Discussing Alan Moore's V for Vendetta and
Neil Gaiman's The Sandman: Preludes and Nocturnes
There's something I realized after finishing The Sandman, throughout the novel (with the exception of the last story) Morpheus (a.k.a. Dream or Sandman) has a series of personal vendettas which he attends to, reminiscent of V's ongoing vendetta against the English fascist government. Both man and endless have wrongs that they feel they must make right.
But what of each vendetta's varying significance? Looking at both vendettas on a black-and-white definitive level, it would appear that V's vendetta is far more significant than the Sandman's personal quests for revenge. Next to V's self-appointed task of freeing all of England from a corrupt fascist government, Dream's vendetta seems almost petty in comparison.
Yet, what if the reader looks at each situation deeper (which they should be doing already anyway)? Taking all aspects into consideration, one could argue that resolving Dream's conflicts is of far greater importance than the individual rights of English citizens. If Morpheus were to fail, the well-being of every living being on the planet would be compromised.
On the other hand, if V failed, sure, it would be detrimental to the inalienable rights of certain individuals, but that's just it; it would be bad for only a few individuals. Say for the sake of speculation Evey didn't figure out that V was passing the torch to her. The mass majority of life on the planet would still survive, and England would most likely continue on until perhaps another brave soul took up the liberator's mantle.
But if Morpheus failed? Well, the effects of failing to recover the sand pouch would be minor. Rachel and maybe a few others would perish in a horribly painful manner. And the helm? Being that it wasn't even in the mortal realm, I doubt much, if any, harm would come from that. However, if the ruby was kept intact and in the hands of John Dee... Yeah, we'd all be screwed in any and every conceivable manner. But I digress.
Another small similarity between the two texts that I noticed was the use of masks. In V for Vendetta, there is V's Guy Fawkes mask, and in The Sandman there is Morpheus's helm. Are the masks essential to their respective plot lines, or are they completely superfluous?
V's mask, I believe, is not (and I'm sure many would agree). The Guy Fawkes mask is not only used as an important device in both keeping his personal identity largely unknown and allowing his role as society's catalyst to continue on after his death, but also serves as a symbol to represent cause.
Dream's helm, not so much. Sure, it's a useful plot device in rounding out Dream's task of returning his kingdom and himself to their former status and glory, but if it were to be taken out of the story all together, not much would change (other than making the story arc just that much shorter).
Are the masks comparable? Not in any way more complex that simply stating "Oh, the protagonists in both V for Vendetta and Sandman each have a mask." And one of them barely even wears his.
i like how you connected the use of masks in both stories! very creative!
ReplyDeleteI like how you took a different look on what if the two heros of these stories had failed. It gives a different perspective on the importance of both of their actions and what consequences would be faced due to their failure.
ReplyDeleteAs far as the vendettas are concerned, I agree with your reading. However, how does the difference in presentation of them affect the audience's interpretation of them? That is, Dream's vendettas have a much more fantastic presentation, incorporating incredibly powerful supernatural characters and effects while V's is much more grounded in reality (even if it is a dystopian "what if" scenario over all). How does that affect the gravity of those vendettas?
ReplyDeleteAlso, as a devil's advocate, I would not be so quick to dismiss Dream's mask as superfluous. Is it significant that Dream is a god wearing a helm crafted from the skull of a dead god? Also, he doesn't wear the helm much in the story, how does that affect its function and potential importance or lack thereof?
Interesting take on the significance of the masks in both novels. As we discussed in class, the Guy Fawlkes mask seems to magnify the "everyman" quality of V. It seems that while the mask is secondary to V's quest, he may feel it crucial due to the cultural significance of the Gunpowder plot and his own vendetta against the Norsefire. I took it as V felt powerless without his mask much the way Dream knew he was not ready for real battle without his helm. Indeed, his refusal to be seen without his mask, even while in the safety of his own lair, gives V's mask the same level of importance to Dream's helm has.
ReplyDeleteI would have never thought to compare the use of the different masks in these two books! You were very thorough in your comparisons. It was also interesting how you asked what would have happened if V of Morpheus failed.
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