Guy Fawkes Mask (Symbol)
The most recognizable symbol in V for Vendetta is the Guy Fawkes mask that V uses to conceal his true identity. The mask draws upon the historical act of rebellion in which Guy Fawkes tried—and failed—to blow up the British House of Lords. The stylized face of Fawkes is endowed in the story with antigovernment sentiment, evoking revolution, insurrection, anarchy, rebellion, and—underscored when Evey takes up the mask at the end of the novel—anonymity.
Lady Justice Statue (Symbol)
The iron statue at the Old Bailey courthouse, known as Lady Justice, is invested with historical symbolism as a representation of the solidity and constancy and dependability of law to ensure justice. However, the oppressive laws applied by the Norsefire government render the statue into a symbol of injustice. Therefore, V destroys the statue as a symbolic attack on the so-called justice the state mandates.
The Letter V (Motif)
The letter V arises throughout the story as a motif. Beyond being the shorthand name for the story's protagonist, V is the Roman numeral for five, used to mark V's room at the Larkhill concentration camp. V also draws the letter within a circle—an inversion of the symbol for anarchy. The letter V is later used by Finch as a clue to V's hideout, making the connection between the letter and the Victoria Underground line.
Government Divided into Body Parts (Allegory)
The various branches of the Norsefire government are each given the name of a body part: the leader of the government is the Head, who is in control of the Ear, the Eye, and the Nose; additionally, the Fingermen do the Leader's bidding. The body parts come together in an extended metaphor that presents the Norsefire as an individual pitted against the individuals it oppresses.
England Prevails (Motif)
As a signal to end conversations and solidarity among party higher-ups, members of Norsefire and the Leader say "England prevails." This verbal motif, used throughout V for Vendetta, gradually takes on an ironic double meaning as the story progresses and the government looks increasingly unstable. While the phrase initially means that the government of England will prevail over the people, it later comes to mean that the people of England will prevail over the government.
