Novelist, philosopher, individualist, playwright and screenwriter. This is Ayn Rand. Someone who views the world as something that is full of ideas that feel they need to be as one. Ideas that must be agreed on in order to be true, to be right. This life, in Ayn Rand’s eyes is collectivism. Ayn Rand was able to demonstrate and make evident this idea with her many books. Namely, one of her most famous, Anthem. For the typical reader, Anthem correctly displayed views on individualism because of the use of ‘we’, how Equality 7-2521’s life is portrayed, and the lack of freedom.
We. A word that symbolises collectivism. This word, along with us, them, and they, express a group as one. There is no individuality represented by these words. In Ayn Rand’s Anthem, she demonstrates a world where it is forbidden to use ‘I’. “Unspeakable Word the word "I," outlawed in this society under threat of death. The political rulers, in seeking to forbid all aspects of individualism, recognize
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He is an individualist in a world of collectivism. He is a very intelligent and curious individual who rejects the collectivist society. In the story, Equality 7-2521 is shown to have found his individuality and what the meaning of ‘I’ is. “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.” (Book 17) He has sinned by writing in his own personal journal and has gone out on his own to find a tunnel in which he rediscovers electricity. This is a sin, for it is wrong to be alone or to think alone. “In the process, he realizes the dangers of collectivism” (Jill). Equality-72521 knows that this collectivism is making matters worse. One of Rand’s quotes, “Don’t hesitate to sacrifice” (Ayn), is very well shown by Equality 7-2521. Ayn Rand beautifully expressed this idea of collectivism versus individualism in Anthem with her character Equality