Art lives in a realm of ambiguity, and it is ambiguity that grants it greater applicability to average life. In Specimen Days by Michael Cunningham, three narratives lack detail to draw more attention to the ideas within the narratives and the idea of ​​individuality within society. In Yevgeny Zamyatin's We, a dystopian society is rarely detailed and the characters' motivations are rarely addressed, as Zamyatin tackles ideas of revolution and individuality. The heavy use of ambiguity in both Specimen Days and We works to draw attention away from the minute details of the worlds created, and instead focus attention on the characters and their interactions, as well as the larger commentary within each text. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay In Specimen Days, the three-part structure of the text draws attention away from the actual society and setting, rather drawing attention to the characters and motives that wind through each plot. The book is divided into three parts: "In the Machine", "The Children's Crusade" and "Like Beauty" - set in the past, present and future respectively. The styles of the three plots differ greatly, one being a ghost story, another a mystery, and the last a futuristic dystopian retelling. By differentiating the stories so much from each other, Cunningham completely deviates the settings and plots. By interrupting the natural flow of each text and jumping directly into another, Cunningham draws attention to the characters and shared aspects rather than the actual plot. Character growth and function within each text is supported by the uncertainty of when each story arc will end and where the next will begin, as well as the ambiguity surrounding each setting and functioning of each world. This comes into play especially in “Like Beauty”, where the functioning of the dystopian society is barely hinted at, rather the characters and their connections to each other are explored, leaving the setting undefined. Through the undefined society in We, the uncertainty surrounding the workings of the dystopian world also helps draw attention to the interactions and feelings of the characters rather than the details of a created fictional society. The workings of The One State are barely detailed, revealing information about its workings only when it becomes relevant to the workings of plots, such as the voting system or Sex days. While there are some details regarding the workings of the created company, this brings with it an air of ambiguity and uncertainty as not all information is revealed and the workings are not fully detailed. This slight ambiguity surrounding the workings of the One State and the codes allows for further focus on the revolution and the decision D-503 faces when choosing comfort in the same or potential joy in the new. The lack of clarity surrounding the motifs and exactly why characters are repeated in Specimen Days contributes to the ambiguity within the text and focuses attention on the commentary on the common bonds of humanity. The porcelain bowl appears in all three subsections of Specimen Days and is always given as a gift to a loved one. Although it is not clear how it is the same bowl in all three sections, very different and very distant, it carries with it one of the main ideas of the text. Through all the subsections it is given to a loved one, indicating the universality of care and love. The ambiguity surrounding how the bowl appears in all three.