Bridging between two novels: The ULB and We

I believe looking at these two novels there are many similarities that bridge and connect them together. In both books the idea of love and sex and privacy are explored and both hold far-from-the-norm views on the subject.

In the Unbearable Lightness of Being, Love and Sex as argued and shown through the main character Tomas, are completely different things and to be emotionally faithful to the one you love does not require sexual fidelity. The idea of sex is taken very lightly through characters such as Tomas and Sabina which reflects their total lightness as a character. This is then in contrast with Tereza, the 'heavy' character of the novel and Tomas' wife, who believes the opposite and is forever emotionally punished by Tomas's many liaisons.

In We, love and sex are also two different entities, the idea of love is forbidden by the state and sex is merely looked upon as a duty, something that is to be done if handed a pink slip. D-503 breaks this rule when he falls in love with I-330, another cipher seeking rebellion from the system.

Privacy is also another major theme in the two books as in We, we learn that every building, house and infrastructure is made up of glass, completely see-through for the whole of the state to see to ensure every cipher leads a completely open life in the spotlight and in The Unbearable Lightness of Being, private conversations are broadcast over the radio to show control and dominance and the lack of privacy.

Reflection on Comment Paper 1 - Venice

The author takes a satiric view on the way of life of the Venetians. This is shown through use of hyperbole and irony. An example of hyperbole used is when she describes Venice as "inescapably urban" suggesting that the town resembles a prison that no one can escape from....

The Unbearable Lightness of Being: Tomas & Tereza

Tomas

Tomas is an excellent surgeon that is well known for his many sexual relations he has with many different woman though keeping them all at arms length to ensure the women do not become attached. By this way of living alone he is practising the philosophy of lightness, which is discussed deeply in the book. Being a divorced man with a child that he does not feel is his responsibility and parents that he does not wish to keep in contact with, he believes that love and sex are completely separate entities and even though he does fall in love which is related to heaviness in the book, he lives with his love, Tereza, however while still seeing his mistresses, especially his favourite, Sabina.

Even though his mysterious intense love for Tereza adds some heaviness to Tomas' character, he still remains in the philosophy of lightness.

Tereza

Tereza represents the other philosophy explored in the book; the philosophy of heaviness or eternal return. This explores the idea that every past action effects the present action and that every action/decision will be repeated, therefore never being able to escape the past. Tereza is forever haunted by her eccentric mother and by Tomas' infidelities, this is shown by the role of nightmares that she experiences almost every night. Her love for Tomas is strong and unmistakeable but brings her much misery and where Tomas and Sabina are 'light', she is 'heavy'.

Tereza is portrayed as to be pure and innocent as Tomas sees their original meeting as Tereza being a "child put in a basket and sent downstream".

We: Record Nine

In Record Nine a cipher becomes sacrificed by the Benefactor. This act foreshadows I-330's death later on.

When the cipher is being sacrificed it is described as his hands being tied back by a "purple ribbon" which then the narrator (D-503) refers to this being a spin-off tradition to that of the Ancients but instead of ribbon, they would use chain as the one being sacrificed would often fight back. D-503 is shocked with this idea of one fighting against the Rulers decision. This shows the people of OneState are conditioned to such a degree that they will not fight for their life.

The minor sentence "Cube Plaza." demonstrates that the name of the Benefactor's auditorium is enough to symbolise all it stands for. By creating this minor sentence, it gives the "Cube Plaza" immediate power, authority and dominance over everything and everyone. Thus signally the importance of what is about to occur in it.

We: Frederick W Taylor and Femme Fatale

Frederick Winslow Taylor was a mechanical engineer who sought to improve industrial efficiency. Taylor believed that in his day the industrial management was amateurish, and that it should be formulated as academic discipline. He believed that workers were supposed to be incapable of understanding what they were doing.

This relates back to the novel We as this is very much of the OneState operates. Everything runs with smooth efficiency and workers seem to not think beyond what they are told to do.

definition of femme fatale: enchantress - a woman who is considered dangerously seductive.

I-330 fits into the definition of femme fatale as she is related to fire and darkness which is a very compelling aspect as OneState is all about ice as everything is blue and made out of glass and also it is always light and barely dark. This makes the character I-330 interesting. I believe the action that makes her seductive is the fact that her eyes are said to close off like blinds, able to hide what she is feeling inside. To be able to hide something in OneState is very rare and dangerous. It is this rarity and dangerousness that seduces D-503 towards I-330.

Narrative Terms

Extended Metaphor defined: An extended metaphor, also called a conceit, is a metaphor that continues into the sentences that follow. It is often developed at great length, occurring frequently in or throughout a work, and are especially effective in poems and fiction.

Narrative Terms

~ Point of View

First Person: Only see one persons point of view so can come across as bias. However, may gain a deeper insight as you can more clearly understand the feelings and emotions of a particular character.

Third Person: See everything that is happening within the story. Objective point of view

~ Treatment of Time Schemes: is the consistency of the characteristics of persons, plot, objects, places and events seen by the reader or viewer.

~ Dialogue: gives characters a voice. Adds another dimension to the story. Alternative point of view.

~ Narration: the act of giving an account describing incidents or a course of events.

Record Two

I found reading Record Two was very different to record one as two was now showing the reader the differences between inside the Green Wall and outside the Green Wall.

The land beyond the Green Wall is described in the book as "wild" with "yellow honey-dust from a flower of some kind" and when describing the city inside the Green Wall, the image of machinery is portrayed. However D-503 sees the machinery as beauty as he describes "the balance wheels were rocking proudly; and the cutting head of the perforating machine curtsied".