Intro:

In “We” by Yevgeny Zamyatin, D-503 whom is a law abiding citizen of the One State which changes his perspectives due to emotions. D-503 the builder of the Integral and currently keeping entries which are meant to “bring mathematical infallible happiness” (1) to the reader of the journal yet as time passes by and he meets I-330 in which he is emotional involved. I-330 was one of the reasons for which he began a passage of change to a whole new different individual. He changed to the point in which lost the true purpose of keeping entries which was to promote the One State, yet now it has become a journal in which he express is most intimate and emotional entries.

Claim #1:

D-503 began to break rules after meeting I-330 such as not reporting her to the Guardians or not obeying the table of hours due. I-330 answered some of the internal questions he had lately due to him discovering a side of him, which he did know of before, this happened also while he felt the need to spend time with her.

“I cannot understand why I did not go to the Office of the Guardians” (35).

“I cannot live without her” (85). “I could not bear it any longer! Where have you been?”(97)

Claim #2:

By falling in love with I-330 and beginning to realize he had all these emotions and sense of self in a society which constricted these, he became sick. This was a moment in which he discovered he had a soul, something with was never seen or discussed publicly yet it was an underlying issue in the One State. By D-503 having a soul he began to change even more his entries, from praising the One State to emotional entries and allowed him to be more receptive to the new ideas which I-330 gave him.

“You’re in a bad way! Apparently, you have developed a soul.” (89)

“I am saddened to see that, instead of a harmonious and strict mathematical poem in honor of the One State, I am producing some sort of a fantastic adventure novel” (103)

Claim #3:

Throughout the story D-503 began to explore his true self, yet at the end when he finds out he was used by I-330 his whole world has come apart. Once again by feeling anger and other emotions he decided to return to the One State and forget everything he has lived through most importantly I-330.

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In a dystopian world like in We where the individual is sacrificed and technology seems to be the control of everything there will always be others who are willing to fight to bring down this world. I-330 doesn’t abide by the rules of the One State and constantly breaks them. She wants to bring down this dystopia and create a new world. Throughout the book she goes from breaking rules to trying to convince D-503 that he too should help her bring down the One State. I-330s rebellion and actions make it clear to us that she is an “other”. We see her do all she can to stop the One State.

Claim 1
I-330 chooses to play the music she wants to play as an individual and everyone laughs at her including D-503.
“Then she sat down and began to play. Something savage, spasmodic, variegated, like their whole life at that time-not a trace of rational mechanical method. And, of course, all of those around me were right, they all laughed. Except for a few…but why was it that I, too…I?” (Zamyatin Pg 17)

Claim 2
I-330 claims that D-503 is now in her hands.
“But now you are in my hands. You remember-‘Every number who has failed to report to the Office of the Guardians within forty-eight hours, is considered…” (Zamyatin Pg 53)

Claim 3
I-330 will not speak and refuses to say anything about their plan to bring down the One State.
“Then she was pulled out, quickly restored with the aid of electrodes, and placed once more under the Bell. This was repeated three times-and still she did not say a word” (Zamyatin Pg 232)

Psychological manipulation is defined as a type of social influence that aims to change the perception or behavior of others through underhanded, deceptive, or even abusive tactics. (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psychological_manipulation‎). It’s being deceived, lied to, being led to believe in something or someone through false pretenses. No one likes being lied to. No one liked to be lead down the wrong path by someone whom they have put their trust in and in the worse of scenarios, by someone who they are in love with and who they believe to be equally in love with them. In the Store “We” D-503

Claim #1

I-330 tested D-503 vulnerability.

“ ‘But why impassable? […] A bridge can be thrown across an abyss.’ […] she spoke almost my own words that I had written down before our walk” (pages 6-7) I-330 is agreeing with D-503 and telling him exactly what he wants to hear. She is a creating a bond with him so she can involve herself into his life.

Claim #2

I-330 test her boundaries

I-330 breaks the rules and almost out right dares D-503 to report her to the office of the guardians. In the forty-eight hours he has to report he suddenly falls ill and has all these obstacles that prevents him from reporting her. “Certainly. I thought so. Something had to prevent you – no matter what” (page 53)

Claim #3

S was in the alliance with I-330

S possibly set D-503 for I-330. He’s D-503 guardian so he knows how he moves, acts, his emotional states. He knew he was ripe for the taken. “you named everyone you saw behind the wall but you forgotten one. […] Don’t you remember for a second you saw {…} me” (p 228-229). R is part of the revolution and knew that D-503 was the builder of in integral and is the main person they needed to corrupt for a successful revolution.

