Difference Between The Societal View Of Ayn Rand And Ursula Le Guin

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If Martin Luther King was to approach Ayn Rand and Ursula Le Guin with the opportunity to join the efforts of civil rights activists to promote the rights of African Americans, in spring of ’63, they would have different responses but their actions would be similar. It is evident from their works, that neither Le Guin nor Rand would grasp this opportunity. The works which make this statement correct are: Le Guin’s “The Ones Who Walk Away From Omelas” and Rand’s “Anthem”. “The Ones Who Walk Away From Omelas” is about a town that is seemingly flawless, filled with joyous people. The only flaw is the dark, not-so-happy secret that they all share. In order to maintain this happiness, there must be one who suffers, specifically a child. The child is treated worse than an animal, and is often treated as if it were an act in a freak show. The people of the town know of the child and most have seen it, but the fear that their happiness will be taken from them prevents them from acknowledging that anything is wrong. There are a few individuals, however, who have acknowledged the inhumanity going on, and they are the ones who walk away from Omelas. They know that the treatment of this child is not worth the happiness that they have had. In this way, they are the heroes of Le Guin’s story because they are willing to give up their happiness for the sake of someone else. They could not live in a place and be happy with the knowledge that their happiness is to product of someone else’s misery. The theme of Rand’s “Anthem” is just the opposite. The main characters, Equality and Liberty, live in a collectivist community, in which they grew up. They were taught that everyone is equal to each other. They refer to themselves as “we” because that is all that they know; there is no such thing as I, me, he, or she. One day while working in the tunnels, Equality comes across a
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