What responses/reactions do you have to the chapter one's context?

I am very intrigued and interested as to how Primo Levi has written the first chapter. After seeing films such as Schindler's List and other such Holocaust movies, especially with Auschwitz, I would have imagined the descriptions to be a lot more graphic in terms of the treatment of the prisoners as soon as they arrive in the camp. The Nazis obviously were very cunning with the treatment of the prisoners at first, as they were able to keep the secret of the killings in the gas chambers for a large amount of time. In fact, you could argue that this chapter sees Auschwitz as just another prison camp, however it really is one of the worst parts of Nazi Germany.
I find it fascinating and also horrific that in certain situations, your fait (whether you live or die) was decided by which side of the train you stepped off, however the prisoners did not know this at this time. This to me sums up the Nazis - there was no reasoning behind what they were doing and their beliefs were so crazy and unfair.

3 Questions

1) There is an apparent connection between I-330 and MEPHI. MEPHI we learn is a rebellious group or organization who try to overthrow the One State, and we learn she is part of this group. She takes D-503 down into an underground tunnel, where they meet the rebellion and we first learn that she is associated with them. From this, we see who I-330 really is, and a suspicion grows as to what her real intentions are in the novel.

2) I-330's main objective was to overthrow the One State government, but in doing so attacking the government from within, trying to convert the ciphers and citizens of the One State and make them join the rebellion, especially with D-503 by using sexual seduction and 'love' to make him like her so much that he would do anything for her.

3) I think Zamyatin's point at the end of the novel was to show how dark and bad things could get in this kind of society. By executing I-330 and erasing D-503's imagination, this shows how he thought things may have been going in his society in 1919 Russia, and thus trying to warn people what may come if things continued the way they were going. He apposed communism very much, and wanted to show the tragic ends of these characters as a symbol of what may happen to a lot more people in real life.

What is the function of 0-90 as a character in 'We'?

I think O-90 is mainly used to show how much D-503 changes as he meets I-330. O-90 is the 'sex partner' of D-503 in the novel, and are both sexually attracted to one another. D-503 very much sees her as quite childish and small, using words to describe her like 'shy', 'crystal' and calling her 'You funny thing' show how he thinks she is delicate and much smaller than he is.
In record 4, D-503 states he has a 'desire' for O-90, but this is only a sexual desire. D-503 hints towards how he thinks he 'loves' O-90, but this is only because he has never felt love before. Then, when he meets I-330, O-90 is very much pushed aside which is symbolizing how he is somewhat pushing his old self behind - his conformed, One State self- and starting to become more aware of the outside world and love, which he experiences with I-330, and realizes he never did with O-90.
To sum up, I think O-90 represents all of D-503's conformed, One State characteristics that in the novel eventually get pushed aside which show his evolvement as a character.

'We' Questions

1) The function and importance of mathematics in 'We' is to show how ordered, organized and straight forward the One State is. In both Mathematics and the One State, everything is supposed to work one way, with not much lee-way for any individuality or creativity. There is a right way of doing things, and a wrong way of doing things, just like in Maths. In both, there is just a process you follow (to work out Maths equations and how to live your life in the One State). Their society is built on a structure of Mathematics, and if it was taken away, they could not survive.

2) Communists and people living in the One State will do anything to stick to and to enforce what they believe in. There is a strong sense of patriotism and loyalty to their society. However, they live in a 'box', where they are brainwashed and don't really know what is happening outside of their world. Because their society is under State Control, they have a lack of knowledge of anything else. Because their society is so mathematical and ordered, they don't actually realize how imperfect it actually is. Because there is no religion in their society, they turn all their beliefs to the One State, and 'The Benefactor' is treated like their god. Generally in this society, there is a lack of questioning and want for seeking new, improved solutions.