“I love—I am certain I can safely say, we love—only such a sterile, immaculate sky.” Immaculate sky, free from any flaw or in their terms “perfection.” The One State’s dictators and citizens believe in living in an ideal world where freedom is abolished and every single moment of their lives are controlled by a system. What stabilizes this system is all based on mathematics, where most of the time there is only one solution to every mathematical problem or predicament. There are other novels in which state their practices in what creates an example of a Utopian world but this novel is different, it is all numeric. The novel We  written by Yevgeny Zamyatin invites us to the One State’s world and mentality where freedom is replaced with mathematics. By having a mathematical system to control the living conditions in the One State it limits the chances of wrecking the system due to the table of hours, a form of one’s identity and strong belief in science.

Claim # 1

The table of hours decreases the chances of any of the citizens in the One State to become an individual.

“Fused into a single million-handed body, at the same second, designated by the Table, we lift our spoons to our mouths. At the same second, we come out for our walk, go to the auditorium, go to the hall for Taylor exercises, fall asleep” (12).

Claim # 2

Having a number instead of a name shows the dedication and commitment of sticking to the One State’s regulations.

“This irrational number had grown into me like something, foreign, alien, terrifying” (39).

Claim #3

Just like mathematics, science is perceived as a superiority subject that the One State believes in.

“It was not the generations before me, but I–yes, I—who had conquered the old God and the old life” (5).

In a mathematically impeccable world such as the One State, a square seems to be the most symmetrically perfect shape to reflect the overall life in the One State. Everything must be carried out with precision and the citizens of the One State must abide by the table of rules given to them by their God, the benefactor. They are never to think, desire, or question anything outside of this way of life; they are confined to a square mentality. With this essay I will analyze how the narrator, D-503, unconsciously questions this square of a society as well as breaks out of his own mental square.

We first must analyze the way of life in the One State to understand the analogy between the One State and that of a square. Beginning with the concept of uniformity, “thousands of numbers, in pale blue unifs, with golden badges on their breasts, bearing the State Number of each man and woman.” (5) As this excerpt clearly states, the people in the One State are to wear the exact same uniform, preventing any physical form of individuality. Individuality means weakness in a society like this, because a person that is allowed to think and be different is a potential threat to the well being of the society; the greater good.

Further examples of uniformity are found throughout the book, but they all lead down the same road of constraint. Life down to the very second was controlled in the One State, this was carried out by the “Table of Hours”. “But our Table of Hours! Why, it transforms each one of us into a figure of steel, a six-wheeled hero of a mighty epic poem. Every morning, with six-wheeled precision, at the same hour and the same moment, we- millions of us- get up as one. At the same hour, in million-headed unison, we start work […] designated by the table, we lift our spoons to our mouths. (12) We observe in this excerpt how the system (people of the One State) carries them selves in unison. They take pride in their togetherness because they know of nothing else but this table. Again confining them into a single-minded way of thinking, the perfect square.

After understanding the One State and the square they live in we can now begin to analyze how D-503 views this society. In the beginning chapters D-503 states something very interesting: “Now, think of a square, a living, beautiful square. And imagine that it must tell you about itself, about its life. You understand, a square would scarcely ever think of telling you that all it’s four angles are equal: this has become so natural, so ordinary to it that it’s simply no longer consciously aware of it. And so with me: I find myself continually in this square’s position.” (20) We see here that D-503 compares his ways of life to be as natural as the corners of a square. This could be seen two ways, the most direct way is that D-503 feels that describing his way of life is unnatural since it has become part of him. Second interpretation can be that he feels that he is trapped in this squared society and knows nothing but this life. So it would be unnatural to say something outside of this.

Introduction

In the book “We” by Yevgeny Zamyatin, character development is essential to the plots overall development. D-503’s development throughout the story is important because it is influenced by a certain person, I-330. After meeting I-330, D-503 goes through many changes and experiences things that are abnormal to that of the One State’s Ideals and is distracted from his original plans in the beginning of the book and this can be seen through his journal entries.

Claim 1 – D-503’s feeling of “sickness” is a sign of him drifting from the ways of the One State.  “My mathematics- until now the only firm and immutable island in my entire dislocated world- has also broken off its moorings, is also floating, whirling.”(101).

