Wir

In the 26th century, the inhabitants of Utopia have largely lost their individuality, a condition that varies in degree. They reside in glass houses—this was written before the invention of television—which allows the political police, known as “Keepers,” to easily monitor them. All citizens wear identical uniforms and typically address one another as “cipher-so” or “UNIFEM” (short for uniform). They consume artificial food and, during rest hours, march in rows of four while singing the anthem of the One State, which is broadcast through loudspeakers. During the one-hour break, referred to as “sexy time,” they are permitted to draw the curtains of their glass houses. The leader of the One State is known as The Benefactor, a position that is renewed annually by the entire population, usually through unanimous agreement. The state's guiding principle is that happiness and freedom cannot coexist.