Reflection on Zamyatin's We (record two)

Although we have been introduced into a strictly mathematical culture of One State, in record two, D-503 writes very poetically “sweet dust parches on your lips”. Here we are exposed to the internal conflict emerging in D-503. He sees the beauty of the world outside the green wall and unconsciously starts to admire it. However his faithful dedication to the One State soon kicks in to remind him that “this somewhat interferes with logical reasoning.” This makes it evident that this attraction to nature, to spring is a part of being human. Another example of human nature is how when D-503 writes, he naturally says “I love” then corrects himself and says “we love” It becomes instinctively clear that it is natural that when we personal thoughts we use “I” and “my”. The Benefactor has dehumanized all the ciphers by forcefully robbing them of their individuality and freedom. This links to the nature verses nurture debate and proves that when forced into unnatural conditions, the nature of human behaviour will always rebel. This is a highly significant concept that will be the basis of the events throughout this book.