Author: Yevgeny Zamyatin The precursor to novels such as George Orwells 1984 and Aldous Huxleys Brave New World, Yevgeny Zamyatins We is a dystopian novel centred around One State, a metropolis made almost entirely out of glass, regulated by a clandestine organisation of secret police overseen by The Benefactor, a mysterious overseer and seemingly superhuman authority figure in charge of all aspects of his citizens lives. Though D-503 (the protagonist) is described as joyfully acquiescent, willingly submitting to the authority of The Benefactor, his relationship with fellow citizen, and love interest, I-330 eventually leads him down a path of ideological insubordination and rebellion, somewhat mirroring the journey of protagonist Winston Smith from 1984. In fact, the similarities between We and 1984 dont end there: D-503 is also eventually tortured for information by One State, much like how Winston is brutalised in Room 101; the citizens of One State are perpetually monitored and scrutinized by the authorities, like the citizens of the analogously named Airstrip One; the protagonists articulate their internal conflicts and uncertainties through secret journals (journals that eventually incriminate them); and in both novels, characters are brainwashed to adhere to the party line. Despite being written almost thirty years prior to 1984, Zamyatins We isnt anywhere near as renowned, which is a crying shame. In my opinion, it does nearly everything better, including represent the realities of political indoctrination, mass subjugation and censorship, as well as the importance of individualism, language and artistic freedom.
