We

In Zamyatin's We, the government of OneState is based on control, precision, equality, and organization. The power of the collective group is praised and the progress of the individual looked down upon. Poetry is often used by the citizens to express their loyalty and love for OneState. Ironically, poetry is a means of expressing oneself, the individual author's emotions. It is raw and intimate and leaves the author completely vulnerable. The fact that individuals express these personal thoughts to support collectivism suggests the fault in the idea.



"A knife is the most permanent, the most immortal, the most ingenious of all of man's creations. The knife was a guillotine, the knife is a universal means of resolving all knots, and the path of paradox lies along the blade of a knife -- the only path worthy of the mind without fear." (Zamyatin 113)

This passage is so wonderfully written, it cannot be passed up. A knife is described in a positive light as an ingenious, universal solvent. It is a quick and simple solution; eliminates any struggle, anguish, and effort. On the other hand, the words permanent, immortal, and guillotine are negative and allude to death and the end of an existence. There is no taking it back, no second guessing. It's over. Those who are cowardly see only these two sides - positive|negative, white|black, good|evil. They fear the zero, the gray, self-contradiction. The weak do not control their own unique stand, perhaps in between the two sides - right down the blade, fluctuating and molding to their mood and opinion. Instead, they allow one of the two permanent decisions to control them, and they mold to that one standard. The fearless minds, however, will contradict themselves and take the chance to dance along the thin blade, twirling to one side or the other, depending simply on their mood. They posses the courage to cut only halfway through.



I enjoyed reading Zamyatin's We. All throughout the novel I found myself anticipating D-503's triumphant rebellion and his happy marriage to I-330 out of sincere love for one another. I should have known better. Although the completely opposite ending did disappoint me, it did not ruin the entire book. I was simply amazed by the government Zamyatin created in OneState. It is all unimaginable to me - the time table, synchronized schedules, pink tickets. This novel is sure to make the extreme promoters of equality stop and take a second to figure out how far they are going to pursue the idealistic equal status among everyone. It is impossible. Humans have flaws and we value certain characteristics and abilities over others. Only God views all humans on an equal level. Reading these dystopian novels makes me appreciate the inequalities among humans. These differences are what make the world go 'round.