The Collectivist Pledge
Anthem by Ayn Rand tells a tale of a young man, who finds himself in a collectivist society, where the individual is effaced, and replaced with the facade of a perfect whole. Rulers of these oppressive and marxist states unravel the entire concept of “ego” through guilt and the institution of false gratitude, and this method of control remains relevant today through similar societies as seen in Anthem. Ayn Rand has taken my perception of these ideals and societies and has entirely stretched it to the far side of the spectrum of political identities in order to expose me to a often overlooked reality a reality of control and positively interpreted ignorance. Ayn Rand’s depiction of a restrictive collectivist society
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The main antagonist of the novel The Fountainhead even states his desire for unity and obedience, however these promises are the attractive face of an ugly manipulative whole. Nationalism is a driving force behind control. It provides a sense of gratitude and debt to the government. It sparks defensiveness and an ego-centric mind when concerning the nation as a whole. The significance of the title of this novel is rooted in these ideals of chauvinism. Anthem in strict definition is a melody or tune that acts as a centripetal force in which pride is achieved. These unifying melodies can be positive or negative, and can have a multitude of effects on a given nation or group. In Anthem, Ayn Rand demonstrates a negative use when the students chanted “We are nothing. Mankind is all. By the grace of our brothers are we allowed our lives. We exist through, by and for our brothers who are the State” (Rand 21). These repetitive and seemingly consolidating chants are often used to infuse societies with a feeling of pride, which can be used for control. Dictators can also inject their subjects with guilt and debt to the system, as an abstract form of …show more content…
Growing up in a country that fears communism as a four year old fears the monster under the bed, I have experienced my fair share of paranoia and concern when it comes to collectivist societies. However, my reaction to the communistic ideals before reading works by Ayn Rand has been to avoid. After being exposed to first-hand activism by Rand, I have become more intrigued by the exposure and prevention of such societies as seen in Anthem and The Fountainhead. As the U.S. continues to change into a different take on democracy, I have been inspired to avert the form of communism, oppression, and collectivism preached in Rand’s
Dystopia Government taking control over society for good. In the book Anthem by Ayn Rand the society is limiting everyone on what they can say and do, but there is one person named Equality that can change all of that. The Government made everyone equal by having everyone learn one thing if one person couldn’t learn it, they would stop teaching it. Ayn Rand made her book a dystopian society by using the literary element man vs. world.
Anthem is a dystopian novel by Ayn Rand, set in a society where individualism is banned and people are stripped of their personal freedoms. The protagonist, Equality 7-2521, struggles to reconcile his own desire for freedom with the restrictions placed upon him by his society. Throughout the novel, Rand uses powerful quotes to highlight the importance of individualism and the dangers of collectivism. One of the most striking quotes from the novel is "I am.
Anthem by Ayn Rand is the story of how a man broke free from a society where singularity and being different was evil. Anthem deals with the topic of communism and how everyone is supposed to be equal and the same. This is shown in the book where in Equality 7-2521’s society, the use of the word “I” is non existent. Instead they use the word “We”. This is because that in this world, no man is alone and does everything alongside his brothers.
The tone of authors throughout the world varies greatly based on their intentions for writing. In the case of Anthem, author Ayn Rand invents a dystopian society in which collectivism is promoted in great favor over individualism. One character, however, pushes the boundaries and embraces a sense of independence. Rand likely desired audiences to take her views presented in her novel into consideration. Accordingly, for the purpose of creating a serious relationship with its readers, Anthem adopts a reverent tone by utilizing formal language and addressing critical subjects.
A city based on stifling collectivism that is challenged by one young man who discovers freedom through individuality perfectly describes Ayn Rand’s book Anthem. Anthem depicts a society oppressed by stripping each member from any ounce of individuality. Ayn Rand is commonly known for her view points on collectivist and centralized political standpoints as her philosophies are the structure of many pieces of her writing. Her writings are a publicized way of creating controversy with her opinions. Rand’s philosophy goes entirely against the belief that the individual should be subjugated to the group and sacrificed for the common good which in turn is the main focus of Anthem.
Anthem Ayn Rand’s strong opinion of individualism is exaggerated in a most extreme way in her world famous novel Anthem. Her book focuses on “we” rather than “I,” and about the community rather than the individuals. She magnifies communism to every possible extremity.
Power, and the way it is distributed, has changed over the years. The democratic system seen today in most 1st world countries which embodies the motif of the common man having power over his own destiny is a stark contrast to the despotisms, empires, and monarchies of the past. The greatest upheaval of this old system happened in the waning years of the 18th century, with the French peasantry throwing off their heavy yokes burdened upon them by their greedy and unqualified royal masters and becoming the masters of their own destiny (by appointing for themselves an emperor instead of a king). What happened in those years long past still echoes today as the model method for overthrowing oppression and taking ownership of one’s own destiny from the selfish clutches that they first had been stricken to.
After the concluding paragraph of this essay, you will understand the void between individualism and Collectivism, and appreciate the depth of the severe scenarios Ayn Rand composed. Ayn Rand was justified when she authored Anthem and included extreme scenarios for the reasons of her personal opinion, the understanding of readers, and the effect of proving a point. Like stated above, Ayn Rand grew up in Russia, at a time of civil unrest, and was in the right when she penned the book Anthem using extreme scenarios; justified because of her opinion. Ayn Rand shared the same views as the lead character in Anthem about Individualism,
A primitive society with an undercover government may seem like a story in the past; it is still seen in some parts of the modern world. In how the pressure affects individuals, a certain pattern interrelated to one another emerges. Pyongyang by Guy Delisle, is a narration of the author’s stay in North Korea- a country suppressed under the government. “Harrison Bergeron” by Kurt Vonnegut Jr. and “The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson, are fictional stories that both illustrate people’s behaviour under pressure- whether from the society and the government. All these sources demonstrates pressure from the government and society can limit individual’s thoughts and ability to become independent.
The dictators in Anthem are taking control of people 's basic repetitious lives. These demonarchs are telling people where to go, what to eat, when to sleep, when to wake, when to go to work, what to do for work, when to stop working, when to be sick, when to be healthy. The authoritarians have taken the
In leading Prometheus on his journey to find freedom, Anthem accompanies the inferior side of collectivism by depicting a society of people, subdued under the needs of the common good. The rejections in his idea of electricity powering the city led to Prometheus to the path of independence. Prometheus always broke the laws of the city. His work finding electricity was denied because of the city’s laws. And at the end, he even used first person pronouns.
The Anthem’s society brain washing of their citizens was an easy way to remove their individuality. In Anthem the society brain washed their citizens into thinking their societies way of life was
Anthem is a very symbolic novel that reinforces and expresses Ayn Rand's beliefs. The novel Anthem focuses on collectivism which is the thought that everything should be done for the good of the group. Great examples of symbolism is the uncharted forest, the name prometheus and the light bulb. The uncharted forest is in part a symbol of the unknown.
Collectivism and Selfishness in Anthem Imagine living in a world where everybody's lives are completely mapped out by the government. Where every decision is made without the input of the citizens it affects. In the novella Anthem, Ayn Rand depicts a completely collectivist society, where every idea, action, and invention is purely for the benefit of society as a whole. Everything is done with the entire population in mind, and individuality is extremely frowned upon.
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,