Claim 2 – After meeting I-330, D-503 starts to question many things of that of the One State.    “Does it mean, then, that this preposterous “soul” is as real as my unif, as my boots, although i do not see them at the moment? And if the boots are not a disease, why is the “soul” a disease?”(102)

Claim 3 – After meeting I-330, D-503 is following more of his instincts and less of Reason and towards the end, he goes back to Reasoning. “Because Reason must prevail”(232).

Introduction

The novel We by Yevgeny Zamyatin shows just how much a person can be influenced by those around them and how it can drastically change ones values and beliefs. The changes the main character D-503 goes through due to being influenced by I-330 who has a different way of thinking than that of the One State is a prime example of this. His actions, his mentality, and how he perceives the One State all change due to the influence of this one person.

Claim 1

D-503 is at first just like everyone else. He believes in the values of the One State completely above all other ways of life, and the logic of math plays a huge role in his values.

“Yes, to unbend the wild primitive curve and straighten it to a tangent…for the line of the One State is the straight line” (2).

Claim 2

D-503 starts to question everything after meeting I-330, and beings to wonder if his way of life is truly making him happy.

“What if he, this yellow eyed creature, in his disorderly, filthy mound of leaves, in his uncomputed life, is happier than we are” (97).

Claim 3

D-503 finally feels free, and he doesn’t embrace the ways of the One State anymore. Moving beyond the Green Wall has given him a sense of a different life.

“And I feel that everybody breathes together, and everybody will fly together somewhere, like birds over The Wall that day…” (122).

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)”.

Introduction

Experiencing something new, is always an adventure for a person. The main character of We, by Yevgeny Zamayatin, D-503 has that happen to him. D-503 is a model citizen, he is well respected and is the driving force behind building the Integral, which is a massive space ship in the book. He follows the word of the One State to the T and truly believes that is what is expected of him. D-503 doesn’t stray away from the path that has been laid out for him in any way, until he meets I-330, the secondary main character of the book, and that is when his world is turned upside down. D-503 begins to experience emotions he has never had, and this cause him to stray away from what he has known and has him going against everything the One State has taught him.

Claim 1
The first encounter that D-503 has with I-330 there is a brief exchange to which we see the first sign of his change from his normal behavior.

“For some odd reason, I felt embarrassed and tired, in a rather stumbling manner, to explain my laughter to her logically. (6)”.

Claim 2
Further along in the book, once D-503 meets with I-330, he is yet again experiencing doubts about his beliefs.

“That brazen mocking tone. I definitely felt: now I hate her again. But why the “now”? I have hated her all the time (56).”

Claim 3
Towards the end of the book, D-503 has lost all sense of reason as he’s full embraced his infatuation with I-330.

” ‘Well, you are sick, you jave commited crimes because of me-has it not been a torment to you? ANd now, the Opertion-and you willcure yourselfof m. And that means-farewell.’
‘No,’ I cried out.
A pitlessly sharp, dark triangle on white:
‘What? You don’t want happiness?’
My head was splitting; two logical trains collided, climbing upon each other, crashing, splintering… (185)”

The subject matter for an essay is to explore the frailty of the human condition and compare the experiences of D-503, with what we see occurring in repressive societies that exist today in our world. Since the beginning of time there has always been internal conflict in human beings. Man typically desires “free will” and many wars have been fought over that desire. We see in “We” the evil nature of the Benefactor and the society that he has created. The desire for free will and determination often conflicts with a darker human desire…the desire for power and control. There are people who have fought revolutions and dissidents who have died in an attempt to overthrow the yoke of enslavement. Isn’t that really the same as what D-503 and the people of “we” experience? Those people are not controlled the same manner (technologically) that D-503 is in “we” but they have the same desires. “We millions of us get up as one” (pg 12). This simple quote offers a lot of insight into the world today and world history. It is easy to see this in the context of we, as D-503 fights for control of his own free will. However, haven’t we seen this many times in the last one hundred years on Earth? I believe that this comparison would make compelling reading and connect the character the author created with modern society, much to our dismay

D-503 Has been through core emotional changes and he is exposed to the humanization. “I  am sadness to see, that instead of a harmonious and strict mathematical poem in honor of the One State, I am producing some sort of fantastic adventure navel”( 103). Previously, he is only adept at mathematical progress and machinations. He is fighting his lifelong conditioning by the One State.

We see in “We” the evil nature of the Benefactor and the society that he has created and .  “True. algebraic love is inevitable inhuman, and the inevitable mark of truth-its cruelty”(231).