"Well, what then? I'm waiting. Choose: the Operation and its hundred-percent happiness or..."
"I can't go on without you, I can't, I must not be without you," I said, or only thought it-- I don't know which-- but I-330 heard it.
"Yes, I know," she answered. And then, her hands still holding me by the shoulders, and her eyes not letting mine go: "In that case--until tomorrow. Tomorrow at twelve. Remember?"
"No. It's put off for one more day... The day after tomorrow..."
"Even better for us. At twelve. The day after tomorrow..."
I walked alone along the dusky street. The wind twirled, carrying and chasing me like a piece of paper. Fragments of cast-iron sky were flying down, flying down through infinity-- but they have a day or two to go... Oncoming unifs grazed against me but I walked alone. It was clear to me: everyone was saved, but there was to be no saving me, I don't want saving. (page 163)
I find this passage to be important because it is the first instance D-503 feels a distinct separation from the one state and understanding of its inherent issues. Before, D-503 acted out of obedience to whatever I-330 said out of love/desire for her, even when he had reservations about his actions. He is still thinking with the logical and precise manner of the One-State. Here, when forced to make a choice between his ideals/thoughts and his desire for I-330 he breaks down and realizes that he does not want to be a part of the society. I believe that he comes to the realization that the main problem with the one-state is that it devalues great portions of the human experience. While it provides happiness it ignores and blocks the rest of human emotions, (desire, sadness, creativity) and so, while he sees the value of the one-state and its "happiness" he understands that it is shallow and ultimately chooses to take a more organic, as well as more painful route.D-503 has shed himself of the mindset that has contained him throughout the novel and throughout his life, which is shown in Zamyatin's portrayal of the environment, near this point the book shifts describing the sky as calm and pristine with blue (representing the one-state) to a turbulent and violent mass (that mirrors his new emotional and turbulent style of thinking)
Sunday, April 10, 2011
Wednesday, April 6, 2011
WE- Journal 2, Topic B
Inaudible, hasty droplets brimming over blue saucers, down her cheeks and words, hastily brimming over, too: "I can't anymore, I must go now... I won't ever come here again, never. But the only thing I want... All I need is a baby from you-- give me a baby and I will go, I'll go!"
I could see: she was all atremble under her unif, and I could feel myself start to -- I put my hands behind me and smiled: "What? Now you're after the machine of the Benefactor?"
And back at me with another word-torrent over a dam: "Fine! But, you see I would still get to feel it inside me. And even if I only get to see it for a few days... Just to see its little wrist-crease, just here-- like that baby on the stage. Just for one day!" (page 99)
With her relationship to D-503, O-90 presents a foil to the relationship between I-330 and D, showing affection rather than desire. There are specific attributes to each Cipher letter we see in the novel and O is consistently described as round in both appearance and in manner. The repeated use of circles and circular objects serves to reinforce D's view of her as simple and childlike, a circle is the simplest of shapes and O-90 is the simplest of the Ciphers in regards to logic and mathematical thinking. D's relationship with O after he meets I-330 is one of affection, he even says later in the novel that his feelings for her are akin to an ancient parent's feelings for their child. By having a childlike figure as one of the main characters, Zamyatin portrays O-90 feelings, emotions and desires and less calculated and more organic (she is also described as pink, which is strongly associated with sex- one of the most instinctual processes). Thus, her desire to create and hold onto a unique experience (Parenthood) is natural. It shows that humans inherently desire to create and produce for themselves. This is further compounded by D-503, who states his journal is created for the state. He, being logical and complex, is the opposite of an analog for innate human desire, and thus it is shown that the desire to create for society is merely a product of that society.
I could see: she was all atremble under her unif, and I could feel myself start to -- I put my hands behind me and smiled: "What? Now you're after the machine of the Benefactor?"
