct. The portrayed power in both texts regards the exploitation an erroneous degradation of civilians rendered defenceless by the overwhelming hysteria of their counterparts. However, the context and depiction of power within both texts varies, as Moore presents power as a fascist government whilst Miller presents power as the exploitation of fear derived from religious ideologies. While both portray rebellion through the characterisation of the protagonists, Miller presents rebellion subtly through the protagonist’s mannerisms and cognition whereas Moore, a self-proclaimed anarchist (Moore, 2009), characterises the protagonist as a rebel intent

In V for Vendetta, there are many symbols that represent the fascist society. Marinetti’s reading, The Founding and Manifesto of Futurism, he writes about the “beauty” that can be seen in fascist work. Marinetti’s manifesto declares, “we affirm the world’s magnificence has been enriched by a new beauty: the beauty of speed.” In this example, the machine is a car and it is appealing because of its power. In V for Vendetta, FATE is the computer used by the leader where he can see what the people of London are doing. “You said I love you...” (p. 184) The leader has love for the computer and we can see how he almost worships the machine and talks to it. The leader makes little contact with the people of London. For example, “The mouth” who oversee propaganda and the other branches give public announcements. The leader

Fahrenheit 451 and “The Allegory of the Cave” relate in the sense that society is ignorant and fears facing reality. In both, the discovery of something unknown or unfamiliar changes the characters’ views on the world, especially after being exposed to something so different to what you have spent your whole life knowing.

Symbols play a key role in establishing the stories of Winston and V. 1984’s chant for the Brotherhood is the “Oranges and Lemons” English nursery rhyme refers to the bells of churches in London that extends on by people who matter to Winston; and everyone who betrays him. Mr. Charrington gives him the first piece, but is revealed to be a part of the Thought Police, Julia, who betrays him at the end of it all before her mental death, and O’Brian, who instead of his savior becomes his torturer. The Fifth of November is also a rhyme that’s based off real events, referencing Guy Fawkes’s failed plan to blow up the English Parliament on November 5th, 1605. Both rhymes are tied into Great Britain and a passion that varies between the protagonists, providing them with their only link to the past. Television is also a main symbol for the government’s control- both the telescreens in 1984 and the telly in V for Vendetta broadcast only the Party’s views and bias. Gordon, a side character in V for Vendetta, airs his uncensored skit on television as an unintentional way of oppressing the glorification of Chancellor Sutler, before being killed and dragged away from his own home.

Many symbols are used in V for vendetta one of these is V’s mask, also known as the Guy Fawkes mask. This mask is now one of the most popular symbols ever, it is seen everywhere: in the 80’s the comic book series ‘V for vendetta’, then in the film adaptation in 2005 and now it’s a popular symbol with the cyber terrorist group ‘Anonymous’. In the film adaptation of ‘V for vendetta’ the mask is used to conceal the true identity of the protagonist V. During one of the last scenes of the film, V is choking Mr. Creedy and he says to him “Beneath this mask there is more than flesh. Beneath this mask there is an idea, Mr. Creedy, and ideas are bulletproof.”. This clearly shows us that V doesn’t want to be remember as a man, as men die, but he wants to be remembered as an idea, as ideas can last forever.

Primarily, Foster’s statement in chapter 11 of How to Read Literature Like a Professor that “Violence in literature, though, while it is literal, is usually something else” applies directly to the movie V for Vendetta as it mixes in multitudinous acts of symbolic violence within the plot [Foster 88]. Following his initial encounter with Evey, V explodes a building named “Old Bailey” in a spectacular array of fireworks and music. On the surface, this may just seem like V being his typical, cataclysmic self; however, upon more intense inspection, the detonation of “Old Bailey” reveals itself to be more than just that - V indicates at this deeper meaning himself when he describes that “blowing up a building can change the world” [McTeigue V for Vendetta]. The building itself was a symbol of power and stability for the oppressive, ruling governance; when exploded, it represented the initial downfall of this stability that would eventually lead to the complete takeover by the common populace by the end of the movie. In the novel Animal Farm, the Windmill was representative of all of the successes of the newly-founded and self-proclaimed “underestimated” Animal Farm (a representation of Russia after the Communist

In the film V for Vendetta, the director, James McTeigue uses symbolism, costume and dialogue to emphasise the idea of everybody having a right to individuality, and the right - and duty – to resist forced conformism.

