V for Vendetta was by far the most thought provoking piece we have read in this class for me. Personally, I struggle with understanding a lot of political situations and terminology (it just isn’t my forte, unfortunately). But I favored the graphic novel because of its use of terms and references for deeper meanings. Immediacy is an important concept for me personally, and I love that it is pushed so hard through V for Vendetta. Immediacy was first introduced to me wholly through the “10 Principles of Burning Man,” and while the “hippie festival” may seem like a skeptical situation to cite, the principles are actually incredibly useful guidelines on how to live your life no matter your personal beliefs or situation. Burning Man defines immediacy (the 10th principle) as:
Immediacy
Immediate experience is, in many ways, the most important touchstone of value in our culture. We seek to overcome barriers that stand between us and a recognition of our inner selves, the reality of those around us, participation in society, and contact with a natural world exceeding human powers. No idea can substitute for this experience.
The importance of physical experience and immediacy in the world around us was emphasized through V’s personal trauma, and later his forced trauma upon Evey in order to make her see things clearly.
Meanwhile, the governmental leaders and workers are incredibly out of touch with the world around them. For instance, the fact that “Leader” (Adam Susan) was referred in the governmental body system as “the Head” but he consequently went insane and obviously was not running a desirable government. To me this signified that being stuck in one’s head (as we pretty much only saw him when he was hanging out in that office “talking” to Fate) causes a disconnect with the rest of the world, with their needs, and with an understanding of basic humanity.
Contrastingly, V and later Evey undergo intense physical trauma that leads to their “vendetta” kind of mentality and their greater understanding of the world and its faults. It is this immediacy to the world around them that ironically makes them better suited to recreate their government than the “body” that represents the current government in the U.K. during the novel. Additionally, the fact that the different “Big Brother” aspects of the government are referred to as body parts (the head, the fingers, the eyes, the nose, the mouth, etc.) shows that the people involved in the system are lacking such empathy, such humanity, that they only barely make up a function single human being when put together. One has to be completely in touch with their own mental thoughts, feelings, and environment in order to make a positive difference in the world.