Человеческая природа в литературной утопии. «Мы» Замятина - Бретт Кук

by his own hands the annihilation of criminals by means of this Machine; it is a very quick and esthetic operation – the dissociation of matter with some rays and after a second of what once had been a man was not left but a plash of water and a handful of ash…).

In the meantime meetings of D-503 with this misterious woman 1-330 are going on. One of meetings is arranged at „The Ancient House", which has been kept, as a musem example, from times of 20-th century. Here 1-330 receives D-503, having put on a fascinating „ancient" dress of 20-th century, instead of the usual grey-bluish uniform. While changing this dress again for the uniform, she asks D-503 not to look at her for a time. He does not see her but hears the rustle of the silk, the screak of the mirror door of a wardrob, he wants to rush to her, to embrace her… But when he turns, he sees that 1-330 suddenly vanished – where to and how it is quite inconceivable…

During some days he is looking for her, longing at her. There happen some dramatic encounters of D-503 with the woman 0-90 who is in await of a child and then – of death under the terrible „Machine". D-503 finds the only forgetting in his work. The „Integral’s" construction is already ended and soon has to proceed her „maidenflight" in the stratosphere.

Grieving, D-503 comes once more to this room of the „Ancient House", where took place his last rendez-vous with 1-330. He opens the wardrob door – and behold! – the floor of the wardrob is coming down under his feet, he is lowering somewhere down further and further and at last sees himself in some subterraneous place. He considers that this probably is a place where has been the „undergrounds" of the „ancients" of 20-th century. But why then this place is now lighted with electric bulbs? Looking for an exit of this labyrinthus he comes to some door, behind which some voices are heard. He knocks at the door and his acquaintance, a doctor, to which he applied recently to be cured of „love", comes out to meet him. The doctor, without any explanations, is hastily leading him out to the yard of the „Ancient House"…

The day of the „Gooddoer’s" elections this year is finished up with an unprecedented in the history of the new humanity scandal: instead of an almost religious ceremony of the unanimous voting, some group is voting against – to the perplexity and dread of the others… Here at last D-503 meets his love 1-330. She gives the promise to make clear everything what is an enigma to him yet up and some days later he comes down again to this subterraneous place, where he was once, but this time she accompanies him.

The door in the end of this labyrinthus appears to be an exit to a quite new to him world behind the „Green Wall“. It is an impetuous world of elements, of nature, of trees, herbs and birds – and some men also, to the great surprise of D-503. But there men during ages have been living here quite independently of the urban men, of the machinehumanity, who had supposed that this race of „wild“ men had died out a long ago. People of the world behind the „Green Wall“ are cheerful, lively, they do not know the urban chemical nourishment, they are eating some ancient „bread“, they are drinking some ancient „wine“, they walk quite naked and their skin is covered with a hair – shining and beautiful and very similar of a horse hair…

The woman 1-330 believes that the human happiness is in the synthesis of primitive life of this „wild“ mankind with the urban mankind s life. She reveals to D-503 that there is a conspiracy against the urban State and that during the trial fly of the „Integral“ to the stratosphere conspirators will seize the „Integral“, which will give them the powerful arm against the urban State. D-503 has– no power to betray the conspirators, for this would destine to death his love 1-330 first of all…

The trial fly of the „Integral“ proceeds. 1-330 partakes as a radiotelegraphist. But in the very moment, when the conspirators were ready to seize the „Integral“, their conspiracy is revealed and consequently the „Integral“ happens to be kept in the hands of the urban State. The woman 1-330 is quite sure that they have been betrayed by D-503. He understands that now 1-330 is lost for him for ever. And the main thing is that he, beyond of his will, was in fact the cause of conspiracy failure – all the dramatic events of last days he was registering at his diary and this diary was read by the agent of the State…

Next morning at the „State paper“ are published sensational news about the conspiracy and in conjunction with it the new State edict of the „Great Operation“. This „Great Operation“ consists of a cauterizing, by means of X-rays, of one of brain centres – namely, of the centre of the fancy, what leads to the full annihilation of the fancy in a human being, and then, having the fancy annihilated, the mankind will not try any more to come out of the state of the great mechanical standardized happiness, in other words – the mankind will be really happy for ever… Therefore all are obliged to submit to the „Great Operation" and everybody refusing will be forced to do it, for everybody ought to be happy…

But evidently not all desire this obligatory mechanical happiness and because of this a revolt begins in the city. Against mutineers are sent detachments of those who have been already operated, who had already no fancy, who are sweeping all in their way as some tanks.

D-503 is seized and submitted to the „Great Operation". At once he is quieted and comes back