Anthem by Ayn Rand Essay
In this essay, I will be describing the type and setting of the society in the book Anthem, by Ayn Rand. Some areas I will be writing about is the political structure, degree of technology, social relationships, quality of life, and what education is like for the main character/protagonist, Equality 7-2521, and the other occupants of the city, City (there is no name to Equality 7-2521’s city). Also, I will tell if I would or would not like to live in this society.
Political structure was reduced to a World Council, including several other councils such as the Council of Scholars. The World Council was made up of a few individuals, groups of men who were responsible of governing the world that Equality 7-2521 lived in. A collective made all the decisions, but the public were not part of this decision. This made them not a democratic society, but a dystopian society (this is the opposite of a utopian society). I interpreted that if only one man did or created something, it is perceived as wrong and evil and that if one man does not agree with the whole group decision, the whole group has to leave or dismiss the decision/ doing.
Technology was very limited and primitive because it is implied that the council carefully planned what things were going to be invented. Also noted was that there were nearly no advances in technology at all. In the book, they said that it took all the members of the council years to invent the Candle, which was the only source of lighting besides natural light. When Equality 7-2521 introduced the new light he created to the World Council, they said it took fifty years to make the Candle, to have everyone agree on not using torches, and to decide on how many they needed to make! They said that they could not make new changes that soon either.
Social relationships were severely restricted or even abolished. Many things were forbidden to the people in Anthem, men could not think themselves greater than other men, you could not place
Political structure was reduced to a World Council, including several other councils such as the Council of Scholars. The World Council was made up of a few individuals, groups of men who were responsible of governing the world that Equality 7-2521 lived in. A collective made all the decisions, but the public were not part of this decision. This made them not a democratic society, but a dystopian society (this is the opposite of a utopian society). I interpreted that if only one man did or created something, it is perceived as wrong and evil and that if one man does not agree with the whole group decision, the whole group has to leave or dismiss the decision/ doing.
Technology was very limited and primitive because it is implied that the council carefully planned what things were going to be invented. Also noted was that there were nearly no advances in technology at all. In the book, they said that it took all the members of the council years to invent the Candle, which was the only source of lighting besides natural light. When Equality 7-2521 introduced the new light he created to the World Council, they said it took fifty years to make the Candle, to have everyone agree on not using torches, and to decide on how many they needed to make! They said that they could not make new changes that soon either.
Social relationships were severely restricted or even abolished. Many things were forbidden to the people in Anthem, men could not think themselves greater than other men, you could not place