In the novel “We,” a perfect State is portrayed, led by the Benefactor. In this state of transparent walls, vouchers for love, and mechanical music—in this society of “mathematically perfect life”—a person is a cog in a flawlessly tuned machine. Here there are no names: there are numbers, order, and instructions, and deviations from the rules and the sanctioned way of thinking are punished by the Machine of the Benefactor.
“We” is a work of art presented as a concise sketch of a possible distant future awaiting humankind—a bold anti-utopia, a warning novel.
“We” is among the first artistic experiments in social diagnosis; it gave rise to an entire series of anti-utopian novels: “Brave New World!” by O. Huxley, “1984” by J. Orwell, and others. “We” is a sharply contemporary work. Reflecting on the past, living in the present, we cannot help but think about who we are.