Dominick Abate

The novel “We” by Yevgeny Zamyatin was quite the confusing book to read. The novel is written in the style of a journal that is written by the protagonist D-503. D-503 is a building engineer in the One-state which now governs society after the 200 years war that destroyed society. In typical utopian style, the government tries to control every aspects of the citizens lives through various means such as the Table of Hours, everyone having names such as D-503 and I-330, and using pink coupons to allow the citizens to have privacy with another person in their glass homes. As the story progresses, D-503 starts to change his writing style from a type of informational piece to some sorts of a journal where he talks about what is on his mind. He reveals that he has fallen in love with I-330 . He then becomes mentally unstable due to his new found emotions. Love can drastically change a person life.

Claim 1:

D-503’s instability starts when his mind which is programmed to be able to calculate everything starts to uncover variables in his life, which in this case is his newfound emotions for I-330.

quote:

“yet within me everything is somehow cloudy, cobwebby, shadowed by the cross of s a strange fourpawed X(22)”

claim 2: D-503’s believes he is “sick” because he is feeling all of these new emoitions.

quote:

“Because it was not my fault that I am sick.(38)”

claim 3: D-503’s love fro I-330 causes him to change his whole outlook on life and starts to question his values.

“Well, you are sick, you have committed crimes because of me… And now, the Operation-and you will cure yourself of me…Well,  I’m waiting. Make your choice: the Operation…or… ‘ I cannot…without you. I want nothing without you (185)”.