Democratic Breakdown in V for Vendetta
Document Type
Contribution to Books
Publication Date
2016
Abstract
I suddenly had this feeling that everything was connected. Like I could see the whole thing, one long chain of events that stretched all the way back before Larkhill. I felt like I could see everything that happened, and everything that is going to happen. It was like a perfect pattern, laid out in front of me. And I realized we're re all part of it … and all trapped by it.
– Inspector Eric Finch, V for Vendetta
V for Vendetta is set in the United Kingdom during the late 2020s. Democracy no longer exists; instead, the Norsefire Party rules the country through a party dictatorship. It is an extremist conservative party that espouses British nationalism and radical religious values. High Chancellor Adam Sutler, the party’s leader, keeps tight control over what party members and British citizens can say and do. Consequently, government officials arrest, torture, and execute anyone who disagrees with the party or its leaders. In addition, the party determines who holds government positions and what types of policies the government pursues.
Publication Information
VanDusky-Allen, Julie. (2016). "Democratic Breakdown in V for Vendetta". Poli Sci Fi: An Introduction to Political Science Through Science Fiction, 171-183.