GroshLink

I found the below passages of particular interest. I guess I'll post them now and comment on them later. But feel free to get to it before me :-)

1. From part of an early conversation between V and Evey (p.26) which begins the conversion process, "My name is Evey . . . Evey Hammond. I'm nobody special. Not like you." (Evey) "Everybody is special. Everybody. Everybody is a hero, a lover, a food, a villain, everybody. Everybody has their story to tell. Even Evey Hammond. I should very much like to hear Evey Hammond's story." (V) . . .

After Evey's story, picking-up on p.29 w/V's response,"Hush, child, hush. It's over now. You're safe. The past can't hurt you anymore. Not unless you let it. They made you into a victim. Evey. They made you into a statistic. But that's not the real you. That's not who you are inside. You trust me. Evey. And we can wipe it all away. All the pain. All the cruelty. All the bereavement. We can start again. There you see? All gone." . . . And Evey Hammond sobs like the child she is. Sobs because at long last, her nightmare is over . . .

2. The attack on Madam Justice on p.41, "Very well. So you stand revealed at last. Youare no longer my justice. Your are his justice. Now you have bedded another. Well. Two can play at that game!" (V) "Sob! Choke! Wh-who is she, V? What is her name? (Madam Justice)." "Her name is anarchy. And she has taught me more as a mistress than you every did! She has taught me that justice is meaningless without freedom. She is honest. She makes no promises and breaks none. Unlike you, Jezebel. I used to wonder why you could never look at me in the eye. Now I know. So goodbye, dear lady. I would be saddened by our parting even now, save that you are no longer the woman that I once love. Here is a final gift. I leave it at your feet. The flames of freedom. How lovely. How just. Ahh, my precious anarchy . . . O beauty, 'til now I never knew thee." (V)

3. After V's torture of Evey there is an extented conversation w/regard to the terrifying nature of freedom, V takes Evey to the rooftop and at the end of their time walks Evey through conversion, Five years ago, I too came through a night like this, naked roaring sky. Seize it. Encircle it within your arms. Bury it in your heart up to the hilt . . . become transfixed . . . become transfigured . . . Forever (p.172). On p.174, Evey thanks V for the experience of torture. V replies, You did it all yourself. I simply provided the backdrop. The drama was all your own.

5. V. chastizes Mr. Finch, Did you think to kill me? There's no flesh or blood within this cloak to kill. There's only an idea. Ideas are bullet proof. Farewell (p.236).

6. V passes on the vision/identity to Evey, This country is not saved . . . Do not think that . . . But all its old beliefs have come to rubble, and from rubble may we build. That is their task: to rule themselves; their lives and loves and land . . . with this achieved, then let them talk of salvation. Without it, they are surely carrion . . . By turn of century they'll know their fate: either a rose midst rubble blooms, or else has bloomed too late . . . Hush. First, you must discover whose face lies behind this mask. But you must never know my face, is that quite clear . . . Good luck, sweet Eve. I love you (p.245).

7. V comes to center stage to address London (p.258), I would introduce myself, but truth to tell, I do not have a name. You can call me 'V.' Since mankind's dawn, a handful of oppressors have accepted the responsibility over our lives that we should have accepted for ourselves. By doing so, they took our power. By doing nothing, we gave it away. We've seen where their way leads, through camps and wars, towards the slaughterhouse. In anarchy, there is another way. With anarchy, from rubble comes new life, hope reinstated, they say anarchy's dead, but see . . . reports of my death were exaggerated. Tomorrow, downing street will be destroyed, the head reduced to ruins, an end to what has gone before. Tonight, you must choose what comes next. Lives of our own, or a return to chains. Choose carefully. And so, Adieu.