Equilibrium Quote

[brandonina]

While we were watching the movie, "Equilibrium", Ms.Boyd told us how knowing this quote would be great to think deeply about the movie, "But I, being poor, have only my dreams. I have spread my dreams under your feet. Tread softly because you tread on my dreams." (The guy who was reading the book, Yeats).

What do you think this quote means? I honestly don't get understand it. However, I'm guessing that the quote indicates how people get to have their own desires and feelings towards some events in their lives but those have to be suppressed by things such as drugs in the movie (due to a supposedly "equal" society). I think the movie is trying to criticize a society where this happens and tells us that there will eventually be rebels one day. foreshadowing???. Well, any suggestions?

[yeajinchoi]

I don't remember when this quote was said, nor what the situation was. But by reading the quote, I feel like it means this.
The guy is poor so he doesn't have the power to do things like affect the economy or politics, etc. So all he can do is just dream. By dreaming, it would mean he's just hoping and imagining the things he could do IF he was rich and powerful. I suspected that the guy was talking to someone rich because he says "i spread my dreams under your feet." That would mean that whether the poor guy's dream will come true or not depends on the actions of the richer guy. "Tread softly because you tread on my dreams." The poor guy would be saying think carefully about the things you do because your decisions can either crush or reach my dream, my hope.

In the movie, they try to reach equilibrium with drugs. Without any emotions. Maybe the quote is telling the people in authority that people have dreams and hopes. But the authority is trying to block it and stop it by forcing drugs into their bodies. I think the quote was a gentle warning from the citizens to the rulers that what they're doing is wrong and how they are hurting people who have dreams.

[sergeyfen]

I dont remember either of that quote being said, but i think it means that being poor they cant do anything as they are foreced to take medicine that kills their emotions. When he says that he has only dreams i think he means that there is nothing else but to dream and those dreams wont come true even though he has many of those dreams. Spreading dreams under feet i think it means as he tells the dream to someone in this case i think its their government. And last part i think it means as they wont come true but dont doubt them because he wants still dreaming even though he knows they wont come true.

[james]

I honestly don't like quotes at all... Which means I'm not good at understanding quotes.
Well, by guessing, I defenitely think the quote is related to dreams. But what I found weird is that if the people from the movie don't have any feelings&emotions at all, how do they have any dreams?... it's weird. Having dreams&desires is something that you really feel like you have to chase after so you go after those dreams to achieve. And the father's goal or dream is to make the world with no wars and fights which is killing everyone's emotions..
Well, Im off the topic.. anyways.. the quote seems like it's talking about dreams and all..

[sazad100]

I think that he was trying to say that life id useless if we don't feel any thing and have no emotions and maybe he was trying to say that the emotions that he has is a type of gift.

[ExtremelyExtremeExtremist]

I think he wants to tell that the main character is living a wrong life and wants him realize that drugs can't prevent 4th world war from happening. Not feeling anything means that there is no way to fix the problem. But if we can feel, we can prevent another world war from happening since we can feel the horribleness of war and learn its brutality.

[junilee26]

Honestly..
I didn't know how they were going to show us the term "Equilibrium" means. But, watching this movie, I 100% understood what Equilibrium means. It means everyone being at a same state. Everyone is equal, Everyone thinks the same and Everyone is doing and living the same way as others do . In this movie, people inject themselves to suppress their emotions, because emotion creates hatred, opinion clash, and war. They do not want a war. People thinking the same way and injecting themselves is, i believe, part of equilibrium.

[nadiraamalina]

I don't think the author meant poor as in no money, dressed in rags poor. I think he meant that he had no opportunity to follow his dreams. Or he believes he's too far along in life to try and pursue his dreams. Even though such a thing is nonsense.

Anyway, I think that he's trying hard to work hard and provide for the person that he's adressing (the 'You' person in the quote) so that he can be the one to carry out his wishes. As in he's not crushing the person's dreams by stepping on them, rather to follow in his steps and carry on after the person before him stopped, succeeding whereas the other person did not.

[esther]

I too did not listen the part that the quote was said, but I think that because the man was poor, the he did not have a way to accomplish his dreams. So what he did was just thinking about the dream, which is kinda sad.

[|Ruchira|]

I think it's saying that people who are not that rich or fortunate have their hopes, dreams and imagination to keep them going. But those dreams are still inferior to the ones who are more fortunate.(I have spread my dreams under your feet). To tread means to walk, so "Tread softly because you tread on my dreams" means that even though my dreams are not that much compared to your fortune and lucky they are still important, to me at least, suggesting to mind and be respectful or others.

[lukejoo1092]

I think it means that Yeats now finding out how great emotions can be, he realizes that he has nothing that makes him feel such as paintings, music, or pictures. He feels poor in a sense of being able to enjoy feeling. So he dreams of living in a world where everyone feels so that he can freely enjoy himself doing all the things he may desire. However, since both he and Preston are clerics, Yeats has to hide his emotions, thus hiding his dreams from Preston while watching Preston ruthlessly kill the sense offenders who are taking part of Yeats dream. Therefore it is Yeat's desire that Preston stops killing those people and accept the greatness emotions, to not ruin his dreams.

This is my personal thought but I think it fits quite nicely although it is kinda confusing...

[irin]

I think this is means man is poor so he can't achieve his dream so he want to find he can achieve his dream.

[woori]

hello

[mirim002]

i dont fully understand what this quote means, but, i think that it means...that dont tread on my dreams just because im poor. just because you are rich dont think that u can tear apart our dreams...thats what my opinion thinks...