Background info on We

Yevgeny Zamyatin wrote We at the time of the Russian revolution which is heavily reflected in his writing. The leadership style of the Benefactor is similar to Nicholas II, both were autocratic leaders who demanded unquestionable loyalty from their subjects. An example of this is the “one vote” where all citizens of One State are expected to publically vote for the Benefactor. Even if ciphers vote against the Benefactor, these votes are deemed “as ridiculous as taking the accidental coughs of sick people in a concert audience as part of a majestic, heroic symphony...” This is similar to tsarist autocracy where the Tsar has absolute power leading to alienation between ruler and followers which resulted in the Russian revolution. This could also be similar to the events after the Russian Revolution when the communists took power.(similar to the events which occur in We)