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Guy Fawkes Mask
When Evey Hammond is confined to a prison cell and tortured every day, her only comfort is the letter she finds in her cell. This letter was written by a woman named Valerie—a lesbian actress who was arrested by the Norsefire government, sent to the Larkhill concentration camp, and killed. Valerie encourages all those who read her letter to maintain their integrity. As she puts it, integrity isn’t more than “an inch,” but as long as humans protect this inch, they are free. Inspired by Valerie’s words, Evey refuses to give in to her torturers. Valerie’s letter symbolizes the power of words themselves—a power so great that the Norsefire government censors literature extensively.
Valerie’s Letter Quotes in V for Vendetta
The V for Vendetta quotes below all refer to the symbol of Valerie’s Letter. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
).
Book 2, Chapter 11 Quotes
But it was my integrity that was important. Is that so selfish? It sells for so little, but it’s all we have left in this place. It is the very last inch of us, but within that inch we are free.
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Halfway through the graphic novel, Evey is arrested and imprisoned. In prison, she's tortured and ordered to sign a confession stating that V kidnapped her and sexually abused her. Although Evey is tempted to lie and sign the statement (effectively clearing herself of any danger), she's inspired to hold out after finding a letter written by a woman named Valerie. In the letter, Valerie talks about being confined to a prison cell and refusing to cooperate with her captors.Valerie refuses to give in because she doesn't want to sacrifice her integrity and personal freedom. By cooperating with people she despises, Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus quo. Non inventore in. Eligendi atque placeat. Molestiae earum eum. Libero sit beatae. At a deserunt. Sint aperiam consequatur. Minima porro perferendis. Si
Book 2, Chapter 12 Quotes
“Sign that statement. You could be out inside three years. Perhaps they’d find you a job with the Finger. A lot of your sort get work with the Finger.”
“Thank you… but I’d rather die behind the chemical sheds.”
“Then there’s nothing left to threaten with, is there? You are free.”
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In this scene, a "guard" orders Evey to sign a statement saying that V kidnapped and raped her--in other words, saying that Evey is innocent of all crimes, and V is guilty. By signing, Evey would be condemning V to execution (if the government could catch him) and saving herself.Inspired by Valerie's letter, Evey makes the difficult decision to refuse to sign the statement. She would be ensuring her own survival, but she'd also be betraying her friend. Evey is effectively saying that she values her dignity--her honesty, her loyalty to V, etc.--more highly than her life.Surprisingly, the guard who's Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta.
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Valerie’s Letter Symbol Timeline in V for Vendetta
The timeline below shows where the symbol Valerie’s Letter appears in V for Vendetta. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Book 2, Chapter 11: Valerie
Evey reads Valerie’s letter. Valerie begins by explaining that she was born in Nottingham in 1957. Growing up, she...
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Evey continues reading Valerie’s letter. In London, Valerie became an acclaimed actress, starring in The Salt Flats. There, Valerie befriended...
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...inch of her, “except one.” Evey weeps as she reads these words, and kisses Valerie’s letter.
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Book 2, Chapter 12: The Verdict
Back in her cell, Evey reads Valerie’s letter one more time. The guard comes to take her to her death. The guard suggests...
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Book 2, Chapter 14: Vignettes
...V tells Evey that he didn’t do anything—she set herself free. Evey shows V Valerie’s letter, and notes that he put an extraordinary amount of work into making it convincing. V...
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