Naudia
05-24-2005, 06:07 PM
It's strikingly strange that not once above We, by Zamyatin is mentioned... Even though it was the book that inspired Orwell's 1984. It's amazing how 1984 gets so much attention, whereas We isn't known as well, even though Zamyatin was one of the greatest Russian writers of the time. I've had the privelage of reading both, because I'm taking the IB diploma and A1 English is one of my courses... It seems to me that We had a much larger impact on the class in general, partially because the character D-503 changed so much throughout the course of the story. The Benefactor's distopia was so severe and mathematically correct that they REMOVED the part of the brain that held imagination, tying everybody to the "benificient yoke of happiness" whether they wanted it or not. What a contradiction that is. The plot of the two stories is extremely similar and point out that regardless of what, revolution never goes through. (Even though didn't O'Brien and the others in the Inner Party put the revolutionary thoughts into Winston's head just because they had the power to?) I admit the ending was rather abrupt as Winston goes back to thinking the thoughts of the Party (remember the 2+2=5?)... But what were you people expecting? A happy ending full of flowers and rainbows? Get real.