The loss of self - links with We

The idea of a loss of self is significant in the novel We. Inside the One State, there is no ‘I,’ only ‘We.’ This simply suggests that the collective overpowers the individual, that together they have rights, but individually, they have duties to fulfil. At the exact same hour, they ‘uni-millionly start to work and uni-millionly stop work.’ The emphasis on the word ‘uni-millionly’ through repetition portrays the One State as an extreme totalitarian state. Initially, D-503, the protagonist has been brain washed to such an extent that he believe only in the One State. He does not question his placing amongst the mass group of ciphers; he simply obeys the laws of the One State. D-503 does not understand how life can possibly be different from the mechanically perfect world within the One State without the people working together ‘like the levers of one enormous machine.’ The people of the One State is like to a machine, this shows that they have been mechanised and mathematicised, there is no allowance for individuality and freedom of thought. However this changes after the encounter of I-330 by D-503. He gradually awakens to his inner self and like Tereza, he struggles as he tries to finds his soul.

The concept of a concentration camp is once again found in this novel. The ciphers walk in groups of fours, follow their predetermined tasks according to the Table of Hours, attend ‘prescribed courses’ on arts and music to engage them in the philosophy of the One State. A concentration camp is mostly associated with dictatorship. In this novel, this deems to be true. The Benefactor act as a God-like figure in the One State who seems to transcend above everyone else, the Guardians – a small group of highly regarded people also possess power above all ciphers. The ciphers are alike, internally and externally. They have to wear ‘unifs,’ otherwise called as ‘a whole lie of clothing’ by D-503 later in the novel is devised by the One State to disguise the differences that exist in the bodies of all ciphers, to ensure that all bodies are same (linkage to Tereza, all women are copies). By doing this, the government is able to reduce the chances of them questioning the One State. 

Surveillance is an important feature in the One State in enabling the government to closely monitor and therefore control its people. The ‘same, shatterproof, everlasting glass’ in the One State act as a method that demeans the ciphers of the rights to have privacy, it is a metaphor used to convey the continuous surveillance of the government into the people’s lives. Letters also must go through a process of being checked and monitored before reaching the recipient. There are street diaphragms that record conversations of the ciphers on the sidewalk. The Guardians act as Secret Police, closely working with the Benefactor to maintain the naivety of the population and to make sure they work within the boundaries set by the Benefactor in the One State.