Marymount Manhattan College

Collectivism v. the Individual

Ayn Rands philosophy through the scope of Anthem

Sam Miller

Writing in the Liberal Art; Writ 101

Jake Seliger

10/11/2017
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What is freedom? To be free, a man must be free of his brothers. That is freedom. This

and nothing else. (Rand 101). This definition of freedom by Ayn Rand expressed in Anthem by

the protagonist exemplifies her argument against collectivism and for the individual. Ayn Rand

is the founder of the philosophy of Objectivism and Anthem tells a story that outlines the fears of

a society that does not share her beliefs. Anthem takes place in a dystopian society where the

world as we know it is dead and people live with no identities, taught as students that [They] 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. Amen. showing that people in this society are raised

to have no individual thought and with a hint of religious connotation comparing it to a society

that does not separate church and state and showing how this worship of mankind has become

almost a religion (Rand 21). Individual thought is against the law of this society. The people

have no names, no choice in jobs, no choice in love and no freedoms. The protagonist is

considered a rebel of this society and he, Equality 7-2521, wants to know all truths. This story of

an individual in a collectivist society shows that individualism facilitates progress and that, as

humans, our purpose is to serve ourselves. Rand chooses a specific voice for the book by telling

it through the protagonists eyes which shows the society from the point of view from the inside

rather than creating commentary from the outside. The recurring motifs of the ego, names,

martyrdom, the flaws of collectivism and love illustrate Rands beliefs. Through allusions to

fascism, communism and the ancient stories of Prometheus and the use of irony, the dystopian

society she creates seems almost possible and it is what makes this anthem for the people to

stand for themselves so powerful.

Ayn Rand believes that happiness should be the end goal for the individual. Equality 7-

2521 says, My happiness is not the means to any end. It is its own goal. It is its own purpose.
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(Rand 95). Happiness itself is more than an emotion, it is a state of being and shows that, to him,

his emotions and joy are part of his being, what makes him a human. The language and the

narrative express this importance of both the individual and their happiness. Throughout the first

ten chapters we see that society has forgotten the word I. There is no individual only we and

whats theirs is ours. The narrative is in first person, written as a journal kept by Equality 7-

2521. Rand utilizes this strange language so that when Equality 7-2521 speaks of Liberty 5-3000

as one among women, they whose name is it feels as though he sees her as an individual

unlike how he is supposed to see his brothers and sisters (38). This shows the effect of love

and its importance. This moment shows a hint of individuality in Equality 7-2521 and we see

that what makes him happy is what makes him feel himself and what he loves is something that

is unique and stands out, something that you do not see in a collectivist society. We see the same

from Liberty 5-3000 when she chooses to follow Equality 7-2521 explaining, Your eyes are as a

flame, but our brothers have neither hope nor fire. Your mouth is cut of granite, but our brothers

are soft and humble. Your head is high, but our brothers cringe. You walk, but our brothers

crawl. We wish to be damned with you, rather than blessed with all our brothers. (Rand 82).

Rand uses the word crawl, comparing the rest of society to babies, that they are oblivious to

life and that Equality 7-2521 has learned the truth, and thus, grows up. The life of the free has

more promise than the life without hope. Rand also says that love is a feeling unique to the

individual through how Liberty 5-3000 struggles to express her feelings to Equality 7-2521. She

says, We love you to Equality 7-2521 but goes on to say No, that is not what we wished to

say (Rand 86). Because of the ignorance of the society of the word I she has no way of

expressing her feelings. Without individuality there is no love, without individuality there is no

happiness.
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Individualism is the very enemy of the collectivist society that Ayn Rand is arguing

against. She alludes to ideas that are associated with collectivist ideals in the real world. She

alludes to fascism when she shows how, as students, they were forced to stand in the great hall

daily and we raised our right arms, and we said all together with the three teachers at the head:

We are nothing. Mankind is all. (Rand 21). This relates to the fascist society run by Hitler

during the period of which she wrote the book. She also alludes to the ideals of collectivism in

communism when she describes the moral code of the society in Anthem that all things on Earth

belong to all men, a way of saying property is theft, a slogan coined by French anarchist

