"We"

 "We" by Yevgeny Zamyatin was one of the most frustrating reads I have ever endured. The concept of math being the foundation for all things was difficult for me to grasp, as I am not very mathematically inclined, and the trailing off of sentences mid-thought as well as the rapid switching of subjects made me want to bang my head against a wall. Although the use of trailing and switching was affective in making a point of D-503's own confusion and frustration with his changing thoughts on his society and of I-330, I found it near impossible to keep up. Yet the concept of a math-driven society can make much sense, as it would be very organized and neat, I was also upset with D-503's attempts to scientifically map out his emotions, and with OneState's use of math to create art and music. Art, music, and emotion are all far more complicated than mathematics could ever be, and far more spontaneous. Thus, the thought processes of the society was generally infuriating to me. Though I must say the author had many interesting single thoughts scattered throughout the novel that were much more enjoyable when taken out of context. One, for example, being the quote "There is no final one; revolutions are infinite." In relation to the novel, this is referring to the thoughts of rebellion and of past times lodged into D-503's brain by the thrilling I-330. As OneState is a society where all people are stripped of freedom and individuality, this quote seems to be the epitome of rebellion to exist in that society, as none are expected to have one's own thoughts. This quote is also very true for any society, past and present, when referring to either a revolution as large as the American Revolution, leading to an entirely new country, or the smaller Occupy Wall Street protests occurring today in an attempt for middle-class rights. Zamyatin slipped many universal ideas into a novel in which the society is focused only on itself.