The Theme Of Dystopia In Ayn Rand's Anthem

The novel Anthem by Ayn Rand is a great example of dystopian literature. A dystopia is a society that is very bad in every aspect, or the opposite of a utopia. This book has many characteristics of a dystopian novel proving that Anthem is a true example of dystopia. An example of Anthem being dystopic is that the uncharted forest is very mysterious to the citizens of the city and no one ever enters into the forest because there are beasts that will kill them. “The uncharted about which men must not think.” That is how Equality 7-2521 describes the forest before He enters it. When Equality 7-2521 is in the forest, he knows he is safe from the world council because they would never go into the forest and think he is going to get slaughtered

She is a clear supporter of individualism, meaning that she thinks you are only responsible for your own happiness and should not have to help anybody else. The novels illusion of a perfect society greatly objects to Ayn Rand’s beliefs. Equality 7-2521 rights in his notebook “And if you are not needed by your brother men, there is no reason for you to burden the earth with your bodies”. (pg20) This shows how contrasting each other both beliefs are and how the people in control of Equality's society believe that all people should be equal. Propaganda is used strongly to convince citizens that the world they live in is perfect and the way it supposed to be. One example of propaganda to create an illusion of a utopian society is what the street sweepers do after their work is done. “When we sing hymns, the Hymn of Brotherhood, and the Hymn of Equality, and the Hymn of the Collective Spirit. The sky is a soggy purple when we return to the Home. Then the bell rings and we walk in a straight column to the City Theatre for three hours of Social Recreation. There a play is shown upon the stage, with two great choruses from the Home of the Actors, which speak and answer all together, in two great voices. The plays are about toil and how good it is”(33). First they sing about Brotherhood, equality and collective spirit and then they watch a play about how good work is. All they ever do in their free time is learn how good the

Equality 7-2521 fits into many of these roles of a dystopian protagonist. Right off the bat, Equality 7-2521 starts to question the social and political systems of the city he lives in. Through it is most obvious at the end of the book when writing on his paper in the woods he states. “But we think that the council of scholars is blind”(54). This shows how strongly he thinks the government is wrong in what they are doing. Equality 7-2521 is struggling to escape this city most of the novel, he finally does when he gets rejected by the council of scholars and runs off into the forest beyond the city. Another example of Equality 7-2521 proving the book is truly dystopia is by him showing the reader the negative aspects of a dystopian world on of these aspects is the lack of choice, demonstrated by the world council when they chose the jobs of the citizens for them. Some more bad traits Equality 7-2521 helps point out are lack of technology and intellect, lack of family and how most people have no