Ma , Zhaodong

Professor Klepper

English 113B

December 3, 13

Different characteristics of Evey

The movie “V for Vendetta” was based on the 1982 graphic novel of the same name by Alan Moore. The story depicts a future United Kingdom which is controlled by a fascist leader named Norsefire in 1990s.  Norsefire has exterminated his opponents in concentration caps and rues the whole country as a polic state. He was trying to control people through government-controlled social media, such as newspaper and television network. According to Del, “language was used as a political tactic for changing public consciousness suddenly becomes a tool for radical social change. Human beings think in language and if you change the language, then you change how people think.  (Del).” V, the main character in both film and graphic novel, is an anarchist revolutionary who dresses in Guy Fawkes mask begins to break down the government and inspire people to rule their own lives themselves.   

The story was also affected by the political climate of Britain in the early 1980s. Moore visualized that Margaret Thatcher's Conservative government would lose the 1983 elections to Michael Foot’s Labour government. The Labour government wanted complete nuclear disarmament. In the chance of a nuclear war, disarmament could allow the U.K. to escape relatively unharmed.  Despite that, Moore believed fascists would instead weaken Britain under that scenario. Still, Moore's scenario remains untested. To some extent, the story reveals some facts that will make people think much about real life.

With the exception of V, Evey played the most important role in both the movie and comic book.  She was the person who carried on V’s duty in the graphic novel and helped V finish his dream in the movie, which is to inspire people to do something rather than knowing something wrong and still do nothing. Instead of V, Evey went through everything and witnessed victory. Therefore Evey , in some extent, was the clue of the whole story.

Even though in both movie and comic book Evey experienced the same transformation from normal person to V’s inspiration person and join the battle, there are many differences between both. First, in the movie Evey was a runner for the British Television Network. However in book, Evey was a young teenager who was suffering from poverty and resorted to prostitution to survive. Although they both were caught and nearly raped by Fingermen during the city curfew and being rescued by V later, they have different reactions because of their age. Second, After being saved by V, the young teen wanted to repay V, so she help him kill Anthony James Lilliman who is a peadophile bishop. After that, little Evey discovered that V is far more sinister than she suspect. Compared to the novel, Evey in the movie has much independent ideas about killing people. She was trying to tell the bishop the truth so that he can escape V.  She experiences mercy and guilt before V kills the bishop. After that, young Evey was abandoned by V alone in the street. In contrast, Evey in the movie was trying to escape from V. therefore, age makes the most difference between the two Eveys.

Moreover, their family background is also different. As the comic book says, as a child Evey grew up on Shooter Hill in southeast London. Her mom died following an unclear war in early 1980s and her father was arrested and executed by the Norsefire. She was sent to a youth hostel and was forced to work at a factory. In the movie she has an older brother who is killed by a virus that was secretly developed by the government and first tested on V's fellow inmates at Larkhill. Therefore that is one more reason that would make Evey want to help V. Her parents then became political activists and participated in anti-government protests. She was sent to television network to work several years after re-education.

At the end of the story, rather than helping V finish his dream, Evey in the book decided to pick up the mask and become the other V. She carried on the duty of helping people out of the fascist government. In some extent they both win the battle though in different ways. In the movie, V finally woke up people and broke down the government. However in the book, V just woke up Evey and made Evey carry on his mission which according to Williams “represents a key quality essential for any revolution attempting to change the "order of things" rather than repeating the political mistakes of the past(Williams).”

This movie seems like an action movie, but it was full of brilliance. The story was filled with darkness, love and hope. As Wong says “It embraces living without fear. What V has taught her causes Evey to throw her arms up to the rain, like Tim Robbins' character in "The Shawshank Redemption (Wang)."

Works cited

Del Gandio, Jason. Rhetoric for Radicals : A Handbook for 21st Century Activists.

Beverly Hills, CA, USA: Pomegranate Press, 2008. p 120.

