Dystopian Society Exposed In Ayn Rand's Anthem

The author in many points of this book make Liberty seems selfish. Especially when Equality and Liberty find a house. Equality explores the house while Liberty lavishes all about herself. She looks in the mirror

During his childhood, he was blessed with an individual spirit and the intelligence to understand the knowledge of the world. In spite of this, he reckoned his abilities as transgressions. He acknowledged that the way of life was that “Everything which comes from the many is good. Everything which comes from the one is evil” (Rand 85). Equality strives to accept the totalitarian society and consequently, he desperately struggles to disregard his abilities and subdue his desires. The grisly effects of society are portrayed immensely through the profound sense of guilt he suffers while committing the Sin of Preference. He continually recites that, “We are nothing. Mankind is all. By the grace of our brothers are we allowed our lives. We exist through, by, and for our brothers who are the State. Amen” (Rand 21). Gradually, his aspirations contradict with the dogma of society. He discovers that he finds more joy committing the Sin of Preference rather than restraining himself from happiness, which ultimately, allows him to elude his conscious premises. Equality’s belief that “[he] [has] torn [himself] from the truth which is [his] brother men… [he] knows [this], but [he] [does] not care” (Rand 76) marks his complete triumph over collectivism. Prior to his transformation, he belonged to a society in which the Sin of Preference revoked all rights for any desire, which ultimately disallowed citizens to think for freely. If permitted to do so, no

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.

Ceaseless collectivism is not something that can be forced upon a community. Ayn Rand’s novel Anthem conveys this through the writings of Equality 7-2125, a man willing to stand up to the collectivism of the society he is confined to. Anthem not only shows how dull and lifeless a society can be with a lack of individuality in its people, but also reveals how one person can significantly impact a community. This novel displays the importance of individualism through Equality’s thoughts and actions. This includes when he reinvents electricity in the tunnel, falls in love with Liberty, and when he completely separates himself from society.

“It is a sin to write this. It is a sin to think words no others think and to put them down upon a paper no others are to see. It is base and evil… We have broken the laws” (17). Thus begins Anthem by Ayn Rand, a novella about a future collectivist society and a man named Equality 7-2521. Though the story takes place in the future, all technology that came after candles and glass has been taken away. The word “I” has ceased to exist in anyone’s vocabulary. Every person must agree on everything and feel like everyone else. To accomplish ‘cleansing’ the evils of mankind, society lead its people to believe that nothing can be done independently. The story is told through the eyes of Equality as he purposely defies the laws

•Information, independent thought, and freedom are restricted in this society. Equality must think about “the will of all men together” and how they are all supposed to be “one in all and all in one”. No one may think of or for themselves and everyone decision is made by the grace of every brother.

But I still wonder how it was possible, in those graceless years of transition, long ago, that men did not see whither they were going, and went on, in blindness and cowardice, to their fate.” Dystopian societies often deal with the lack of importance of Free Will/ Individuality. Individuality is an important concept which was ignored completely in Anthem. Anthem was a novel wrote by Ayn Rand in 1937 to elaborate on the time period which she grew up in. Dystopia is a society characterized by human misery, as squalor, oppression, disease and overcrowding. Dystopian novels usually start out with a perfect society or utopia. However, as the novel progresses, the reader and characters realize that this perfect society is the total opposite. Dystopian

The dystopian novella, Anthem, is set in an age in which every aspect of life is controlled by oppressive leaders. In this society, everyone was deemed equal to each other, meaning no new ideas were allowed and the past could not be discussed. Individuals are told they exist only for the sake of serving society and have no other purpose. Strict rules were put in place involving everyone’s daily lives, their partners, and even when they were allowed to smile. The goal of this controlling environment is to be completely free from conflict and maintain peace and order by giving citizens little freedom.

Basic summary: The novel Anthem by Ayn Rand is a dystopian science fiction novel that is set in the future where there are no rights or freedom there is no such thing as “I”. Everyone is equal to each other; they work and live in collective groups everyone is thought as one. The narrator, Equality 7-2521 has always stood out from everyone else, he was much smarter, later on, he vows to use his new knowledge to build a society based on individual freedom.

The future as we imagine it, is to be filled with hi-tech gadgets and gear. Yet we consistently forget about the past and how the past always catches up, where light is gone and equality is a must were no sight of uniqueness is allowed. If that were the case we wouldn’t not be human. “Anthem” by Ayn Rand explains this world where everyone is the same and everyone is told exactly what to do. Equality 7-2521 is the main character of this story and tries to fix this problem. In this story, there is a dystopian protagonist, and a dystopian protagonist is a character that feels trapped and is struggling to escape his/her society. Equality, the dystopian protagonist in “Anthem”, questions the society he lives in by figuring out that being

“I am free, no matter what rules surround me. If I find them tolerable, I tolerate them; If I find them too obnoxious, I break them. I am free because I know that I alone am morally responsible for everything I do” (Robert Heinlein). Sometimes, there are certain rules where we will listen to them, and others that we do exactly the opposite of what is told. Either road you go, you will have to take responsibility for the choices you make. In Anthem, the major character, Equality, did exactly this. Anthem is written as a diary in the eyes of Equality, an individual living in a place where nobody knows what individualism is, to the point of not knowing words like I. Everybody works in groups, with their lives controlled by councils which makes an insane novella. In the novella, Anthem, written by Ayn Rand has a variety of rules which purpose is to create a dystopian government in which residents can’t express emotions, can’t make decisions for themselves, live in a communistic style of society, keeps the power in the hands of the elites, and as Equality creates a new society, some of these rules will exist and some will be different, either way, it will make a positive impact.

Anthem by Ayn Rand is a collectivist society. In Anthem the highest leaders are the World Council. The World Council forces them to say “we” instead of “I,” so that everyone will think they are one with society, but if anyone thinks or speaks as an individual they will be sent to the Corrective Detention or burned to death; but Equality has no fear and discovers that individualism is just.

Losing Individuality in Anthem is an everyday thing that the society people must deal with. Anthem is different, because in its society where a person has no voice, the town’s government expects the people to have no free rights. Losing individuality comes from strict laws, loss of family, and control of education.

In the novella, Anthem, author Ayn Rand depicts a futuristic journey of rediscovery by the protagonist, Equality 7-2521, and his struggles against the totalitarian government rule of his society. Throughout the novella, the government shows full manipulation on the life of the people, revealing their moral views and standards. In fact, everyone within the society is compelled to forget significant aspects of humanity. However, when Equality 7-2521 escapes from the oppressive government, he undergoes a series of events that creates contradictions regarding various principles and views he has been taught to follow since childhood.

I believe the book Anthem, by Ayn Rand was a very powerful book that is told in such a profound manor. I really enjoyed reading this novel because it is unusual to find books that are written in a different tone and time period. This novel is set up in a future society with an ancient atmosphere. Right off the bat you could sense that it was not going to be your typical summer novel. I enjoyed reading the different work because it had an original plot that focused on world differences, where independence and collectivism are the core domain of the society. The individuals of the dystopian society are purely based on following the government’s strict orders of a worldwide power. “When we sing hymns, the Hymn of Brotherhood, and the Hymn