We

by

Yevgeny Zamyatin

D-503

D-503 is the narrator and protagonist of We, which is the resultant compilation of his carefully composed records, or journal entries. He is a mathematician and rocket engineer, and the lead designer of a… read analysis of D-503

I-330

I-330 is a female cipher and rebel involved with MEPHI. She frequents the Ancient House, where there is a secret elevator that leads to the world beyond the Green Wall and a commune of people… read analysis of I-330

O-90

O-90 is a female cipher assigned to D-503 as a sexual partner. Despite the One State’s prohibition of romantic attachments, O-90 is D-503’s regular companion, and she feels real affection toward him, becoming jealous once… read analysis of O-90

S-4711

S-4711 is a Guardian, or member of the One State’s police force charged with monitoring ciphers’ daily activities. Secretly, he is a double agent, involved with MEPHI. He monitors D-503 carefully, which makes D-503 paranoid… read analysis of S-4711

U

U is a desk monitor that works at D-503’s apartment building. D-503’s relationship with U is an ambivalent one: he is repulsed by her, frequently describing her as having “fish gills,” but he also… read analysis of U
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R-13

R-13 is a poet and D-503’s friend. They share O-90 as a sexual partner, and the three of them exist as a harmonious triangle at the beginning of We. Once I-330 seduces D-503… read analysis of R-13

The Benefactor

The Benefactor is the authoritarian dictator of the One State. The One State’s ciphers regard the Benefactor as a living God and live in great fear of his wrath. He preaches that happiness can only… read analysis of The Benefactor
Minor Characters
The Skinny Doctor
A doctor at the Bureau of Medicine who is friends with I-330 and involved with MEPHI and the revolution. D-503 describes the skinny doctor as having a mouth like scissors, which hints at his disloyalty to the One State.
D-503’s Neighbor
D-503’s neighbor at his apartment. For much of We, he is engrossed in work at his desk. At the end of the novella, he tells D-503 that he’s been working on calculations that prove that the universe is finite.
Second Doctor
Another doctor at the Bureau of Medicine.
Second Builder
An engineer who works with D-503 on the Integral.
Old Woman
A woman who guards the Ancient House.