Record five

Rereading the novel We by Zamyatin, I have noticed many things that I missed out in my first reading.

Record five is a chapter with rich details. At the beginning of the record, the One State is likened to 'a quadrilateral', to the ciphers, it is 'a living and beautiful square.' Quadrilaterals vary from regular to irregular, here, Zamyatin uses the most special case - a square to convey the equality within the One State. A square has equal sides, this illustrates the confinement of the ciphers within the One State. Additionally, the citizens are likened to 'four equal angles', this is used to emphasis the uniformity of the One State. It is important to note that in a square, all angles are at a right angle; even here, rationality is shown, the One State revolves around logic and perfection. However this concept of equality is 'just a given, every day,' that all the ciphers are 'permanently in that same sort of quadrilateral predicament.' Here, limitation of knowledge and the boundaries determined by the One State's government have resulted in the citizens being extremely satisfied with their 'utopian' society where everything is built on the fundamental 'equivalent of four angles.'

'Bliss and envy' are supposedly the two items that make up 'the fraction known as happiness.' To achieve total happiness, enviousness must be completely eliminated so that the fraction can be 'transformed into a glorious infinity.' Enviousness is a primate human nature, it has 'remained' after the Two-Hundred-Year-War despite the One State's attempts to create equal beings. This is result of the subtle differences that are inevitable in society, 'noses are still "button" noses and "classical noses', 'some has achieved the love of many [while others] achieved the love of none.' However, being a totalitarian society, after eradicating the problem of hunger, the One State conquered the 'masters of the world - against love' in order for the state to be logical and fully 'mathematicised.' Love is an intimate subject, by the government's exertion of control over this, totalitarianism is pushed to the extreme.

• 'four-pawed X, inside me' - Already, I-330 has created an influence on D-503, though at this stage he does not realise this. This serve as a 'forewarning' of 'future catastrophes' and rebellion.
• '...beyond the bounds of my preselected keywords for this record. But then I decided: I won't cross out anything.' - Subconsciously, D-503 begins to challenge the laws of the One State, he goes beyond the boundaries that the One State's government has imposed on its people.