Ayn Rand's Anthem: Fearing Our Society

Fearing Our Society THESIS: In Ayn Rand’s Anthem, the fear created in response to society's strict collectivist code causes characters to suffocate their potential, proving that the individual suffers when he or she individualism.
Because all characters silence their individual voices in response to the strict collectivist rules, the individual is unable to pursue happiness, proving that suppression of individualism causes discomfort. Equality 7-2521 lives in a society that worships the word “WE”. They live with 100 other people their age and are assigned their jobs. Before the Great Rebirth, there was a time where people can decide on what their life job was and when their education started. It is banned to ever talk about the times before

Equality also talks about the Home of the Infants and the Home of the Students. He talks about how much he loves the Science of Things and yearns to learn more about how things are made. He asks so many questions that the Teachers restrains how many he may asked, “We asked so many questions that the Teachers forbid it,” (23). Equality was determined to learn about everything around him and how everything worked, he asked questions after questions that no more questions where allowed. Equality eventually finds out his life job as a Street Sweeper, he meets a woman named Liberty 5-300 working in the fields. Equality wanted to talk to her and say something about her but it is forbidden to talk to anyone that is not of the same trade or if they were a female. Equality mentions, “We dared not speak. It is a transgression to speak of men of other Trades,” (40). In the society, people of opposite trades are prohibited to talk to each other unless during meetings. It is also forbidden to talk to women during anytime. Equality feels different towards Liberty and it is considered a Transgression of Preference to feel a certain way to anyone. Because all characters silence their individual voices in response to the strict