Dystopian Journal-topic C- We

In the novel We by Yevgeny Zamyatin, D-503 is a character who begins to clash with society after a lifetime of conforming to and admiration of the oppressive regime of the One State. Formerly a perfectly functioning cog in the mathematically run society, our protagonist soon finds himself at odds with society, and to a degree, working towards its downfall. D-503 aids the resistence by establishing contact with the Mephi through I-330. Belonging to a resistance group, D-503 uses his knowledge about the planned flight of the Integral to aid the Mephi in preventing its launch. While D-503 had the best of intentions, his actions were ultimately futile, as he and the other resisters were stopped by the Guardians, and the flight of the Integral was undeterred. Finally, for his part in the resistance, D-503 is not punished specifically, but as a consequence of the rebellion all citizens (D-503 included) are subject to the Great Operation. Thus D-503 is indirectly punished for his role in the rebellion by having his imagination obliterated.

Rough draft for dystopian group

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Zamyatin uses the symbol of the Great Operation to show how, in the most extreme manner, the civil liberties of citizens can be eliminated for the sake of happiness and security. When D-503 is speaking to a patient; “Absolute happiness should, of course, carry a minus sign- the divine minus” (Zamyatin 184). The patient uses a euphemism, in the creole of the One State that could be taken to mean that absolute happiness and personal freedom are mutually exclusive. The minus sign in this euphemism represents the lack of personal liberty (more specifically imagination). Absolute happiness is the desired state which all individuals should strive to achieve. Thus in order to achieve the desirable state of happiness, individuals within a society must surrender personal liberty. Zamyatin reuses the symbol of the Great Operation later in the book. After the failed attempt to seize the integral; “[…] everyone was to report for the operation” (Zamyatin 206). The quote uses the word “everyone” in order to emphasize the fact that no citizen can choose to escape the Great Operation. The passage also uses very forceful verb choice, ”was to,” in order to emphasize the fact that citizens cannot decide to not have the surgery performed; they have lost that right. In conjunction, this shows that citizens have completely surrendered all personal liberties to the state for the sake of happiness and internal security, thus dangerously upsetting the balance between liberty and security.

Propaganda!

• From: http://fashionforwardpr.files.wordpress.com/2008/04/destroy_this_mad_brute_wwi_propaganda_poster_us_version.jpg
  
• The target audience is probably you men of fighting age
• It is very effective, because it evokes a sense of terror, as well as it appeals to the manhood of the target audience (through the image of the woman in distress)
• I think it is fairly overfbearing as is, because it depicts a german soldier as being less than human
• The audience probably wont feel manipulated, because the intent of the poster is to evoke emotion, not to inspire fear
• The tone was appropriate for society at this time, because it depended on a strong notion of manhood, and showed the enemy as sub-human
• I think the slogan will stay in the mind, because it solicits a very angry emotional response, and is very xenophobic in its depiction of germans

We- Journal 2- Topic C

In the novel We, author Yevgeny Zamyatin criticizes the vesting of too much power in government. This was likely an influence of the rise of totalitarian regimes in the early 20th century, namely the soviet union, who seized power from citizens at an alarming rate, and by force of arms and propaganda, dictating most aspects of life and dehumanizing civilians. The society in We is merely a very exaggerated totalitarian regime, whose power and influence are extended to new levels by use of technology. From its glass apartment, to mandatory auditorium sessions, the government in We has trampled on individual rights, such as privacy, and freedom to dissent. While the vision given by Zamyatin appears quite over the top, it nonetheless evokes a strong response from the reader, and shows what could happen if any central authority is given too much power over the individual. Thankfully however, Zamyatin provides some hope- hope placed in the spirit of the individual. The individuals must rise up and seize their rights in society, rather than meekly stand by and be ravished, and the hope for improvement rests entirely on the individual (as is exemplified by the protagonist D-503, and I-330, both of whom are individual citizens rebelling against society as a whole). Thus such oppression can be prevented, but only if the individual stands up for his rights.

We Journal 1, Topic A

Passage: “ The brisk crystal ball bent over my head: seven o’clock, time to get up. On the right and the left, through the glass walls, I see myself, my room, my clothes, my movements- repeated a thousand times over. This is bracing: you feel yourself a part of a great, powerful, single entity.”
Here our protagonist, D- 503, takes the time to reflect on his society while rising from bed, and in doing so gives us a most interesting look into that same society. Of the utmost importance is the fact that all citizens arise at exactly 7:00 AM, demonstrating the remarkable unity of this society, its strong emphasis on the community as a whole, and its hostility towards the individual. We most certainly shows a society which values conformity. Also it stands to notice that all citizens lack any privacy, as they live in glass apartment buildings- yet another factor contributing to this society’s obsession with conformity and unity. All individuals are exposed to their fellow citizens at all times. Also as the author describes the “single entity,” a feeling of the superiority of the group (as opposed to the individual) arises. Also the use of seven o’clock is significant, because it is a reference to the Table (the chart which decides the actions of every citizen at any given time) and the arithmetic laws which govern society and individuals seem to prize. This passage is useful in representing this section of the book, because it gives the reader a glimpse into the society experienced by D- 503, and proves to be a symbol of what D- 503 will eventually rebel against.

Stranger journal number 8

The conclusion that Camus is trying to come to is that life is without any true meaning, and that the emotions most people attach to life can only cause them pain- so once freed of their emotional attachment, need to explain the unexplainable, and need to attribute meaning to the meaningless, people are better able to live a happy life. I also happen to think that Camus desires that the reader reach that very same conclusion, as he causes Meursault to become totally content with the greatest fear of most people- death, and that this fear is alleviated through the logic used by Meursault, makes that all the more appealing. This leads to anouther conclusion of mine- that is, that Meursault is actually much happier at the end of the novel, because he has experienced trials of his own outlook, and still maintained his philosophy- testament to his own emotional security.

Stranger journal 7

Camus, I believe, sought to divide the book into two to expose different parts of Meursault. Part 1 exposes the reader to Meursault's interaction with others, builds expectations for future actions, and provokes moral outrage. Part 2 on the other hand gives the reader more of an insight into the mind of Meursault, and makes him appear slightly more human. Also it appears that in part 1, Meusault differs in that he has greater freedom of action, where as in part 2 Meursault is imprisoned, and with such pressure imposed upon him, his actions restrained. Camus uses these differences to manipulate the reader and evoke mixed emotions.