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Creativity In Anthem By Ayn Rand

681 Words3 Pages

The society in Anthem, a novella by Ayn Rand, depicts an unchanging environment, desolate of abnormalities. The main character in the book, Equality 7-2521, was raised in a totalitarian environment, run by the Council of Vocations. The Council of Vocations is the group in charge of placing people into their specified work fields, one of which is the Home of the Scholars. The Home of the Scholars is the highest ranking group in the society, where the people put in this group are in charge of discovering new inventions. Allowance of creativity and ideas governs invention in life, however the autocratic habitat shown in Anthem demonstrates that the conditions of that environment limited the amount of technological advancements that were available. Creativity plays a large role in the creation of most new innovations. Without the approval to explore new ideas and experiment with different plans, Thomas Edison many have never invented the light bulb. Another case in which imagination played a large role is when Henry Ford thought of the idea of having the first buggy without a horse, therefore creating the first automobile run on gasoline. The citizens in Anthem were not allowed …show more content…

His entire life, Equality was distinguished as different. He was exposed to the idea that being, acting, and even thinking differently than his brothers, was a sin. Equality was denounced as different referring to him as having a higher level of intelligence. Ayn Rand included in Anthem a quote that the individuals must say, it reads, “We are one in all and all in one. There are no men but only the great WE, One, indivisible and forever.” The government exhibited does not allow anyone to be dissimilar, therefore preventing any technological advancements to be made. The undemocratic way this government is run has resulted in its society becoming very technologically

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