Collective Identity In Ayn Rand's Anthem

In Ayn Rand’s novella “Anthem” the story which holds no plot but rather philosophical lessons takes place in a primitive authoritarian future world “dark ages of the future” where individuality has been suppressed in favor of collective identity, in the world of Anthem, the characters are taught to not think independently and not be pursue their own thoughts, their own goals, their own values, but rather be held by the power of collectivism “there is no transgression blacker than to do or think alone.” In the novella the villain, by contrast, do not hand, who allow themselves to be run by others, and are in a literal sense selfless. The theme of the novella Anthem by Ayn Rand is the power of individualism, selfhood, collectivism verse individualism,

Equality 7-2521, raised in a society where he is taught there is no such thing as an individual and that you are only a part of a group, and that the meaning of your self is to serve the group and do not think on behalf of the group, and do what you’re commanded to in order to do “We are one in all and all in one. There are no men but only the great We, one, indivisible and forever” he is also raised in a society where the singular pronouns such as “I” and “My” are lost and forbidden, preventing people from conceptualizing themselves as individuals. The world of Anthem holds laws against being alone, laws against writing without permission, because spending time alone and writing means expressing ones thoughts in words, which we see evident later on in the novella. “It is a sin to write this,” laws against choosing and pursuing your work “Dare not choose in your minds the work you would like to do when you leave the Home of the Students”, and laws that men are not allowed to think of women and children are separated from their parents, “The law which says that men may not think of women, save at the Time of Mating.” “Children are born each winter, but women never see their children and children never know their