Zamyatin on English

In Zamyatin’s “On Language” he states that there is no difference between poetry and literary pose. Rather, he puts literary works into two categories: lyrical and epic. He states that the main difference between the two is the location it is set in. A lyrical work is set on our own planet while an epical work is a journey through interplanetary space. Although the novel We takes place on Earth, I would classify it as an epic because we cannot directly relate to the events that transpire. Furthermore, Zamyatin says that an epic writer is an actor. In a nutshell I believe he is saying it is important to put oneself into his or her own protagonist and be able to act, and therefore write, as he or she would. Zamyatin puts a lot of stress on the style of writing. He states that it is necessary to say and think what the character would say or think. He says, “You will only achieve originality and make the reader feel that you speak your own language only if you draw upon its primary soures.” There are many examples of how Zamyatin proves his points successful in the novel We.

To begin with, the main character D – 503, thinks these with a constant reference to mathematics. He explains the most beautiful things in the world in terms that destroy the splendor of the sight. A constant example of this is that he explains all of his problems as X, the variable most commonly used in math which we have to solve for. More specifically, “… form the ends of her lips, up at an angle” (158). D- 503’s natural instinct is to relate things to the thing he is most familiar with, math, and throughout the novel Zamyatin utilizes the way he thinks to strengthen his character incredibly.

Another way Zamyatin both strengthens his character and explains the One State is by describing the surrounding that to us seem inordinate nonchalantly. If we were writing a journal similar to his, we wouldn’t go into detail that the roads are made of gravel and that there are walls that promote privacy. Neither would D-503. Things such as glass sidewalks, an impermeable roof, aero cars, and more seem ludicrous to you and me, but to D-503, they are the everyday thing. They are what he sees everyday so he has no need to go into detail. Other authors would go into detail explaining the wonders of the future, but Zamyatin leaves the reader not one hundred percent in the loop, a tool which I believe is very effective in describing his world.

Lastly, a small but still interesting point is when Zamyatin ends a sentence with a simple “…”. However, in his essay he states “…but of sentences deliberately left incomplete because the reader can complete them himself.” Zamyatin isn’t a two faced man, he really does practice what he preaches. And small changes that seem so unnecessary in the first few chapters become more and more apparent and make the changes the characters changes throughout the novel more apparent.