Yevgeny Zamyatin — We [653]

Imagine yourself standing on the shore: the waves rise rhythmically, then, having risen, suddenly remain there—frozen, congealed. It seemed just as eerie and unnatural when our daily walk, prescribed by the Table of Hours, suddenly halted midway, and everyone was thrown into confusion. — Yevgeny Zamyatin, We, 653

Note

The opening comparison between congealed waves and a halted totalitarian procession establishes the eerie, clinical atmosphere of the One State through striking simile.