Terrorism in V for Vendetta

Modern-day terrorism presents a global threat to peace. With the terrorist attacks in 2001 and various attacks in Europe, a clear stereotype of what a terrorist is has emerged. When I think of terrorists, I imagine Muslim extremists with homemade bombs. The graphic novel V for Vendetta examines terrorism and what is traditionally referenced when one thinks of terrorism. V for Vendetta brings up some questions about what is the definition of a terrorist and how does the definition change based on people's different perspectives. From the perspective of the people, the Norsefire government is considered a terrorist group but because the people elected the government they are terrorists by association. When identifying a terrorist certain variables should be considered, such as the points of view of the labeler and the sources of the definition of the word 'terrorist.'
In labeling a group or person as terrorist, one’s definition of terrorism should be considered. Often times it is the government's job to set the definition of terrorism because governments are often targeted by terrorist groups. Another aspect to consider is the perspective of the labeler. When the people are actively involved in government, the government's perspective on who is a terrorist will be similar with the people's perspective. In the graphic novel V for Vendetta the people could not be less involved in their government. Therefore, later in the novel the government and the people have different perspectives about who is a terrorist. For instance, Norsefire considers the individual codenamed “V” a terrorist for various bombings and killings. Through the government’s influence by defining V’s acts as terrorism, the people also considered V a terrorist at first. Later in the novel, the people regard their government as a terrorist organization for the Larkhill experiments where they experimented on the minorities and homosexuals until death. The general mistreatment of the people is another factor that lead to such a distaste for Norsefire. In the novel V for Vendetta the controlling government, Norsefire, takes away the public’s freedoms and has them constantly under surveillance. Because of these injustices against the people, one could consider Norsefire to be a terrorist organization. Through claims of betterment the government takes away freedoms, such as privacy, without the people ever questioning or realizing the loss of these rights. For example, there are cameras that claim to be for protection. A camera cannot protect anyone but it can take away the right to privacy. “…the Brixton and Streatham areas are quarantine zones as of today. It is suggested that these areas be avoided for reasons of health and safety.”(p.9). This is another example of loss of rights without question. With a government as controlling as Norsefire, it is not hard to believe that a government could be a terrorist group. With Norsefire being a people elected government, the people are to blame for their government’s actions. The people in V for Vendetta are terrorists to themselves or at the very least accomplices to terrorists. By becoming content