Summary Of 'We' By Yevgeny Zamyatin

Often times in literature, two opposites are used together in order to make a comparison and emphasize a point. In We, the author, Yevgeny Zamyatin does this by using opposites such as freedom and criminality to discuss OneState’s control over the city. While the main character D-503 is talking to a member of the Guardians, he begins thinking about the crimes that I-330 has committed and contemplates turning her in. In his journal, D-503 writes, “freedom and criminality are..indissolubly linked…When a man’s freedom is reduced to zero, he commits no crimes” (Zamyatin 36). OneState, the totalitarian regime that rules over the city has one main goal and that is to maintain absolute power over its people. They take all action necessary to

accomplish this goal and this includes taking away basic rights from their citizens, such as the ability to think and act freely. By taking away these freedoms, many of OneState’s people do not know any better but to blindly follow the government. As a result of this, their citizens are unable to commit any crimes against the government. This connection between the removal of freedom and the minimal amount of crime allows OneState to stay in power. Before further explaining freedom and criminality in this passage, D-503 relates the subject to what he knows best, science and math. He says “as…well, as the movement of an aero and its velocity. When the velocity of an aero is reduced to 0, it is not in motion” (36). The simplicity of this statement is what makes it so effective. The fact that OneState and the Benefactor’s control can be characterized by such an obvious statement, that something with no velocity is not moving, shows how easy it is for the government to keep control over its people. This governmental control, through disallowing people to have freedom, ensures that no successful rebellion can occur and that OneState can remain in authority.