Ayn Rand's Anthem by Tara

Ayn Rand's Anthem by Tara - July 2013 Scholarship Essay

            Anthem is a book that has held my thoughts since my high school class in the 9th grade. Although there has been many a book since then, Anthem has been put ahead of the others for its interesting way of integrating philosophical thoughts of the author through the book.   
            This book is based sometime in the near future, where collectivism reigns over humanity to the most extreme. There is no more concept of individual self, freedom of choice, or expanding to better the future of mankind, only the here and now of survival. A society in which progress is slowed to contain the nature of mans wanting to achieve his/her own goals. The Council (the leaders of this fictional collectivist society) are afraid that even the simplest of ideas can tip the balance between those who remain to be submissive to the all of the society or those who wish to strive to be free to discover themselves, free from another’s control. The setting of the book also had the perspective of being so against America’s culture that it took awhile to get into the structure of the story. This culture was the source of the main conflict in the story, being a battle between a Collectivist society and an Individualistic society. The main character discovering he had separate thoughts and feelings was placed on the side of Individualistic while the culture was placed on the Collectivists side.  By painting a picture of both societies to the extreme, the Author Ayn Rand showed the good and the bad of both types.
            Along for the ride, I was able to accompany the main character on his journey to discovering that he himself was separate from those around him. He could be an individual with individual thoughts. One such person, who chooses the path of freedom, is Equality 7-2521. It is through his journey of discovering his human identity that the reader follows. He is the one who has to make the choice to get off the beaten path of his society’s road and onto an untraded path of his own. He fights those who engraved in him their values, and in this created the opposite of collectivism, which is individualism. 
            By restraining the use of the English language in the book, the main character, along with other supporting characters had no way of expressing individuality. When speaking of themselves or to others they would use “we” or “us” instead of using “I” or “me”. This being because words that represented an individual had been cast away and forgotten, even being considered sinful to those who did happen to know them, and punishing them with the promise of death.
            “The Golden One”, otherwise know as Liberty 5-3000 becomes Equalities partner in matters of the heart and in views of their society. She is yet another who seeks individuality, and sees Equality as a man after her own heart, both in their wanting for freedom. Although considered another sin to only love one man “The Golden One” gladly accepts her sin. She gives a slightly different perspective on this new development of human identity.  
            This book dabbles in hard philosophical questions by creating a situation in which both ends of the spectrum of society come together.  Placing a character’s choice in whether giving the group priority over the individual or the habit of being independent and self-reliant is the best course for humanity