A dystopia is an imagined universe in which the illusion of a perfect society is maintained through oppressive control. Anthem provides multiple examples that present dystopian elements including; the natural world being banished and distrusted, the eradication of family, the restriction of freedom, information, and independent thought, and lastly the idea that citizens must conform to uniform expectations because individuality is bad.
The first element that proves Anthem is a dystopia is demonstrated through the bureaucratic control of the World Council by demoting the natural world and banishing it from the society. “They refer to the past as the unmentionable times, as well as anything outside their society is known as the uncharted forest in which no one goes.” (pg. 48) Considering the World Council wants to keep the society under their control, if they were to reveal the outside society they are afraid of rebellion and the fact that no one will conform to their specific ideas. By referring to the past as the unmentionable times and the outside world as the uncharted forest it prevents everyone from questioning anything that the world council wants to keep secret.
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“Children are born each winter, but women never see their children and children never meet their parents.” (pg. 41) In order for the women to have children, they are sent to a mating house along with men and are chosen to have a child with someone random. Choosing a mate is a sin and picking someone over anyone else is breaking the rules over the World Councils individuality laws. Considering that men and women are restricted from being with each other the children are to be taken care of professional caregivers. By keeping anyone from having families the World Council avoids