Remember, Remember

At the school were I teach, there is a large rock in front of the library which is often painted over with announcements about activities. Today, November 5, the library rock looked like this:

Some of you may recognize this as the inverted anarchy symbol used by V in the graphic novel (and film, if you count that) V for Vendetta. By a strange coincidence, I have been using V for Vendetta as a text in my class on terrorism. In fact, this was the last text we read in the class. (We are now reading Ian McEwan's novel, Saturday.)

The character V wears a Guy Fawkes mask as he works to overthrow the fascist government that has taken over England. The novel, written in the late 1980s, is set in 1997 and 1998, but still works as a chilling projection of the power and influence of fascist politics on a complacent citizenry (like, say, the United States in the early 21st-century). Since V spends a lot of his time in the novel accomplishing what Guy Fawkes could not (i.e. blowing up the Houses of Parliament), it is only fitting the first chapter of the novel opens on November 5, the historic anniversary of Fawkes' failed attempt.

Whoever painted the library rock clearly didn't forget the significance of the date:

Naturally, I was delighted to see any sign of progressive, pro-active politics at my little university in Southern Utah. I was equally delighted that this act of graffitti occurred in conjunction with my use of the novel in two of my classes this semester. Now, does this mean I am giving myself credit for inspiring this mystery student or students? I suppose I cannot go quite that far, since the film exists and I guess it's possible that a student on campus could have been inspired by that thin adaptation of the novel to paint a rock in front of the library that I walk by every morning.

But that wouldn't explain the mysterious "V" symbols that appeared in my classroom today, a class that has not read the novel. Clearly, something is up. I like to think that I have not only inspired one or more students to buck the system, but that I am instilling dangerous thoughts of anarchy and political subversion into a culture that is sorely in need of alternative viewpoints. As V him/herself said, "That is their task: to rule themselves; their lives and loves and land. With this achieved, then let them talk of salvation. Without it, they are surely carrion."

By turn of century they'll know their fate: either a rose midst rubble blooms, or else has bloomed too late.