Dystopian Journal #3: WE, Topic C

The author’s primary concern with society was the issue involving lack of civil liberty. Zamyatin was concerned about a balance scale that is created naturally in modern day societies, this balance scale is between civil liberties and overall security. In the novel, Zamyatin offers this dystopian society which is “Over secure” as a result from the 200 years war. It is over secure to the point that civil liberties (such as privacy) are given up. Through the novel, Zamyatin hopes to convey the message that civil liberty and overall security must be balanced. This vision is powerful and believable when considering the fact that all societies give up many civil liberties during time periods of mass paranoia or post-war, which is only natural since people become frightened of radical behaviors. In turn, civil liberties must be given up to keep the people feel secure. This principle can be applied to periods in history such as the cold war. Fear of communism lead the American people to denounce all communists or disallow their right to free speech. Zamyatin is trying to illuminate what could happen if fear got to a high point and restricted civil liberties on an extreme level. Yevgney Zamyatin hopes that balance is something that may be achieved not only in war time, but in peace time so that today’s societies never reach the point of abandoning civil liberties or leaving societies unsecure.

Word count: 241 words

Propiganda poster!!!!

http://daddytypes.com/archive/chinese_space_poster_srl.jpg

The propiganda is targeting the chinese people. it is effective because it shows a happy child going into space in the push toward industrialization and capitalism. it also shows cultural animals that represent happyness, which adds to convincing the chinese people that capitalism(specifically in space)is good, happy and pure. because of the happy nature and passive child and animals, the poster dose not indicate overbearing control on the people. because of the bright colors and the well depicted images, it will most likely stay in peoples minds.

Dystopian journal #2: WE- Topic

"All that night i was tormented by wings. i walked about shielding my head with my hands from the wings. and then, there was the chair. not one of ours, not a modern glass chair, but an ancient wooden one. it moved like a horse-front right foot, rear left, front left, rear right. it ran up to my bed, climbed into it, and i made love to the wooden chair. it was uncomforatable and painful. Amazing: acn't anyone invent a remedy for this dream-sickness? or else turn it into something rational, or even useful?" (Zamyatin 124)

The society in which D-503 lives is a society in which it is not normal to have dreams, or a soul for that matter. Therefore, the lack of dreams is a societal influence that has made its mark on D-503 since he feels that dreaming is not normal. By accomplishing this, the society has rid its people or “irrational” thought, which is how D-503 describes it. This loss of imagination makes it less likely that the people of the society will think there is another way to live, and will not push for reform or rebel. This proves that the society is against dreaming. This also displays the governments primary interests, which include making sure that the people have as little imagination as possible. The society has also taught its people that the ancient ways are bad, as displayed by D-503’s reaction to the wooden chair. Society has taught him that this ancient world is bad and is to be discouraged, seeing as how it was “Painful”. This is in the best intrest of the society. Since disregarding, the ancient society would most likely lead to chaos since the people would be able to reflect on the old ways for a future different from theirs.
Word count: 205

WE MOTIF

through out the novel Zamayatin uses Teeth as a motif to express mainly primitiveness, particullarly unique to I-330. Zamayatin tends to describe I-330's teeth whenever she is doing something either divious, "ancient" or dangerous. I-330 describes the ancient house, "'This is my favorite...' and suddenly she seemed to catch herself. A bite-smile, white sharp teeth. 'I mean, to be exact, the most absurd of all their 'apartments''' (Zamyatin 27). by favoring this ancient house for whatever reason, I-330 sets herself apart from her society in which favoring an old house is considered silly since it is ancient. Teeth is typically associated with primitiveness in todays society, since man is said to have evolved beyond the need for large sharp teeth. by using teeth Zamayatin give I-330 a primitive attribute which is used in this particular quote to be relitive to her favoring of the ancient house.

WE. MOTIF.

Dystopian Journal #1: WE, Topic B

I-330 is a character in Yevgeny Zamyatin’s novel WE who is locked in a personal struggle against her society. I-330 is victimized by her society in that her interests, beliefs and personality especially conflicts with what her society expects of her. I-330 is noticeably different in her personality, and it is noticed by others. She is also caught in self-conflict because of this external conflict. She is constantly criticizing the ancient society when she actually embraces there ideals and habits( ie. Drinking and smoking). This not only displays self conviction, but an act of open rebellion against what her society expects of its people. She attracts D-503 because she does these forbidden things, while the blinds are closed and nobody can see. Smoking, drinking and even tempting D-503 with writing a note to excuse him from work are all things that this society forbids, because each of these things is for personal benefit only and has contribution to the community. Just as today’s teens rebel because they seek attention, I-330 seeks attention from D-503. In a sense, her open rebellion against her society was successful since it was able to gain attention from D-503. She even gave him the burden of love, dreams and the worst known condition of the society, a soul. In response to this, she simply laughs. As if she is unconcerned about societal norms, and what she knows she has accomplished by showing D-303 the forbidden ancient world of sin and self-gain.

Word count- 247

mostly brand new thesis

Camus expresses the idea that abstract things in life, such as religion, emotion, and worry, are not needed through Meursaults lack of expression to Marie, Meursaults lash against religion, in speech and life style, and Meursaults lay back attitude concerning his schedule and lack of dwelling upon his mothers death.

Revised Thesis

Camus "the Stranger" can be seen as a representation of how people only gain the ability to express emotion when judged by society when considering Meursaults inability to express emotion when it is normally appropriate, Meursaults sudden emotional floods felt at the end after realizing he has been convicted, and Meursaults notion that all interacions with people are equal on emotional levels.

Jornal entry # 17

Meursault comes to the conclusion that life is something that can be appreciated only upon reflection, that all lives are equal in death, and that death is an inevitable thing that cannot be avoided so there is no use in dwelling upon it weather death comes soon or later. also that all lives are equal in general, and the ways we change each other should be accepted by the person and not forced.
Camus wants everybody to come to different conclusions or else he wouldn't have made such a controversial character, in such a controversial situation. some people will assume that whatever conclusions made by Meursault must be negative all the time, while others may assume that his last thoughts are of positive meaning.
Meursault is happier at the end of the novel. he is able to realize that people love and care for him and that he is able to love and miss others for non-physical purposes. he is also able to appreciate the world around him. although, making himself open to emotion also makes him more vulnerable, and more prone to being hurt or dissatisfied. staying neutral all the time allows a person to not feel downs as bad, and it makes them incapable up feeling ups.

Thesis for "The Stranger"

Camuses "The Stranger" expresses the notion that emotion can only be felt when judged by others are judged when considering Meursaults notice of how people must have thought about his lack of emotion, the scene in which Meursault enters the courtroom and emotion is generated from everybody giving him attention, and Meursaults respose to other pepole directly judging him( about his lack of faith and his mother)

jornal entry # 16

The primary reason for Camus to create two parts to "The Stranger" is to display a change in outlook and emotion that is experienced by Meursault. In the beginning portion of the book it can be easily noted that he has a lack of emotion and caring about anything existing outside the physical realm, yet in the second part, having all of what he took for granted taken away form him, having experienced a relationship and having actually cared for his dead mother creates a contrast. Camus compairs several situations which have been experienced by Meursault in his old and new outlooks and emotional capabilities. An example would be how in the beginning of the book, when attending his mothers funeral, everybody stares at him and they all somewhat judge him in the way he left his mom in a home. he experiences a general lack of care for this. during his time in court, he enters a court room in which everybody stares and judges him in similar ways, and he is heavily effected emotionally by this judgement. this suggests emotional growth within Meursault.