We #2

Motif- The imaginary number comes up again and I believe it is associated with the "soul" that D now has. The square root of -1 is an imaginary number. It is something that is not tangible, much like the soul that D has. "It seemed to me that I was seeing through thick glass something infinitely huge and at the same time infinitely small, scorpionlike, with a hidden yet constantly sensed sting-the (square root of -1)" (102). I think these also relate to the motifs of a mirror and shadows. Mirrors are a way of looking at yourself. You are able to see yourself in the reflection. D sees "two" of him in a mirror. I believe he is seeing who he is in the society and also a person with a soul. I think your shadow could also be related to your soul. It is something that constantly follows you and is a part of you. You can never get away from your shadow.

Setting- The Green Wall that surrounds the city and keeps out foreign animals and nature that the government can not control. Walls are able to keep the equation of the society simple by keeping out uncontrolable variables. This makes the control the society has over the people much more easy to monitor and makes it less to worry about. There are people outside the city that the government is unaware of. These people might eventually come into the city and destroy the control that the government possess. "Man ceased to be a savage only when we had built the Green Wall, when we had isolated our perfect mechanical world from the irrational, hideous world of trees, birds, animals..." (93). Although the Wall is able to keep the outside not part of the equation they maintain their control. But even though the government ignores the outside it doesn't mean that it can't affect the equation.

Language- D's journals make it difficult to come to complete conclusions because not all details can be accounted for in his journals. He says that he tries to write down everything that happens in the journals without leaving anything out, but it is incredibly difficult for him because of what he is experiencing. "I have not written anything for several days, I don't know how many. All the days are one day" (85). Also D leaves ideas that he is talking about unanswered. He will be talking about something and just suddenly stop leaving the idea incomplete and unfinished.