1984, by George Orwell, and V for Vendetta, by James McTeigue, both present a totalitarian government that rules over a dystopian society by controlling their citizens’ lives. Winston and V, the protagonist of both novels, have motives to rebel against their totalitarian government. The parties in both the book and the novel use brainwashing and torture on their
citizens. Evey and Julia are also motives for the protagonist to continue their rebellion. The
totalitarian government overrules its citizens leading to rebellion and further consequences.
Brainwashing is used to make citizens believe that the party’s opinion is correct, as well as warning them that there will be horrible consequences if anyone disagrees with the party. In 1984, the party uses propaganda and telescreens to brainwash their citizens: “Winston turned a switch and the voice sank somewhat, though the words were still distinguishable. The instrument (the telescreen, it was called) could be dimmed, but there was no way of shutting it off completely”(Orwell 2). The party wants absolute control over all individual thoughts, the telescreens are instruments that symbolize this. While the citizens of Oceania might just be hearing and watching the news presented to them, they are being brainwashed. The ministry of truth is a group of people who believe the lies they are making up. In V for Vendetta, the party uses the news on tv and political speeches to brainwash their citizens: “Her father sits beside her mother on the living room couch watching the news. From the look on their faces, the news are bad. … The television flickers with images of heavily armed soldiers fighting in a shelled city”(McTeigue). The news on tv is the main way that the party brainwashes people in this film. The party is also seeking control of individual thought as well as what their citizens are going to obtain from the news. In this case, the news people know the lie they’re saying to the rest of the world, and wonder if others will buy it. In both novels, the government uses media to manipulate their citizens’ thoughts and opinions: “… the outbreak of the Cold War and the sense of panic it created in American society”(Killen 8). Panic is the main factor that allows the party to rule over its citizens and be able to brainwash them easily. Many citizens like Winston and Evey’s parents understand that the information being presented to them is not true. However, the main reason why they will not stand up for themselves to stop the brainwashing is that they’re terrified of what the party might do to them. Brainwashing is a common theme in the book 1984 and the film V for Vendetta, both parties use media and surveillance to control their citizens and take advantage of their fear.
In both novels, torture is a common theme, it is used in similar ways throughout both novels, and it makes a drastic impact on both characters. However, the result of this torture is different. Evey is tortured to obtain information about V: “…but I'd rather die behind the chemical sheds. Then you have no fear anymore. You're completely free”(McTeigue). Evey’s torture allowed her to become fearless, she was completely calm and did not care about what might happen to her. The main reason why she was able to reach this state is that of her genuine love towards Valerie, in the same way, that V was able to. In 1984, the party tortures those who have committed a crime. Winston is tortured to make him completely believe in the party again: “All the confessions that are uttered here are true. We make them true. And above all we do not allow the dead to rise up against us. You must stop imagining that posterity will vindicate you”(Orwell 321). Winston’s torture is a contrast between Evey and V’s. His torture resulted in Winston losing his own thought and opinions. He was completely isolated unlike Evey and V who had Valerie, this made it easier to brainwash him and make him believe in the party once again. In both novels torture is used to punish those who have acted against the party: “philosophers have tended to evaluate torture, as they do of discipline, solely in terms of its morality and effect maintaining order”(Paden 262). Torture has a different result on certain people, with Winston and Evey’s perspectives it is easy to recognize that they thought very differently and were rebelling for different causes. Winston’s motives are self-motivated unlike Evey’s whose motives are to help V and the rest of the citizens. The parties use torture as a consequence of committing a crime, it has different a effect on different minds.
In both novels, the male protagonist has a personal relationship with a female character. Their relationship is forbidden by both parties, and they have to hide it from society. However, the relationships in each novel are contrasts. In V for Vendetta, V and Evey relationship portrays solidarity, and they care and protect each other: “But I will never forget the man… and what he meant to me”(McTeigue). Throughout the film, it is very difficult to understand Evey and V’s relationship. However, by the end of the film, Evey’s actions to fulfill V’s plan shows the strong love and solidarity they had for each other. In 1984, Winston and Julia’s relationship ends in betrayal, their connection is purely physical: “Do it to Julia! Do it to Julia! Not me! Julia! I don’t care what you do to her. Tear her face off, strip her to the bones. Not me! Julia! Not me!”(Orwell 362). Winston and Julia’s relationship ended in betrayal and isolation. Throughout the novel, it was clear that their relationship was merely just physical and they had little to no feelings for each other. Their relationship was a symbol of rebellion more than a symbol of love. In these novels the character’s type of relationship mirror the results of it: “The terrible irony, of course, is that the people of Nineteen Eighty-Four have neither freedom nor happiness. The omnipotence of the Church and State is defended by the Grand Inquisitor who maintains that men are terribly weak and unable to choose between good and evil”(Meyers 133). A relationship between a man and a woman usually consists of feelings that empower each other and allow them to grow. Although the film’s relationship comes close to this type of relationship, the totalitarian government both couples are living in do not allow them to be able to understand what happiness should feel like. The parties forbid relationships and consider them crimes, although the relationship in the book and the film are very different, they both help the protagonist rebel against the party.
The overruling governments in 1984 and V for Vendetta control their society in a way that makes individuals like Winston and V want to overthrow them. These governments use brainwashing and torture to obtain absolute control of individual thought. These are motives that drive Winston and V to rebel. As well as the relationship they encounter with Julia and Evey. They both have incitements to rebel against the government and wish to take the oppressive rule down.