Williams, Tony. "Assessing V for Vendetta." CineAction 70 (2006): 16+. Expanded Academic ASAP. Web. 3 Dec. 2013.

COSETTE WONG, SENIOR, RIO RANCHO HIGH SCHOOL For,the Journal. "'Vendetta' Puts Ideas into Action." Albuquerque Journal: 0. Mar 21 2006. ProQuest. Web. 3 Dec. 2013 .

Idea about the differences between graphic book and movie of v for vendetta

      The movie “V for Vendetta” was mainly based on the Alan Moore’s graphic novel of the same name.  Despite most of the characters sharing similarities, they also have many differences. For example, in both the novel and the movie, V’s goal is to inspire the public who despite knowing there is something wrong with the government, remain lying on the couch doing nothing. However, the ways they chose to inspire the public are completely different. In the movie, V was trying to wake up the people around the whole nation and eventually break down the fascist government. However, in the novel, V was trying to inspire one person to carry on his duty. Since he has the ability to wake up one person, he believes he can wake up the entire nation. If people separate the movie from the novel, they will probably enjoy both. While, if people expect the movie to be adapted exactly like the comic book, they may feel disappointed. Comparing the movie and novel, I personally prefer the novel since it reveals the whole story which is hard to accomplish in a two hour movie. Moreover, Moore’s work has greater depth since it shows a way more dirty and ugly world than the one in the movie. Therefore, the novel can impress people and inspire them to think a lot.

Ma, Zhaodong

Professor Jeff Klepper

English 113 B

November 8, 13

Griffith Observatory

One of the main man-made attractions that Los Angeles, California has to offer is the Griffith Observatory which is available to the public. It sits on the south while facing the slope of Mount Hollywood. From the Griffith Observatory, people are able to view throughout the LA basin, including downtown LA to the southeast, the Hollywood sign to the south, and the Pacific Ocean to the southwest. The Griffith Observatory became a popular place not only because of its unique location, but because of its wonderful science display. Moreover, the architecture design here is another reason why people visit. Griffith Observatory looks like a beautiful museum since every building shows visitors different things and gives them completely different experiments. Griffith Observatory is a place that is full of social value, offers beautiful architecture design, and its use of space is impressive and makes people want to visit again.

According to The Herald, the Griffith Observatory is an important part of Southern California. “It has been one of the top attractions in Southern California for more than 60 years. It is visited by nearly two million people a year (The Herald).” The social value behind the Griffith Observatory that makes many people want to visit is its rich history. Griffith Observatory emerged as a dream of a man whose name was Griffith J. Griffith. Though Griffith was born in Wales and came to America as a teenager, he considered Los Angeles as his hometown.  After a visit abroad, he had discovered the great public parks of Europe and thought that his home, Los Angeles, also needed a great park in order to become an even greater city. His vision was to create a great park that was accessible to everyone. He purchased the area where Griffith Park is now located and had people construct the observatory. Griffith Park became the largest city park in the U.S. with wilderness areas.  Griffith J. Griffith was introduced to astronomy through the Astronomical section of the Southern California Academy of Sciences. After Griffith looked through the largest telescope of his time at Mount Wilson, John Anson Ford claimed this experience moved him profoundly. He quotes Griffith as saying “man’s sense of values ought to be revised. If all mankind could look through that telescope, it would change the world!” That is another reason why Griffith decided to have this observatory built and why so many people want to peak at the universe.

Most people go to the Griffith Observatory not only to enjoy the beauty of Los Angeles but also in hopes of catching the beauty of the universe. “The site you choose will affect the quality and quantity of viewing, imaging, and science that can be performed (Ken Hudson and Tom Simstad).” Therefore, a good location which allows people to enjoy both quality and quantity is very important for an observatory.  There are many factors that should be considered before choosing a location such as weather condition, sky transparency, darkness of the sky, and so on. Even though the Griffith Observatory is located in Los Angeles, California it has a rather Mediterranean climate. The wet winter and dry summer seasonality of precipitation are the defining characteristics of this climate. Los Angeles has plenty of sunshine throughout the year, with an average of only 35 days with measurable precipitation annually. As a result, the weather and sky conditions are very good for observation. People are able to visit the Griffith Observatory most days of the year and can enjoy the clean sky more frequently. Since the Griffith Observatory is 1134 feet above sea level, people can see most parts of the Los Angeles basin. Combined with manmade view and nature beauty, people will have a wonderful experience.

