In the society of OneState, D-503 lived in accordance to rules. Obey the bells; insomnia is breaking the law; use pink tickets to engage in sexual behavior! These are the basic rules that govern any successful society working towards creating uniform, happy, slightly robotic Numbers. All actions are dictated under rule of the Benefactor. A newspaper article proclaims about the progress of the INTEGRAL, ending with: “Long live OneState! Long live the Numbers! Long live the Benefactor!” This statement is not a mere suggestion. It is understood by the citizens of OneState that this is law. There is a widespread belief in praising OneState. It is the best society in all the world, after all.
Now I have something that I need you to do. Close your eyes and sit back in your chair. Create a landscape: the sky is cobalt blue and expansive, threatening to swallow you when you're not looking. There is a figure who walks carelessly at the edge of the woods, humming an unheard tune. She glances up for a moment, laughing at the game the sun plays with the clouds.
Did any images come to mind? Did you hear a tune in your head? Most people would say that
something came to mind. Why is this? There must be a logical explanation and, luckily for you, there is. You have an imagination.
The imagination is not looked down upon in our society. It is recognized as a natural component of the mind. It often leads to creativity or unheard of ideas. Fresh outlooks and possibilities are often derivative of the imagination. In We this was not embraced. It was a concern if one began to think differently. One should fear a society that condemns the imagination. The people within such societies are not individuals. Each person is part of a collective group. One's personal opinion is not of value.
In the beginning, D-503 shows his devotion to OneState, writing, "The line of OneState is a straight line. The great, divine, precise, wise straight line-- the wisest of all lines..."(4). The diction shows his incapability to be imaginative. His thoughts are the words that have been driven into his brain repetitively. The words chosen are plain and present an organized structure. The straight line is comparable to his thoughts. If D-503 had an imagination, his thoughts would be capable of jumping more freely from one idea to another. He is a fool to believe that straight is beautiful. The word "beautiful" is not even used because D-503 does not comprehend it's meaning. The words used to describe OneState are short and do not express much emotion, which show that these words are not his own.
One must realize the importance of an imagination. The lack of imagination prevents people from questioning. People will not question a society if they are incapable of thinking on their own. It is not healthy to live entirely under the direction of another. One must generate his/her own thoughts. Risks must be taken and choices must be made. Without this freedom, one loses the ability to live fully. Life becomes a disease in itself. An imagination is the antidote.
Did any images come to mind? Did you hear a tune in your head? Most people would say that
something came to mind. Why is this? There must be a logical explanation and, luckily for you, there is. You have an imagination.
The imagination is not looked down upon in our society. It is recognized as a natural component of the mind. It often leads to creativity or unheard of ideas. Fresh outlooks and possibilities are often derivative of the imagination. In We this was not embraced. It was a concern if one began to think differently. One should fear a society that condemns the imagination. The people within such societies are not individuals. Each person is part of a collective group. One's personal opinion is not of value.
In the beginning, D-503 shows his devotion to OneState, writing, "The line of OneState is a straight line. The great, divine, precise, wise straight line-- the wisest of all lines..."(4). The diction shows his incapability to be imaginative. His thoughts are the words that have been driven into his brain repetitively. The words chosen are plain and present an organized structure. The straight line is comparable to his thoughts. If D-503 had an imagination, his thoughts would be capable of jumping more freely from one idea to another. He is a fool to believe that straight is beautiful. The word "beautiful" is not even used because D-503 does not comprehend it's meaning. The words used to describe OneState are short and do not express much emotion, which show that these words are not his own.
One must realize the importance of an imagination. The lack of imagination prevents people from questioning. People will not question a society if they are incapable of thinking on their own. It is not healthy to live entirely under the direction of another. One must generate his/her own thoughts. Risks must be taken and choices must be made. Without this freedom, one loses the ability to live fully. Life becomes a disease in itself. An imagination is the antidote.
2 comments:
You made some very good points about imagination, especially since there isn't any in We. The diction in the book, as you pointed out, perfectly demonstrates that D-503 has no imagination. The words fall flat and the syntax is choppy. I feel as though the comparrison you made between our society and the society in the book was important to bring up. We have a world full of imagination now. But if we're not careful, we are capable of destroying this freedom to dream.
Excellent analysis. You have a very creative style, which is ironic considering the subject matter. In the future, inject your personal thoughts on the work a bit more in the reflections.
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