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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:
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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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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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Get the entire V for Vendetta LitChart as a printable PDF.
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...
(full context)
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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