V for Vendetta opens similarly, immediately addressing the absence of freedom and independence coexistent in 1984. Following a montage of Evie and V, the dystopic qualities of their world are quickly revealed. Curfews set up along with roaming Fingermen emphasis the freedom that has been removed from its citizen’s as well as the implied illegal action towards something as ordinary as going to dinner with her boss. McTeigue emphasises this element of forsaken freedom and independence through the use of the Film Noir with the dark forbidden scenes portraying the danger in Evie’s actions. The use of medium and long shots was used to convey her anxiety while also revealing the scenery dotted with the sinister fingermen. Complete with the tense music playing during the scene it exposes to the audience the dystopic nature of the society present in the film.

The film 'V for Vendetta' directed by James McTeigue addresses the idea of governmental authority and control in our society. One key scene where this is portrayed is in the opening, where Evey goes out to visit Gordon Deitrich after curfew. The futuristic landscape of a totalitarian England is displayed here, where the oppressive party in power have created a culture of fear to ensure the conformity of the citizens. However, in contrast, the final scene of the film where a crowd converges to watch Parliament blow up, illustrates a further idea. That when united, it is the people who have the power to change their society, through rebellion and political uprising.

To continue, V for Vendetta was Allan Moore 's response to what he witnessed as a corrupt government under the rein of the late Margaret Thatcher. V for Vendetta is a graphic novel that demonstrates what would happen if humans fully committed themselves to the social contract, the law of nature, as illustrated by Thomas Hobbes. V for Vendetta is set in a

Although governments possess the ultimate power over the law in their society, they should not underestimate the effect of unity within their people. Even if a decision is made, if the people disagree, ultimately they overpower that if they stand undivided. In the movie “V for Vendetta”, the people of Britain are being oppressed and put in danger by their government. Chancellor Sutler believes that fear will cause the citizens to obey, but it does the opposite, when V becomes their symbol of hope. Even those who may not fully understand the cause, such as the little girl, start to paint his symbol over the propaganda posters

In stating this, V was greatly influenced by Guy Fawkes, but he was not just doing it for rebellion. V’s past had a great deal to do with why he tries to overthrow the Norsefire, but he is also motivated by the people, in whom he believed he would help them take the country into their own hands and rise up against their own government. We see this as the people proceed towards the parliament building in Guy Fawkes masks, completely ignoring the army standing in their way, and watch the celebration of the parliament building being destroyed. This scene demonstrates the influence that V makes, somewhat separating himself from Guy Fawkes. Guy Fawkes never attains the collective support from the people, but V successfully turns the people against their government, helping them realize that the only way to stop the chaos is by doing something about it; in this case, rising up against their own government.

It’s a title with a strong letter used as somewhat like a alliteration to exaggerate the ideas within this film, ‘V for Vendetta’, directed by James McTeigue, this defines what the true meaning of injustice which seems to be over exaggerated through action, sci-fi and thriller scenes. ‘V for Vendetta’ is a type of film where in a future, where there was a British tyranny or corruption in the government, a shadowy freedom fighter plots to overthrow it with the help of a young woman. This film shows the message of the best advice is to stop fighting it and embrace the fact that you have been given an opportunity if you chose to view it with a different set of eyes. And yet there will be many who miss this opportunity as they feel a false sense of security operating in the belief systems that harbor fear, anger and hate rather than letting go to face the very emotions that enslave them.This film uses fancy quotes or catch phrases, with a strong act of violence in acting around the main character(s), especially the protagonist ‘V’ and to the eventuality, ‘Evey’ at the end of the story. Special effects and the fanatical costume visuals (with the famous Guy Fawkes mask) all is used intently to make the audience with a tint of exhilarance, to make them think, what does this mean? What is the idea that V is trying to show in injustice? Through elements found in the film I’ve found that,......

2. Altieri, C. 2003. The particulars of rapture: An aesthetics of the affects, Ithaca, N.Y: Cornell University Press.