And back at me with another word-torrent over a dam: "Fine! But, you see I would still get to feel it inside me. And even if I only get to see it for a few days... Just to see its little wrist-crease, just here-- like that baby on the stage. Just for one day!" (page 99)
With her relationship to D-503, O-90 presents a foil to the relationship between I-330 and D, showing affection rather than desire. There are specific attributes to each Cipher letter we see in the novel and O is consistently described as round in both appearance and in manner. The repeated use of circles and circular objects serves to reinforce D's view of her as simple and childlike, a circle is the simplest of shapes and O-90 is the simplest of the Ciphers in regards to logic and mathematical thinking. D's relationship with O after he meets I-330 is one of affection, he even says later in the novel that his feelings for her are akin to an ancient parent's feelings for their child. By having a childlike figure as one of the main characters, Zamyatin portrays O-90 feelings, emotions and desires and less calculated and more organic (she is also described as pink, which is strongly associated with sex- one of the most instinctual processes). Thus, her desire to create and hold onto a unique experience (Parenthood) is natural. It shows that humans inherently desire to create and produce for themselves. This is further compounded by D-503, who states his journal is created for the state. He, being logical and complex, is the opposite of an analog for innate human desire, and thus it is shown that the desire to create for society is merely a product of that society.
Sunday, April 3, 2011
WE- Journal 1, Topic C
Again, something's not right here. Again, I've been talking to you, my unknown reader, as though ... well, let's say, as though you were my old comrade R-13, the poet with African lips, a person everyone knows. Meanwhile, you -- on the moon, on Venus, on Mars, on Mercury-- who knows you?
Here's the thing: imagine a quadrilateral-- a living, beautiful square. And this quadrilateral is asked to describe itself, its existence. But you see, the last thing that would occur to the quadrilateral mind would be to mention its four equal angles: it just doesn't see them--They're just a given, every day. Well, that's me, permanently in that same sort of quadrilateral predicament. Whether it's the business of the pink ticket or something similar: to me, it's all the equivalent of four angles, but for you, it may be more vividly evident than Newton's binomial theorem. (page 20)
I find this passage interesting because it helps to reveal deeper ideas within society than first may be assumed. When reading WE there is a strong sense of the conflict between individual and society and how the two interact. D-503 routinely states that everyone thinks and acts alike but the opposite is shown in his descriptions of other Ciphers. Each person he knows has specific attributes, many relating to their Cipher letter, and there is a distinct focus on the same features, (the mouth, for example) in which everyone is described differently. O has a round, pink mouth, R has African lips and I has white teeth. By differentiating between individuals Zamyatin may be suggesting that Individuality is not the main problem with their society. In this passage D-503 then goes on to describe how he cannot describe the society in which he lives precisely because he lives there, the connotations and experience prevent him from objectively explaining things. Because of this it may be possible that Zamyatin is speaking the impossibility of objectively judging society from within a showing an exaggerated case where no can see the problems all around them. I can definitely believe and relate to this, in America, where I have grown up I have trouble recognizing fundamental issues with the way things are designed or run, things have always been that way so I don't even see an alternative, it is as if the problem does not exist.
Here's the thing: imagine a quadrilateral-- a living, beautiful square. And this quadrilateral is asked to describe itself, its existence. But you see, the last thing that would occur to the quadrilateral mind would be to mention its four equal angles: it just doesn't see them--They're just a given, every day. Well, that's me, permanently in that same sort of quadrilateral predicament. Whether it's the business of the pink ticket or something similar: to me, it's all the equivalent of four angles, but for you, it may be more vividly evident than Newton's binomial theorem. (page 20)
I find this passage interesting because it helps to reveal deeper ideas within society than first may be assumed. When reading WE there is a strong sense of the conflict between individual and society and how the two interact. D-503 routinely states that everyone thinks and acts alike but the opposite is shown in his descriptions of other Ciphers. Each person he knows has specific attributes, many relating to their Cipher letter, and there is a distinct focus on the same features, (the mouth, for example) in which everyone is described differently. O has a round, pink mouth, R has African lips and I has white teeth. By differentiating between individuals Zamyatin may be suggesting that Individuality is not the main problem with their society. In this passage D-503 then goes on to describe how he cannot describe the society in which he lives precisely because he lives there, the connotations and experience prevent him from objectively explaining things. Because of this it may be possible that Zamyatin is speaking the impossibility of objectively judging society from within a showing an exaggerated case where no can see the problems all around them. I can definitely believe and relate to this, in America, where I have grown up I have trouble recognizing fundamental issues with the way things are designed or run, things have always been that way so I don't even see an alternative, it is as if the problem does not exist.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)