We by Yevgeny Zamyatin

"We" Favorite Quote and Analysis

"An instant. The hand fell, loosing the current. A sharp blade of unbearable light. A shudder in the pipes of the Machine, a crackling that you could hardly hear. The spread-eagled body was covered by a light, sparkling little puff of smoke, and then before our eyes it began to melt, and melt, and it dissolved so fast it was horrible. And then-nothing. A puddle of chemically pure water, which just a moment ago had been in a heart, red, beating up a storm.
This was all simple, we all knew about it. Dissociation of matter-check. Disengagement of the atoms of the human body-check. Still, every time it happened, it seemed like a miracle. It was a sign of the superhuman might of the Benefactor. (Zamyatin 48).

This quote describes the execution of R-13 by the benefactor. Somehow, through the advanced futuristic technologies of OneState, the benefactor has the power to turn a human being into pure water. The horror, brutal process, literally melts R-13 into nothing but a drinkable liquid. The execution is witnessed by D-503.

This quote has to be my favorite it shows 2 very important points to the novel overall. The first is the power of the Benefactor. The fact that one being, a machine, has the power to destroy a human being in a flash of light, contributes to his similarity to a god figure. It places a power in him, that even if someone did not like the society, they would be so afraid that they would stay silent. This is similar to the acts committed by the Soviet Government, who executed anyone who promoted revolution. The second point, is the rational, uncaring sense of the people there. They have just witnessed a fellow citizen be destroyed, and they do not care. D-503 is still thinking in his robotic, rational way saying, "Dissociation of matter-check. Disengagement of the Atoms of the human body-check".

Thoughts on We

The novel overall was quite an interesting read. I had read several similar novels such as "The Giver" and "The Handmaid's Tale" later on. The popularity of these Dystopian novels seems to be increasing. I think that the historical argument for the book is what separates it from many similar novels. Being that "We" is a warning against another Communist Russia-like society, Zamyatin shows the full extent of what happens when a government removes its people's freedoms. The author's use of the dual personality throughout the second half of the novel also separates it from similar books. D-503 is in a constant battle between his rational OneState self, and his irrational more human self. From reading similar novels, it wasn't hard to predict the ending of this one. Almost all Dystopian texts end with the society either falling due to rebellion, or about to fall. In addition, the people living outside the wall puzzled me. It was an element of mystery in a very predictable, yet gripping text. I found myself wondering who they were, where they had come from, and why they differed so greatly from those inside the wall, and from those in our society today. Lastly, the ending left me wanting to read a sequel, which for me is a significant point in whether or not I enjoyed a book. If one is left wanting to read more about a book, then that is a good indicator that it was an enjoyable read.

The Birth of a Freedomless Government

In the novel "We", Yevgeny Zamyatin argues that a corrupt and unjust society is born out of a freedomless government. The authors purpose for this argument and the writing of this novel, most likely strains from the 60 year period of oppression that the Russian people suffered. From this oppression forced on the people by the government of communist Russia, the author's nation of OneState is born. OneState, ruled over by the The Benefactor, is a rational, scheduled society which lacks almost all aspects of human individuality. This argument is prevalent in several key examples found throughout the book. The characters names in the novel, a letter, followed by a number, removes the human nature from the citizens identity, and makes them almost robotic. Examples of these names include D-503 and I-330.   A society who holds logical and rational thinking so dear, has even created the perfect leader. A robotic humanoid, who is all powerful and able to judge the citizens and destroy them in a flash of light. This leader, even God figure, called The Benefactor, is a tangible, view-able being of supreme power. The citizens practices could be called worship as they capitalize his name; similar to God. While the people who live in OneState appear to be perfectly content with their lives, the author is not promoting the style of government. By viewing the novel through the eyes of D-503, the sheer ignorance of the people is understood, along with the horror of the society they live in.