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Collectivism In Anthem, By Ayn Rand

764 Words4 Pages

In the novel Anthem by Ayn Rand, Equality 7-2521 lives in a collectivist dictatorship where he is deprived of his own rights as an individual. Equality struggles and is challenged in this society but is able to free himself with self-discovery of reality. A collectivist society focuses on individuals as part of a group and that man is chained to a collective action and collective thought for the “common good.” Being associated with a society like this gives individuals no rights to their own life and passion. According to Ayn Rand in The Soul of an Individualist, collectivism “produces nothing but mutual corruption.” The concept of collectivism encourages altruism and that individuals serve no purpose except the sake of serving society. …show more content…

Every struggle and obstacle that Equality is challenged with leads up to his self-realization and discovery that everyone functions independently, human beings have their own individuality, and that freedom leads to happiness. In The Soul of an Individualist, Ayn Rand states how the “basic need of the creator is independence.” Equality is independent long before he discovers individualism. He has his own thoughts, uses his own mind, and does not betray the ideas that he believes in, even if they are rejected and not allowed in society. Equality completes several events of life in his own way, such as talking to a Liberty, though he acknowledges that punishment is involved. Equality also expresses his pleasure in the Science of Things as he creates electricity. Slowly, Equality begins to do whatever will bring him pleasure and happiness, and according to the author, a country is based on “a man’s right to the pursuit of happiness. His own happiness” (Soul of an Individualist 38). Equality displays his integrity as he is true to his principles and beliefs. He realizes that no society can be collectivist without depriving individuals of basic rights, conforming to Ayn Rand’s beliefs: “There is no such thing as a collective brain…collective thought” (Soul of an Individualist 9). Equality 7-2521 can also be seen as courageous, or a risk-taker, as he challenges the beliefs of a collectivist

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Equality is willing to oppose his leaders to enunciate everything that he believes in; being oneself and staying true to all one’s rights and morals. He is unequivocally denouncing his leaders by going against everything that his society believes in, like creating inventions as a whole and not by oneself. Rand’s statement, “But in no case and in no situation may one permit one’s own values to be attacked or denounced, and keep silent,” substantiates Equality’s actions in trying to defend all of his rights (Rand, “How” 84). Both Rand and Equality are elucidating that people have to fortify everything that they believe in or it can all be appropriated. Equality and Ayn adage that if people don’t protect their rights then someone will come along that will confiscate people of all virtues and standards.

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Ayn Rand’s Anthem starts by Equality 7-2521 saying “It is a sin to write this.” Throughout the story, Equality’s views and mindset changes, he realizes that he is different from his brothers and its ok to be different. He discovers that if something is legal it is not certainly right. His eager for knowledge taught him the word “I” abandoning the word “We”.

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From Equality’s point of view, his desires and fulfillment are of more importance than the society’s excessive restrictions. Individuality, Rand claims, is necessary for one’s contentment; thus, the individual must always weigh themselves greater than all else. By emphasizing his independent priorities, Equality is able to rebel against the regulations he believes are

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The Path Towards Equality In Anthem, Ayn Rand creates a world where unbroken laws erase individuality and displays the plea for control against anarchy in the world. The laws created prohibit individuals from standing out from one another, prevent individuality, and create a uniform “we” in order to keep people from thinking about themselves. Equality envisions a society that will not only destroy this “we” but it will also create a world of choice from the individuality gained with the word “I”. The pride that Equality grained throughout the story and his numerous transgressions will help direct his society in the direction he wants it to go.

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Equality does this by when he first falls in love with Liberty, he is obsessed. However, when his invention is rejected by the council, he starts to realize he doesn’t need to be in a group and in result, starts to love Liberty less. When he understand individuality fully, he becomes very selfish and doesn’t care for Liberty at all and thinks of her as an object. Equality felt he needed to be with a group and with Liberty. Through his journey he discovered that he doesn’t need to be with a group and can be independent.

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In the case of Bill Gates, who is listed in an issue of this year’s Forbes as the richest man in the world, yet spends a decent amount of time attending to charity, we see that the ideals of collectivism can exist within the ideals of independence. Furthermore, in the U.S., our government provides us with social and entitlement programs which benefit many people and are thus beneficial to the common good. Proponents of extreme individualism and capitalism may argue against these programs, but when they or a family member suddenly need these services, it becomes beneficial to them to keep these programs alive. In the public school system, community service is generally encouraged, if not mandatory. This clearly benefits the common good, as it ensures there is a force out there working to fix up or perform services for the community, but many individuals who participated in these programs would contend (perhaps begrudgingly) that these programs benefited them mentally, intellectually, emotionally, physically, or any combination of the

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Victory Over Collectivism “I”, one of the only one-letter words in the English language. Yet its power and meaning do not match its quantitative value. In the collectivist dictatorship found the in the novel Anthem by Ayn Rand, this word has disappeared and consequently, society has fallen into a dark age, all because of the loss of a single-lettered word. However, the hero of this time, Equality 7-2521, breaks down the barrier of the collectivist society and allows him to make advances that show him the power of the word “I” and the idea of individualism in government and in society. Although the word “I” has vanished from society, Equality is able to free himself from the collectivist government through the use of science and free thought,

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