Pierre-Joseph Proudhon in What is Property? To poke at these ideals and make them seem

ridiculous, irony is used to show the ideas of the society that seem backwards to the reader. In

Anthem people are looked down upon for being different. By his teachers he was told, There is

evil in your bones, Equality 7-2521, for your body has grown beyond the body of your brothers

(Rand 18). To the reader this is ironic because what should be an accomplishment or celebrated,

uniqueness, is called evil. Similarly, intelligence is looked down upon in the society. Equality 7-

2521 says We looked upon Union 5-3992, who were a pale boy with only half a brain, and we

tried to say and do as they did, that we might be like them, and that seems ridiculous to think

that he would strive to be like someone with only half a brain when he is so smart himself (Rand

22). These ironies make the collectivist ideas seem backwards and causing of a society that lacks

progress. Rand also paints the pictures in the readers minds through figurative language. She

imagines the people of higher power in this society as shapeless clouds which goes along with

the lack of identity and uniqueness (Rand 68).

Aside from her agenda to debate the collectivist ideas, Rand uses allusion to develop her

themes. When Equality 7-2521 discovers a house with remnants from the time before the
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dystopia was created, he finds books that teach him about the history of Earth far before people

in the society knew. From the books, he draws the name for himself, Prometheus (Rand 99).

This alludes to the Greek myth of the man who stole fire from the gods in Mount Olympus to

give to man. This metaphor shows Equality 7-2521 as the one who is trying to bring light to his

brothers and his attempt to be a hero of the truth. The change in name also signifies a change

in individuality. All people in the society are given an idea and a number, not a name. There is

no name and without a name there is no honor, no pride, no self. As John Proctor died for his

name, Equality 7-2521 rebelled to have one. We also see an importance in names when Equality

7-2521 and Liberty 5-3000 first meet. They each separately come up with names they call each

other, also doubling as symbols for who they see each other as. To Equality 7-2521, she is The

Golden One, to him she is perfection and stands out in her beauty. To Liberty 5-3000, he is

The Unconquered, to her he is unafraid to be his own being and has not been corrupted into the

societys conforming ways. The shifting in names parallels the shifting freedom the characters

feel. To Rand, another part of what makes a person an individual is their work. When Equality 7-

2521 discovers the light in the tunnel (arguably a discovery that would bring an end to a

challenging time for the society, but the people in power refuse to see it and thus their downfall)

he devotes his being to it. When questioned by authorities of where he was, he refuses to give up

the truth of his work because it would be as to give up his life. Rand questions what it means to

be a Saint. Earlier in his life, Equality 7-2521 saw a man burned alive for rebelling against the

society and discovering the truth (which we learn later to be the word I) and he sees this

Transgressor of the Unspeakable Word as a Martyr for the truth (Rand 50). To Equality 7-

2521, the Transgressor is Jesus and the men of the world before the dystopia began are God.

Equality 7-2521 takes inspiration from this and it is what drives his passion for individuality, the
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truth and his willingness to be punished for it as long as he never gives it up. Like a name,

Equality 7-2521 believes his work is part of his very being.

Ayn Rands arguments against collectivism come clearly through Anthem in its structure,

language and themes. She creates a dystopian society that has torn away individuality and free

thought and has constricted society to a fixed system and a brotherhood that translates directly

into the State. Through references to collectivist ideas in real world politics and the

backwardness of the dystopia Rand parallels the world of Anthem to the practices she sees as

ridiculous in communism and fascism and makes the reader see the irrationality of the ideas

they present as seen in the results of Equality 7-2521s adventures. Although we all already

know the word I, we may not truly understand the importance of the word and take for granted

that we are the only ones who we can trust to make our lives happy. We see I as a simple label

that allows us to talk about ourselves in the first person, we do not think of I as a symbol for

our uniqueness and individuality.

To say 'I love you' one must first know how to say the 'I.

-Ayn Rand
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Works Cited

Rand, Ayn. Anthem. Centennial Edition ed., New York, Plume, 2005.