Analyzing The Bandwagon Effect In Ayn Rand's Anthem

In the world created by Ayn Rand, where collectivism is favored by the leaders of society, self-government is denied. In her novel Anthem, the characters are forced to live in an imperceptible prison surrounded by wilderness. Being an individual, having self-confidence, and the freedom to choose are key pieces to a successful society, but some of these concepts are foreign to many. In numerous societies like this one, the citizens are under strict social rule and do not enjoy natural rights such as life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. While being independent is important, it is also crucial to be united and act as a group. If there were no common thought, there would be chaos. At the same time, common thought should not be forced upon

A captivating novelette in which a man’s priority is to serve only for his brothers, Ayn Rand’s Anthem illustrates a society that has suffered the ghastly consequences of collectivism. She depicts an oppressive culture in which the word “I” is unheard of and men belong to the collective “We.” Men’s lives are determined through the Council of Vocations, a group that maintains a powerful dictatorship by subjugating the public from the beginning of their lives. The idea that “If you are not needed by your brother men, there is no reason for you to burden the earth with your bodies” (Chapter 1) has been forced into average mindset of the vehemently maintained society. In contrast, Rand mocks the totalitarian civilization through the main

This proves as a threat to the Council by displaying the possibilities a single individual can have when not bound to the mindset of others. The light brought to the Council may analytically symbolize the power that individualism has in a collective society and the Council’s inaptitude to control the electricity may represent the need for the oppression of individualism in Equality 7 – 2521’s society. Totalitarian dictators oppress individualism in order to maintain power therefore avoiding the threat that single individuals with free minds pose to their power. Controlling these characteristics derived from ones childhood setting can be used in totalitarian societies by giving more power to the dictators because it limits individualistic capabilities by limiting the qualities known unto what a group knows. This type of society is displayed in Anthem because the Council of Scholars control the individualistic qualities derived from the childhood setting and instead teach the ideology of collectivism. This helps express Ayn Rand’s philosophical views by displaying the potential found in those with individual characteristics and how they lead to less power as far as those in control. This shows why totalitarian dictators must oppress the power found behind individualism in order to maintain beneficial power in

Within the pages of Ayn Rand’s novel, Anthem, a government which resembles a dictatorship is exhibited. Both the leaders and the society itself seek to control mans body and mind as they follow ideals similar to that of a communist party. The leaders and society in Anthem seek to control mans mind using tactics such as collectivism and suppression of the past to accomplish a tyrannical end.

In Anthem, Ayn Rand is constantly using characters and emotion to set the mood and tone in the book. In the book, everyone is equal and do not have their own self rights. But of course one character in Anthem does not agree with the rules and goes awol. Throughout the book, characters like Equality 7-2521 become dynamic and learn more about two people in their group of one hundred kids. Every year 100 babies are born because men and women are sent to the City Palace of Mating. Among these two people were International 4-8818 and Liberty 5-3000. Both of these characters causes some of the choices Equality made in the book. Ayn broke down the book with mood and tone into three categories; characters and their feelings, challenges dealing with the setting, and society such as the Council.

Have you ever thought of living in a place where everyone is the same and no one is different? Boring, right. In the book Anthem, Ayn Rand fully expresses her thoughts about the role of individualism and society. Anthem is a dystopian novella, written in 1937 and published in England in 1938. The book is about a society, in which there is no “I” and only “we” is allowed. The dictatorship of Anthem tries to keep the members of society brainwashed by focusing on the importance of obedience and equality which justifies restricting people from pursuing individual freedom and limiting their knowledge and vocabulary. Anthem is a critique of the political movements of Fascism and Communism in Europe during the 1930’s

From the first sentence of Anthem, what society deems appropriate to believe is evident. Page 19 says, “We strive like our brother men, for all men must be alike” (Rand 19). The quote reveals a loss of individuality and the importance of uniqueness. Throughout the society, the idea of the group before the individual and a loss of self are extremely conflicting to Christian values. Christ followers

Collectivism is a very common theme in Ayn Rand’s writing. From Anthem to The Fountainhead, her opinion is very clear: individualism is the source of freedom and joy, while collectivism is the root of sorrow and slavery. In Anthem, the main character, Equality 7-252, has grown up in a collectivist society that has remained strong for centuries. In that society, no one has had the choice to do what they want to do, love what (or who) they love, and simply be who they are. That society praises the idea that men live only for each other. Living for oneself is evil, a Transgression. The idea of “I”, “Me”, and “Mine” has disappeared, dragging the precious words along with it. Throughout the plot, Equality 7-2521 is seen both unintentionally and intentionally defying his society. At first, he condemns himself, describing his evil acts and mind and labeling his different mindset as a curse. “We were born with a curse. It has always driven us to thoughts which are forbidden.” (Rand 18) He is also condemned by others, for things he cannot control. He is taller than most other people, he has preferences for what he wishes to become, and he has ideas and opinions. Yet when his life assignment is Street Sweeper, he rejoices. He sees that as a way to pay penance for his sins. Later on, however, he embraces his individuality. “I am. I think. I will.” (Rand 94) He is the first to accept the idea of individuality for centuries, and helps others accept it, too.

