In We, the natural world represents chaos, disorder and disharmony. It's the world beyond the wall, where people grow hair and have sex all willy-nilly. It's a world where birds go wherever they please, and where numbers exist mainly as a way of counting things. Man, in contrast, has largely been reduced to a state of mindless drone-dom: separated from the natural world and "protected" from its chaos. That's a state that the author feels needs to change, at least if we as a species are going to be anything than glum bald killjoys.
Questions About Man and the Natural World
- Why does the State need to keep the natural world out? What, specifically, is so threatening about it?
- What qualities define the natural world in the book's descriptions? How do they differ from descriptions of the State?
- In what form does the natural world appear in the State even before the revolts begin?
- Is the natural world truly an escape? What will O-90 lose by choosing to join it?
Chew on This
Try on an opinion or two, start a debate, or play the devil’s advocate.
The natural world is an intrinsic part of man, and must be acknowledged if we are to survive.
The natural world gives rise to the need for order, which in turn leads to the creation of government like the State.