Dystopian Society In Ayn Rand's Anthem

People often dream of a perfect world, where nothing could ever go wrong. Some people attempt to create these utopias, and in doing so, create a society that can be described as anything but this. These societies are considered to be dystopian, places of total misery and wretchedness. Many authors of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries have created a society like this in their works. The Party in George Orwell’s 1984 and the Council in Ayn Rand’s Anthem are two dystopian societies that share similar traits. Both societies severely restrict the freedom of the individual, eliminate the feeling of family, and physically contain the people that society governs. Dystopian societies often restrict the freedom of the individual to the point

The emphasis of this is on the freedom for individuals to choose being restricted. Individuals have no right to choose under his society, as the government makes all the decisions for the people. This is done by watching each individual very closely as he matures and reaches fifteen years old, when he will be assigned his career for the rest of his life. In Equality 7-2521’s case, the government knew he was very intelligent, and therefore the government prevents him from being a Scholar, where he would have been able to pursue knowledge. This is similar to the Party in 1984, as people are unable to make a decision not supported by the government without being punished for it. In this way, freedom of choice is restricted. To illustrate this principle, Equality 7-2521 states, “And we were punished when the Council of Vocations came to give us our life Mandates which tell those who reach their fifteenth year what their work is to be for the rest of their days” (Rand 24). This greatly restricts the freedom of the individual, as the ability to choose a career that would be of interest to the individual is taken away. The government puts Equality 7-2521 in a career that restricts his ability to exercise his free will, which both contains him and makes him miserable. He is unable to reach his full potential because the government has taken away this ability. Both of these societies also

Both societies drastically restrict the freedom of the individual to the point where individuals have few to no liberties. In 1984, this is accomplished by the Thought Police and the Party, which regulate everyone’s thoughts, while in Anthem, the government eliminates the individual’s freedom of choice. Additionally, both societies eradicate familial feelings. In 1984, the government arranges marriages and makes having a baby a duty to the Party. In Anthem, mating is forced by the government, and everyone who meets the age requirements is forced to attempt to make a baby. Furthermore, both societies physically contain the people which they govern. In 1984, this is done by preventing the people from having any contact with other regions, even if that region is controlled by the same territory. In Anthem, the Uncharted Forest, a region in which people who enter perish, surrounds the City and prevents people from escaping the City. These two societies best fit the definition of a dystopian society: a society controlled by a totalitarian government where everything is