Anthem by Ayn Rand is a dystopian book about an extreme form of collectivism. It describes a society where every citizen is unified and controlled by force. People are brainwashed to become unthinking mechanisms, and the group is infinitely more important than the individual. In order to create a perfect society where everyone is equal, nobody is allowed even to think anything other than what the state dictates. Rand makes the argument that diversity is an essential part of freedom and individuality. Punishing diversity, among other things, is a way to keep all citizens under control.
The perfect equal society can have no diversity because equality means that everyone is the same. In the first chapter, Rand writes, “It is not good to be different from our brothers, but it is evil to be superior to them” (4). This sentence relates to the main character being smarter than a boy with only half a brain, which is treated as a sin. Total equality means that everyone must be at the same level, regardless of actual ability or interests.
The bodies of citizens are also forcibly unified so that they do not even know what they look like. Rand states, “Men never see their own faces and never ask their brothers about it, for it is evil to have concern for their own faces or bodies” (21). It is prohibited to concern oneself with physical appearance, which is a vital aspect of individuality and biological diversity.
Two other important quotes show the prohibition of intellectual diversity. As Rand wrote, “What is not thought by all men cannot be true” and “What is not done collectively cannot be good” (26, 27). No single person may have ideas, and no single person may contribute to humanity. Instead of thinking, everyone must work hard all the time, and decisions can only be made if everyone has the same opinion. Perhaps the most valuable diversity, which is the diversity of thought, is punishable by death.
Anthem describes an oppressive world born from initially good ideals of equality. However, any individuality, diversity, and freedom of thought must be completely demolished to achieve this ideal. The terrifying reality is that this book was inspired by real historical events, like many others in this genre. Sacrificing everyone’s personality and humanity for the good of the government is a horror against which many XX century authors have warned.
Works Cited
Rand, Ayn. Anthem. Signet, 1995. Project Gutenberg, Web.