Monday, February 4, 2008

D's Ending

First of all, I'm sorry this blog is so late, but I figured I might as well post my blog anyway (for Learning Record purposes).

I really believe that D503 didn't want to be saved. He didn't want to leave his perfect little world in the One State and experience the harsh reality of life outside this bubble. Here are a couple of entries from We which support my theory.

  • page 185 last paragraph: "I walked alone through the twilit street. The wind was whirling, driving, carrying me like a slip of paper. Fragments of cast-iron sky flew and flew-they had another day, two days to hurtle through infinity...The unifs of passersby brushed against me, but I walked alone. I saw it clearly: everyone was saved, but there was no salvation for me. I did not want salvation..."
  • page 197 3rd/4th paragraph, which includes the story of the "Three Excused Ones." "It is a story of how three numbers were, by way of an experiment, excused from work for a month: do what you like, go where you wish. The wretches loitered near their usual places of work...they stood in the street hour after hour, repeating the motions which had already become necessary to their organisms at the given times of day...And finally, on the tenth day, unable to endure it any longer, they linked hands, walked into the water, and to the sounds of the March, went deeper and deeper, until the water put an end to their misery..."

In the first entry, D clearly states that he does not want to be saved. I think the idea of having a soul and being with I was tempting and sounded appealing to D, but I don't think he was strong enough to actually make it happen. I don't think he had enough courage, experience, or wisdom to live his own life and make his own decisions. None of the numbers seem like they have very much confidence in themselves; they depend on the One State and the Benefactor to tell them what to do and how to live their lives.

In the second entry, I think the story of the "Three Excused Ones" is a perfect example of what these people would do when given freedom. They will continue to do what they are familiar with, what they have been programmed to do. I suppose this story might have been fabricated by the Benefactor himself to frighten the numbers, but I wouldn't at all be surprised if the story is based on true events. If D really wanted to be free, he could have easily left through the tunnels, but he was too afraid of leading his own life.

When I encountered these entries during my reading, they seemed very ominous. I was very skeptical of the idea that D would actually go through with I's plan. I can understand why I330 kept testing his loyalty throughout the book. D's heart was in the right place, but he was brainwashed beyond salvation.

2 comments:

Crista Beck - Dating Coach and Matchmaker said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Crista Beck - Dating Coach and Matchmaker said...

I had such high hopes for D-503. I was so excited for him to free himself from the One State, but I think his meeting with the Benefactor was what pulled him right back in. From early childhood the Benefactor was the hero of the society and now D-503 was face to face with his hero. I think this meeting was the turning point for D-503. What if the Benefactor didn't ask to see D-503? Maybe the book would have ended differently. Maybe he would be rolling in the hills with the furry people.