Observatories have been built for thousands of years. At first, the observatory was used for practical purpose such as guiding ship along the coast, observing the enemy, and so on. Nowadays, observation decks allow people to view nature from unique vantage points or look skywards towards the constellations. Those building can be tall towers or tiny edifices which have their own function. The architecture of Griffith Observatory also gives people good impressions. The whole building looks like a big castle and it also has many similarities with Muslim mosques. For example, it is fashioned in the Art Deco style of its day; there are two sky dome building beside the main structure and one big one behind it. Before people reach the main building, there is a giant square where people can walk around in front of the structure which gives them a feeling of openness and tranquility.         

In addition, the main color of the architecture is white and can also affect people in many ways. “The use of color in visualization is most effective, and easiest for the novice to utilize, as color has a very strong radiating effect on the whole body. Every other form of color therapy is fundamentally symbolic (Campbell L.).” The color white is associated with many symbolic ideas such as purity, virginity, innocence, goodness, heaven, and safety. Griffith Observatory can be considered the gate that connects the sky to the people and its white color makes people feel clean and pure. At night, the yellow color resembles a lighthouse which can make people easily find the observatory. “Yellow will advance from surrounding colors and instill optimism and energy, as well as spark creative thoughts (Smith).” Combined with the dark skies, the yellow light makes people reflect on life and the universe. That’s another reason why people want to visit Griffith Park, especially during the night.

As previously mentioned, the Griffith Observatory is also like a big museum. Its smart spacing allows as much material as possible to be showed to people so they can learn the visit. There are several halls that allow people to peak the universe in different ways, they are: Wilder Hall of the Eye, Ahmanson Hall of the Sky, W.M. Keck Foundation Central Rotunda, Cosmic Connection, Depths of Space, and Edge of Space Mezzanine.

The Hall of the Eye exhibit’s main focus is how people previously observed the sky and its impact on society. On the other hand, the Hall of the Sky shows how people are connected to the sky and its two main objects, the moon and the sun. There is also one of the U.S.’s largest public telescopes at the end of this hall.

The Central Rotunda shows the connection between science and mythology and also how Griffith’s vision of the Observatory came to life. The Cosmic Connection’s main feature is a 150-foot timeline of the universe.The Depths of Space exhibit shows how people were able to travel into space through the use of telescopes.

 Finally, the Edge of Space gives people the experience through a cosmic perspective to connect the earth toward the universe. By visiting each exhibit, people will feel as though they are traveling in the universe. Visitors experience a wonderful view while studying much about universe.

As a public place, Griffith Observatory is famous for its beautiful view and its historical significance. The social value of this place involves giving people unique experiences while at the same time educating people about the universe. The design and color are important for viewing and its scientific content is what distinguishes the Observatory. The use of smart space gives people a feeling of comfort and encourages thinking about the universe. Those are the reasons why people visit the Griffith Observatory and why it became so famous.

Works cited

"Briefing: Griffith Observatory." The Herald: 17. Jan 03 2002. ProQuest. Web. 31 Oct. 2013 .

“The Share Astronomy Guide to Observatory Site Selection” Ken Hudson and Tom Simstad. Version 1.0 - October 2010 introduction page 2.

Campbell L. Mind body healing–How it works. Conscious Living Magazine. Available at: http://www.consciousliving.net.au; Accessed on 2009.

All About The Color YELLOW, kate smith, http://www.sensationalcolor.com/color-meaning/color-meaning-symbolism-psychology/all-about-the-color-yellow-4297#.Un2iTr-KDlI