We (novel)
Dystopian novel by Yevgeny Zamyatin, written 1920–1921.
We is a dystopian novel by Russian author Yevgeny Zamyatin, written between 1920 and 1921. The English translation by Gregory Zilboorg came out first, published in New York by E. P. Dutton in 1924. The original Russian text wasn’t released until 1952, and the novel didn’t appear in Soviet Russia until 1988. The story takes place in a totalitarian state where harmony and conformity are enforced, and the main character, D-503, eventually rebels. The book is regarded as a literary masterpiece and one of the most significant and influential works of the 20th century, helping to shape dystopian fiction as a genre. While some have speculated that Aldous Huxley’s *Brave New World* was influenced by *We*, Huxley himself denied direct influence, and George Orwell did not claim this. Orwell’s *Nineteen Eighty-Four* (1949) was influenced by Zamyatin’s novel, but *Animal Farm* was written before Orwell read *We* and was not inspired by it. Many later dystopian works also owe a debt to Zamyatin’s vision.
The story is set far in the future. D-503, a spacecraft engineer, lives in the One State, a city built almost entirely of glass—likely to aid mass surveillance. The state’s structure resembles a Panopticon, and daily life follows Frederick Winslow Taylor’s principles of scientific management. Society is controlled by a central authority called the Benefactor, and everyone follows a strict timetable, marching in unison and wearing uniforms. People are referred to only by assigned designations, called “numbers.” The One State uses mathematical logic and reason to schedule everything and justify its actions, with individual behavior governed by formulas and equations.
Several hundred years after the One State conquered the world, the spaceship INTEGRAL is being built to invade other planets. D-503, its chief engineer, starts a journal meant to be carried on the completed ship. The novel itself is this journal, with chapters titled “[n]th Entry” and each entry beginning with three lines summarizing the events. Like all citizens, D-503 lives in a glass apartment and is constantly watched by the secret police, the Bureau of Guardians. His lover, O-90, visits him on assigned nights. She is considered too short to bear children and is deeply upset by this. O-90’s other lover and D-503’s best friend is R-13, a State poet who reads his work at public executions.
Quick Facts
- Translator
- Various (list)
- Author
- Yevgeny Zamyatin
- Cover Artist
- George Petrusov, Caricature of Aleksander Rodchenko (1933–1934)
- Country
- Soviet Russia / United States
- Language
- Russian
- Genre
- Dystopian novel, science fiction
- Publisher
- E. P. Dutton
- English Release Date
- 1924
- Media Type
- Print (hardback & paperback)
- Pages
- 226 pages / 62,579 words
- Isbn
- 0-14-018585-2
- Dewey
- 891.73/42 20
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
We is set in the far future, where the protagonist D-503, a spacecraft engineer, lives in the One State, an urban nation constructed almost entirely of glass to assist mass surveillance. Society is run by the Benefactor according to a strict timetable based on Frederick Winslow Taylor's principles of scientific management. Citizens are referred to only by designations called 'numbers,' and individual behavior is governed by mathematical logic and equations. The plot follows D-503 as he begins a journal intended for the spaceship INTEGRAL, which is being built to conquer extraterrestrial planets. He becomes involved with I-330, a woman who smokes, drinks alcohol, and flirts illegally, and who reveals herself to be part of the Mephi, an organization plotting to bring down the One State. D-503 eventually undergoes the 'Great Operation,' a psycho-surgical procedure that removes imagination and emotions, after which he informs on the Mephi. The novel ends with the One State's survival in doubt as the Mephi uprising gathers strength.
Reader's Guide
We is a foundational work of dystopian literature, influencing later novels such as Aldous Huxley's Brave New World and George Orwell's Nineteen Eighty-Four and Animal Farm. Orwell stated that Brave New World must be partly derived from We, though Huxley denied this. The novel critiques totalitarianism, the suppression of individuality, and the application of scientific management to social control. Its themes include the conflict between reason and emotion, the nature of revolution, and the dangers of a society built on mathematical logic. The work uses mathematical concepts symbolically, such as the square root of −1 representing imagination, and alludes to the Bible, Mephistopheles, and Zamyatin's own experiences (e.g., cell number 112 appears as 'Auditorium 112'). The novel's influence extends to many contemporary dystopian novels, cementing its place as a key text in the genre.
Did You Know?
- The novel was first published in English translation in 1924, but the original Russian text did not appear until 1952.
- The protagonist D-503 is a spacecraft engineer living in the One State, a glass city designed for mass surveillance.
- The 'Great Operation' removes imagination and emotions by targeting parts of the brain with X-rays.
- The numbers of the chief characters are taken from the specifications of Zamyatin's favorite icebreaker, the Saint Alexander Nevsky.
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