    If we all had the same motivation, we would have a quest to achieve something both as individuals and as a collective group. We would all be instilled with a unique inner drive that would propel us to work towards the betterment of the world. In “Anthem” the collectivist groups may have had different motivations but were forced to think and work the same not having more intelligence than others within the same group.

Ayn Rand's Anthem shows us her view of our world united under what seems to be communist rule. For example their view of right and wrong; which Anthem portrays is a system of very strict rules which mainly make sure that everyone is involved in a collective role within the society in this system no one is considered an individual or that they can even think as an individual.

The futuristic group “The Council” makes the decisions on the many strict rules the city should follow and obey. In the novel Anthem, everyone has lost knowledge of individualism to a point where they do not know pronouns such as “I” but instead Equality 7-2521 has to refer to himself as “We”. “Such would have been our life, had we not committed our crime which has changed all things for us. And it was our curse which drove us to our crime. We had been a good Street Sweeper and like all our brother Street Sweepers, save for our cursed wish to know. We looked too long at the stars at night, and at the trees and the earth. And when we cleaned the yard of the Home of the Scholars, we gathered the glass vials, the pieces of metal, the dried bones which they had discarded.” (Rand, 7) The Council dictates a person’s future by assigning a job they believe best suits a citizen. Although Equality 7-2521 wants

Individuality is non-existent and is known as one of the most sinful things they want. They aren't allowed to express their thoughts freely. “The laws say that men may not write unless the Council of the Vocations bid them so” (17). “We strive to be like all men, for all men must be alike” (19). “We are one in all and all in one. There are no men but the great WE, indivisible and forever” (19). Anthem’s society has none to minimal amounts of technology. “All the great modern inventions come from the Home of the Scholars, such as the newest one, which was found only a hundred years ago, of how to make candles from wax and string; also how to make glass, which is put on windows, to protect us from the rain” (24). “They whisper many strange things, of the towers which rose to the sky in those Unmentionable Times, and the wagon moved without forces, and lights which burned without flame”. “We pulled the heavy curtains from the windows and we saw that not more than twelve men could have lived here” (90). In Anthem’s society, education is not important nor needed for future jobs. “Men must learn until they reach their fifteenth year. Then they go to work” (20). “Dare not to choose in your minds the work you would like to do when you leave” (22). “We asked so many questions that the teachers forbade it” (23). Anthem’s society was created to be in the future which we imagine as a

Believing in yourself and the things you can do is what sets you apart from the others surrounding you. In a world of dystopian collectivism, rules and regulations have turned life negative for generations upon generations of people. The perfect world that they have created has begun to crack. Ayn Rand believed that collectivism was not beneficial to this dystopian life and showed her reasonings through the character Equality 7-2521, the exclusion of the word “I”, and fear.

Where one does not lacerate another for having a more supreme intellect than of oneself, but rather applaud he or she for his or hers capacity. A location where one’s exclusive bliss, is more relevant than the culture’s delight. This is the exact atmosphere Ayn strove to influence by composing Anthem and its authority within. Yes, Ayn did indeed over fabricate the impacts that collectivism has on a society; however, it was necessary to do so in order to make socialisms beliefs transparent to the average mind. One can conclude this fact, by extensive reasoning of “Equality 7-2521’s” life while restrained from individualism. In addition, inspecting Ayn’s composition style of self versus society. As well as, reviewing the way collectivism has, and will, affect one’s life. One must acknowledge the hazards that come when one allows a government to deprive he or she of diversity. Therefore, verifying Ayn’s exasperation; in order to, educate one on said

In life, you are born into societies where various ideas or things are thought to be normal and the customs are already established. The novel Anthem by Ayn Rand has many themes, but what I believe the theme of the novel is, to think for yourself. To think for yourself means to make your own decisions and opinions, without depending on other people. I also think that if you are going to think for yourself you can’t worry about what other people will think of what you believe in. Whether you believe that you should only have school a few days a week or you believe in a certain god, no person should feel ashamed for what they believe in. In today’s society and in the society of Anthem, people don’t think for themselves and they just follow people blindly. In the media, today we see what celebrities are saying, who they like, who they dislike, what they use, what they endorse, and we follow them because we want to be like them. Sometimes you don’t realize that you’re not thinking for yourself, but not being able to think for yourself can make you miserable and that is what Equality 7-2521 realized in Anthem.