Q3) What function do the curtains play in this novel?

[[deleted user]]

What function do the curtains play in this novel?

[Diane]

The citizens of this country had to live transparently. The buildings were transparent and everyone could see what everyone else was doing. They were only allowed to close the blinds during sexual relations. I-330's eyelids were also referred to blinds.

[Patrick]

I concur with Diane. This One State was almost as bad for "privacy" than the world of Orwell's 1984. At least, they were able to have their own thoughts, despite the fact that "bad" thoughts could still be detected.

[John]

I also agree with Diane. I wondered when I read this what Zamyatin would make of social media.

[Connie]

I agree with all of you.

It's interesting how blinds are used to create privacy for thoughts and secrets (eyelids) and sex (rooom blinds). I liked the image of I-330 lowering her eyelids suggesting that secrets were hidden there....a definite no-no for This One State.

When he's in the ancient house, he also mentions "curtains from the world". I wasn't sure if he meant the curtains in the ancient house (metaphorically and real curtains) kept him painfully from the "normal" world he had been comfortably ensconced, or whether they usually kept him outside the ancient world and forced him within the "normal" world away from I-330. I'm not sure he knew.

About halfway through the book, he starts to write with the curtains down!