Comparing Communism In Ayn Rand's Anthem And Survival Ship

Many encounter the beneficial effects of communism encouraged within world-wide governments; however, its negative outcomes are also revealed to the members in these societies.
Communism is commonly described as a political theory that advocates social organization in a way that controls the economic and social activity as to make each member of society equivalent to their peers while highlighting the lives of its’ creators. In Ayn Rand’s novella, Anthem, each character faces the influences from this type of governing from the way they dress to their everyday professions. In addition to this novella, “Survival Ship”, by Judith Merril, also has a similar way of controlling the passengers harbored on the ship. Anthem relates to “Survival Ship”

While introducing the lives of the ship members, Merril reveals that “The public knew the nicknames of the crew, and the proper name of the plant. But they never found out, not even the half million who went to the field to see themselves, the real identity of the Twenty and Four who comprised the crew” (58). By confiding the knowledge of the group, the leaders are highly worshiped and given much praise in comparison to the secluded identities of their peers. Although these may be the most similar individuals to themselves, they are restrained from knowing them in attempt to further glorify their superior leaders. Furthermore, the main character within Anthem struggles with his pondering mind by expressing, “We think that there are mysteries in the sky and under the water and in the plants which grow. But the Council of Scholars has said that there are no mysteries, and the Council of Scholars knows all things” (Rand 23). Even though this particular individual has surpassed the knowledge within the others near his age group, he has been forced to relinquish the idea of the outer world by the scholars, possibly in attempt to mask the upsetting truth about the surrounding world. One can inform many things about the protected identities and many mysteries lying within the societies; however the governmental control contributes to the issues lying within the minds of the society's