Topic > The theme of independence and individual identity in the novels of George Orwell and Yevgeny Zamyatin

As individuals, actions are what shape personal identity. Many years of experience are needed to develop and enhance this characteristic that contributes to the overall growth of a human being. Having an identity means being able to understand both how they differ from others and how they are similar. This definition conforms to many types of identities, such as ethnic, intellectual, spiritual, and individual. All in all, self-identification, self-awareness, and self-definition all fall under the main theme of identity and its importance. While this may be true, both novels, 1984 by George Orwell and We by Yevgeny Zamyatin, convey the theme of independence and individual identity as an interference with human capabilities, depicting the importance of names, the lack of free will to be unique and a life he constantly prescribed. Names are crucial for identification as they are the main characteristic displayed to the general population. When greeting others, you use their name to recognize the person you are speaking to. With this in mind, it is essential to ensure that this distinctive sign is proudly displayed to others and is treated with respect to ensure it remains an important aspect of their identity. The importance of names is shown within the novel 1984, when Winston clarifies how names do not play a significant role in the construction of one's identity. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay In contrast, the party opposes their use, "'oh comrade'... 'Madam.' it was a word that was somewhat despised by the party: you had to call everyone 'comrades'” (Orwell 22, Orwell demonstrates the impact that names have on each other, as mentioned in the quote, names did not have). no impact on individuals or their identification. Since the party despises names and meaning, followers conform to this and it becomes the standard to call each other "comrade." Orwell uses explicit diction when using the word comrade to characterize others in society The use of this generalized word influences readers to interpret the identity of the characters by not knowing their particular names, other words like “friends wasn't exactly the right word. Nowadays you didn't have friends, you had companions ” (Orwell 51) With the intention of calling everyone comrades, Winston and the other citizens lost much of their individual identity, which contributed to the overall issue of their demise. The importance of names is further shown in We. In their society there are no alphabetical names. Each individual is referred to with a letter and then with a progression of numbers, which have been assigned to him by the administration. Although this strategy is based on the mathematical society depicted in We, names have no meaning for the individual and consequently lead to the absence of individuality and identity. As a result of this abnormal name appropriation technique, One State residents end up losing awareness of their lack of creativity and thus portray a false person. This is especially demonstrated when the main character is introduced, "This is D-503, the builder of the Integral." This quote further demonstrates how the citizens respond to their false identity as Zamyatin always seems to have made the characters overjoyed when they specified their names and occupation. When looking at these two novels critically, numerous parallels were found within OneState and Big Brother, regarding the meaning of the names, the two novels both include large and influential administrations that influence their selection of names. In 1984 all Big Brother citizens acquire a name, however the party asks its citizens to call each other "Comrade" as it is the party's broadest word that does not create any emotion in saying it to others. Therefore, do not perpetrate a mind crime that would lead to individuals being vaporized and thus completely forgotten. Similarly, in We, One State provides its inhabitants with their own "names" made up of numbers. In One States' ability to demonstrate how it is the most powerful society, it was able to manipulate its citizens into feeling that having numbers to represent themselves as extraordinary and consequently ingrain the thought of being superior to the rest of the universe. Another similarity found between the two novels is the use of control, in order to force the citizens' thoughts and ideas to conform to the ideals of the leaders, in this case, Big Brother and The Benefactor. This control leads to a lack of free will to be unique, which ultimately contributes to the formation of an identity. In 1984, Big Brother uses the thought police to monitor the thoughts and actions of every citizen. This surveillance allows citizens the inability to think and feel anything. Being curious or even having the slightest uniqueness from others puts you at risk of being executed as a disobedient follower, this can be modeled by the following quote: “Nothing was yours except the few cubic centimeters inside your skull” (Orwell 28). Here, Orwell implies that the only way Winston is able to think uniquely is in the small space inside his mind. These are the tactics used to ensure that any ideas or thoughts that contradict the party's beliefs do not interfere with the party's plan to completely take control. This quote is just one of those that foreshadows the mind control the party has over its citizens that takes place in the Ministry of Love, to extinguish any external thoughts from those who think differently than what the party wants them to think. It also foreshadows Winston's submission and loyalty to Big Brother. As for the other novel, the lack of free will to be unique is also present in We. In this dystopian society there is no such thing as being unique. Having different thoughts than everyone else is considered a crime and in this case, the only way D-503 is able to express his ideas is by writing in his hidden journal. This demonstration of communication of ideas is also found in 1984, when Winston communicates his thoughts on Big Brother. Citizens live by the statement: “Being original means standing out from others. It follows that to be original is to violate the principle of equality” (Zamyatin 52). This quote demonstrates how for them being unique is not an imperative, but contributes to the disappearance of what remains of their personal uniqueness. Furthermore, this statement describes how the government tells its citizens that this society is perfection, that's why change is looked down upon. Another illustration found in the novel is the use of "Pink Vouchers", a ticket that allows people to visit others outside of the Table of Hours, this symbol symbolizes their limited opportunities to see the world outside of One State. Although every citizen of One State The State is himself, every individual exists exclusively to create an invariant “We”. This is the ambition of a state to have everyone present uniformly under this one word. Categorize everyone to comply with,.