The book Anthem, by Ayn Rand, there is a society in which an individual is not an individual. The word “I”, is nonexistent and whoever says this now forbidden word will be punished severely by the Councils (the equivalent to our country’s government). This unusual society is known as a collectivist society. According to Ayn Rand, collectivism means the subjugation of the individual to a group- whether to a race, class, or state does not matter. Collectivism holds that man must be chained to a collective action and collective thought for the sake of what is called ‘the common good’. In my opinion, this society is similar to that of a communist nation.
The rulers of this society disestablish the word “I”, and establish the word “We” to classify an individual. They deprive people of a unique name and give them a name similar to that as a machine that does not have a soul. For example, the protagonist’s name in the story is Equality 7-2521. “We are one in all and all in one. There are no
…show more content…
The people in collectivist countries (Communist countries) still have their rights of an individual as in saying the forbidden word in Anthem, “I” and have regular names, however when it comes to action, they are punished or praised as a group. These countries tend to stay away from individualist characteristics to justify their collectivist society, instead of depriving them from their social identity as one person, such as they do in Anthem, the people of. The punishments of displaying individualist characteristics are severe. “They had torn the tongue of the Transgressor, so that they could speak no longer…. The faces which shrieked and screamed and spat curses upon them… the flames rose and we could not guess the word…” (Rand 50-51). Because of saying the word “I”, a sign of individualism, the transgressor was burned alive, had his tongue cut off and was disrespected at the highest