Understanding V in V for Vendetta

When relaying a message to an audience, the creator must keep in mind the medium that they are planning to use to do so. This is the main idea of the third chapter in Scott McCloud's Understanding Comics. Throughout this chapter, McCloud brings up concepts and methods used by graphic novel artists that are not discussed frequently. For example, when talking about transitions in comic books versus film, McCloud mentions how the readers are the ones who have to make that inference in order to create that transition and connect events from frame to frame. In film, the transition is physically, actually there, so there is no need to do the same. In graphic novels, it is something that the audience simply has to deduce depending on the situation. Obviously, films use this technique as well, but it is not as collaborative of an effort because time is there to move things along.
In addition, I found this segment very interesting because it pinpoints things that I have never thought about before. Honestly, this one quote from Chapter 3 made me begin to think about my existence on this planet as a whole: "Our perception of reality is an act of faith, based on mere fragments" (McCloud 62). I have never truly thought about what perceiving things really mean. If we do not see it, did it even really happen? Do we have to be actively observing things for them to be a part of our reality? Similarly, perception is a large part of the many thematic elements within V for Vendetta.
The graphic novel series incorporates several messages throughout its storyline. The big ones I noticed were justice, revenge, and perception. The titular protagonist, V, wants revenge on the people who performed cruel experiments on him. He also wants justice for the people that have been wronged under this dystopian regime. However, the novel is able to portray the difference in perception between the characters. For example, in Book 2, when Evey is kidnapped and forced to go through an excruciating ordeal, the experience traumatizes her. However, after learning that V orchestrated the whole thing, her perspective changes. She sees the lessons that he was trying to teach her, although in a very unconventional way. This is a great example of how context changes the way people perceive things. Moreover, the fact that V for Vendetta was able to generate that type of shock factor through a series of images and texts is surreal. It really goes to show that art and audience go hand and hand when trying to emphasize the importance of perception.

Comments

Analysis of Aya: Life in Yop City

To begin this week's post, I'd like to first address a few things about the author's duty to his/her readers. When we think of reading material from other countries or cultures, what factors are important to us? What information do we need in order to recognize the significance of the author's work? For me, it's important for the author to find some way to connect to me as a reader. Do we share a common experience? Can I relate your story to mine? This is not to say that a writer's work is rendered unimpressive if they choose not to do this. But I do think it goes without saying that most impressionable works hit us emotionally. I also think that an author should be conscious of the world that they are painting for the reader. Is it true what you're writing? Does it provide some sort of insight into the world as you see it? Are you confirming outside opinions of your culture, or are you breaking the stereotypes that have been placed upon you? That being sai...

Bringing Africa into the Fold

The comic Aya: Life in Yop City does a fantastic job of illustrating a culture different from the more popular Western variety. For those reading this, have you ever considered Africa in any way that was not influenced by main stream media? No? Well me either. It is sad to say, but my view of Africa was just - more or less - a vast land of chaos and poverty. Why? Because is that not what the media would have us believe? As a western country ourselves - presuming, of course, that you are reading this from the US or some European country - we do not consider other nations to have much value in comparison to our own. Because we have created a Eurocentric view of what society should be, we have disallowed other countries to feel that their own culture is worth portraying in novels or media. For example, most people are lead to believe that Africa is riddled with disease, famine, and "uneducated" people who are in dire need of help. This just isn't true! There are places ...

The Two Faces of Anarchy in V for Vendetta

As someone who has only seen the movie version of V for Vendetta once many years ago and have never read the graphic novel, I wasn’t exactly sure how similar or different the movie version would be to the graphic novel. I was in for a surprise when I discovered just how vastly different, they are from each other. With that being said, they do have some similarities when strictly looking at the motives of the characters. Let’s dive into those motives and how the author and illustrator of V for Vendetta achieved getting these motives across to their readers. In Scott McCloud’s chapter of Understanding Comics “ Blood in the Gutter ” we are presented with different panel – to – panel transitions, and an introduction to the term “gutter” as being the white space between the panels which is where the audience of reader “takes two separate images and transforms them into a single idea” (McCloud, 66). After finishing reading V for Vendetta , several themes or ideas that were most prevalent...

ENG 4433: Topics in World Lit

Search This Blog