The Plan

My plan for my topic is going to be talking about how the author how predicted how a communist nation would be like. I'm going to use The Benefactor, Green Wall, and the "outside the wall people" and compare them to Stalin, the Iron Curtain, and Hitler. My scholarly resources are a couple of books that I'll bring to class on Monday that I found at the library.

WE are I

To start off that ending was pretty depressing, I just like to point out the obvious there. I have not quite understood though what exactly the "Operation" is . I get that it removes the soul, but I kind of want to the actual procedure. Is it like a brainwashing program, or an electro-therapy, my logical guess though is that it is a lobotomy. I think this because it was a procedure that was being tested at the time, and it had some affect to make people not be the same anymore. Which would explain why D-503 said that he did not write any of the pass entries and why he did not recognize I-330. What I liked the most in these part of the book was how the Glass Wall broke, just like how the Iron Curtain fell too, I swear Zamyatin can tell the future.

The Worst Law of the One State

The worst rule in the One State society would be a tie between being caged in like animals or having every hour being planned out for me every day of the week. I know that I probably wouldn't mind anything in the One State if I grew up there, but because I haven't lived would be terrible being stuck in one place for the rest of my life doing same thing everyday. I wouldn't like living like that, I need to be able to at least have the option to go move somewhere else. I need to be able to have a flexible future where I can change what I'm doing without risking my life, and the One State cannot offer that. The One State wants to keep their people in and everyone, every influence out.

The New Historic Criticism

Well I'm going to have to say that this part in WE had be completely sucked in. throughout the whole reading I was trying to figure out some type of unique interpretation. The one that I thought of is that there are alot of parallels to the biblical story of Adam and Eve. Adam being D-503, and Eve being I-330. D-503 is in conflict because he is trying to make the decision about following the One State (Not breaking the one rule that God gave Adam and Eve) or follow the ways of I-330 who has broken the rules of the One State (tasted the the Forbidden Apple). This story you could see as what it was like from Adam's point of view; to decide whether to stay loyal to God or Eve. The book mention that the One State is the restored Garden of Eden, since they gave up their freedom to be back in safety with God (Benafactor in the One State's case).

Another thought that kept popping into my head is how Yevgeny Zamyatin predicted how Communist Russia was going to be like in the future 20-25 years. I think the people of the One State all know that something is weird in their society, and they live in a type of fear. Which the people don't know what or who to fear, but they should fear the Benafactor, who to me represents Stalin. During Stalin's regin he made daily lists of people to die, but the people of Russia loved him and he was kind of the replecement god. The Benafactor does not make the lists of people to get killed, but he is in complete comtrol like Stalin was and is hailed as a god. Also alot of restrictions and rules are in the same style as communist Russia, and how the One State is cut off from all outside influences just like Russia was.

Parts of a Story, WE page53-75

To define the style aspect for this section on page 53 the second paragraph the author changes the descriptive style. Throughout the book the describtions have all been either science or math related, but in this part the describtion changes to a nature-style metaphor, "Steely gray eyes encircled by the shadows of a sleepless night." Then on the next page D-503 comes back to his senses and the author starts writing the science/mathamatical descriptions again. This example also pplies with tone, because the main character during these time is confused about who he is, and as the reader I felt like D-503 was about to accept freedom till the tone changes and D-503 says to himself that "This is all junk and the ridiculous sensations is all a delirium." which the tone sounds now aggressive and defensive. There is a lot of dramatic irony too with. D-503 was realizing that he might actually like to have freedom and then when he realizes this about himself he quickly says it's just nonsense and that he is still loyal to the One State, but deep down he know that he might be drifting to the Ancient's side. D-503's point of view right now sounds like he's super confused and is feeling quite torn. He is just stuck in the middle and is fighting with himself which is really the right way of living. I think the whole conflict that D-503 is going through is a great characterization because everyone can relate to this. Everyone has those rough descisions that they need to get through, granted they are never about turning against everything you believe in (well in most cases). I think it's the conflict within that makes D-503 seem like he could be really alive.One symbol throughout the book are digits, they represent that rational thinking of the One State and help D-503 stay in what he thinks as "clear thinking". Another symbol in the section of reading is the sky, which can be related to freedom when it's described as golden looking and D-503 has been thinking of the Ancients and if their idea of freedom was right, but he says that his sky is blue and clearless when he talks about how great the One State is. Which speaking of the sky, outside during the day is one of the settings for this section along with the Bureau of Medicine, and that old rickty Ancient house. Which these places have something golden at them, which always sounds like it's suppose to be a place of freedom which it is, since like at the Bureau of Medicine there is a golden fog, and D-503 is free from the Table of Hours, or at the rickty house the Buddha has a golden smile. Which in Buddhism the goal is to be free from the cycle of life. The plot the author choose works as in D-503 first has a conflict with himself because of his thughts of freedom, but then he thinks that he snaps himself out of it and is just going to return to normal by going to work and meeting with O later. Then the freedom influence happens again with I-330 taking him back to the rickty house and having him skip work. Then fight with O and break her heart, which the next day at work he starts having a flashback to I-330 and the rickty house and the golden fog.
The theme of it all,generally, seems to be to decide what is better, D-503's old life with the triangle, working on the Intregal, and being loyal to the One State. Or should he go with the flow of the golden sun and Buddha, follow with I-330 and freedom. Personally relating to this there is a part where it does seem like he is trying to decide if he wants to stick with the old or go with the new, which I relate to since coming to college and then going back home and visiting old firneds from high school. I caught myself seeing that my old life isn't as fun as my new life at college and the friends I have made here, which I feel like D-503 is noticing that about his life, that there are new things out there for him to try.

A little about me

I'm 19 and I am from Albert Lea Minnesota. I was born in Wayne Nebraska and lived there till I was 3, which then I moved to Minnestoa. I am a sever at the Applebee's in my town. I am studying biology in hopes to become a plastic surgeon and own have my own practice sometime in the future. Let's see here, my favorite color is red, I like music, listening to it (except country) and performing it. My favorite bands are Vampire Weekend and MGMT. Movies are always a fun thing to do especially making funny comments at the right spots. I like traveling, I've been to Costa Maya, Florida, New York, California, a lot of stereotypical vacations spots, but I like to tour other contintents in the future.