Anthem By Ayn Rand: Horrors Of Collectivism

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Ayn Rand Essay
Anthem was written by Ayn Rand in 1937 to illustrate the horrors of collectivism to western civilizations. In the book, Ayn Rand does a great job forewarning those countries of the dangers of collectivism. Also, the book itself thoroughly gives a real sense of what it would be like to live in a society that practices those things by controlling the citizens through numerous rules and controls. Why do the numerous rules and controls exist in the city in the book Anthem?
Firstly, the primary reason for the City to have such controls in place, is to keep the people from having an individual mind or life. Rand establishes a Council of Vocations to place the people in groups of different jobs, barring them from individually contemplating on other occupations. If the Council of Scholars deemed one unworthy of a vocation that is higher in social status, the Council of Vocations will decide on placing them into vocations such as Street Sweepers, as they did Equality 7-2521.
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Equality 7-2521, a street sweeper, begins to sneak away from his vocation’s daily tasks to sit and think. Eventually he creates this “box of glass” that later is coined as the light bulb, and relinquishes it to the Council of Scholars, in hopes that they will appreciate his invention, despite breaking the World Council’s rules to create it. Equality is expectant to be greeted openly when he reveals his invention to the Council. Instead, he is castigated due to them overlooking his futuristic creation for his rebellion. The City’s World Council specifically prohibits individuality and the fraternization of males and females for reasons such as