We

D-503 battles an intense internal struggle throughout Yevgeny Zamyatin’s We. He is comfortable in his job as the builder of the Integral, and he enjoys following his daily schedule; they are comforts for D-503. D-503 is bombarded with a problem when he discovers that he has a soul as a result of his infatuation with I-330. He is not supposed to feel emotions like he is feeling because everything is supposed to be precisely calculated according to formula.
The emotions of D-503 are further complicated when I-330 wants to skip some of there scheduled meetings, and O-90 wants to have a child with him. D-503 fights his emotions internally. Does he want to be with O-90 or I-330? Is he comfortable with his current lifestyle, or is his curiosity about life beyond the wall too much to suppress?

Zamyatin illustrates this battle through the numerous ellipses he inserts into D-503’s thoughts. They interrupt his thought process, and illustrate confusion. Following an ellipsis, D-503 switches to another topic; showing that he has many ideas running through his mind at the same time. Zamyatin also uses colors in different descriptions that contribute to different emotions. For instance, the ruins of the finger, outside the wall, upon the return of the integral, are yellow. Yellow indicates caution; just as D-503 was cautious of I-330, the leader of the people outside the wall. Another example is the white gloves of the doctor examining the Jacobs. White is clean and simple; just as OneState has always been simple and comfortable for D-503. The clear skies over OneState become cloudy as if a storm is about to come just before the lift of the Integral; depicting the climax of D-503’s confusion.

It all would be simple if D-503 had not discovered that he possessed a soul. He would have been able to maintain his robotic, monotonous lifestyle, and he would have been happy because he would have been within his comfort zone. However, D-503 does seem happy, despite his internal struggle, that he discovered his soul because of his intrigue with the wild world beyond the green wall. If he was truly, completely happy with his life in OneState, he probably would not have become so infatuated with I-330.



A passage that I particularly enjoyed from We is when the Benefactor speaks to D-503. The Benefactor states:
I ask this question: What is it that people beg for, dream about, torment themselves for, from the time they leave swaddling clothes? They want someone to tell them, once and for all, what happiness is- and then to bind them to that happiness with a chain. What is it we’re doing right now, if not that? … Remember: In paradise they’ve lost all knowledge of desires, pity, love- they are the blessed, with their imaginations surgically removed (207).

I found this passage interesting because happiness is probably the number one thing the majority of people would wish for someone to give them; especially since it can be difficult to decide what makes you happy. It is interesting how the Benefactor thinks that he is giving people happiness because they do not have knowledge of desires or pity, and they do not have imaginations. The people can not think of anything that would make them unhappy, but they also are unable to think of wonderful things in their life. It would be nice is someone could tell you what will make you happy, but only you can tell yourself that because you know yourself better than anyone. This quote is just really interesting because it tells you that the Benefactor had good intentions in the creation of OneState, which you would not assume from the mechanical aspects of the society.




I enjoyed We because it was interesting to look at the story through D -503’s stream of consciousness. The stream of consciousness was annoying at times because D-503’s thoughts become interrupted; however those interruptions showed his internal struggle. I just thought it was really interesting to look at the story in the way that D-503 was thinking it rather than from the point of view of an omniscient narrator or a more typical first person point of view that is explaining past events. It was just easier to connect to D-503’s character when I was sorting out his conflicts with him; rather than listening to recollections of the past. I felt as though I was involved and could help D-503 solve his problems because I was sorting them out as they were presented in his mind.