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.