V for Vendetta: Book 1, Chapter 1 Summary & Analysis

The novel begins with a voice, which announces itself as the “Voice of Fate.” The voice explains that it is November 5, 1997. The voice echoes throughout London: in public spaces, in private rooms, etc. As the voice announces that it will rain from exactly 12:07 am to 1:30 am, two figures—neither of which is identified—dress themselves in front of the mirror.

The first figure is a young-looking woman, who’s applying her lipstick nervously in a small mirror. The second figure is shadowy, and seems to be standing in a vast hall lined with horror and film noir posters from the 30s and 40s. As the first figure puts on her dress, the second puts on gloves, a long, black cloak, a set of daggers, and a strange mask. The mask shows a pale man’s smiling face. Meanwhile the voice continues to describe news and current events: it stresses that “prospects” are brighter than they’ve been since “the last war,” and adds that it is every man’s duty to make Britain “Great again.”

The first figure leaves her room and walks outside, to an area near a dark alley. She encounters a strange man in a coat, and timidly asks him if he’d like to sleep with her “for money.” The man smirks and says that it must be her first night working as a prostitute. The woman reluctantly admits that it is. Suddenly, the man produces a badge and claims to be a “Fingerman” (law enforcement officer). Two more fingermen step out of hiding. The woman is terrified: clearly, fingerman are trusted with a large amount of power. The head fingerman tells the woman that he and his friends can do whatever they want with her—and then kill her.

As the woman tries to protest, the second figure, dressed in his cloak and mask, walks toward the fingermen. He quotes from the first act of Macbeth, calling the fingermen wicked. The head fingerman tries to push the figure away, and is surprised to find that he can pull the figure’s hand off. Suddenly, the figure attacks the three fingermen, killing one of them with a strange firebomb. The figure then escapes with the woman, leaving the two remaining fingermen confused.

The cloaked figure brings the woman to a nearby roof, where she thanks him for saving her life. [NOTE: for the purposes of this summary, we’ll refer to the character as “he,” since his mask is that of a man. Nevertheless, no proof is ever offered that he is, in fact, a “he.”] The woman asks the figure who he is—he replies that he’s the “villain” and “the king of the 20th century.”

The man asks the woman if she remembers the old nursery rhyme about the fifth of November—when she replies that she doesn’t, he recites it: “Remember, remember, the fifth of November, the Gunpowder Treason and Plot. I know of no reason why the gunpowder treason should ever be forgot.” As the man falls silent, there is a loud explosion, and the Houses of Parliament explode. Fireworks shoot into the sky, spelling out a “V,” much to the woman’s delight.

The narrative cuts ahead to November 6, in the morning. There is a videoconference between a shadowy authority figure and a panel of experts. The authority figure, addressed as “Leader,” asks each of the men what they can tell him about the explosion of the Houses of Parliament. The first man, Mr. Conrad Heyer, claims to speak for an institution called “The Eye.” He explains that video surveillance has captured some footage of the terrorist responsible for the plot—however, because he is wearing a mask, it’s impossible to identify him. The second man, Mr. Brian Etheridge, speaking for “The Ear,” adds that millions of people are talking about the explosion over the phone, and that all their information is being sent to Mr. Almond, who works for an institution called “The Finger.”

The Leader next asks Mr. Finch to speak for “The Nose.” Finch explains that the terrorist used a set of highly sophisticated explosives to blow up Parliament. The Leader nods and instructs the three men to inform him of any new information.

After turning off his video feed, the Leader turns to Mr. Derek Almond, who is standing next to him. He furiously tells Almond to find the man responsible for the explosion, or he’ll have Almond’s “head.”

At 7 pm on November 6, a team of media specialists discusses how to control the story of Parliament’s destruction. The “Voice of Fate” will explain that the building was demolished at night to avoid traffic congestion. One man, Dascombe, points out Lewis Prothero, the man who reads the “Voice of Fate” over the radio.