The last few weeks have been full of difficulties related to the health of people I care very much about, so I've been on hiatus from writing. However, one thing that keeps me going when I'm feeling overwhelmed is my students’ work. Therefore this week I'm turning this article over to a student - K - to share her observations about the novel we've just finished reading. The essay excerpted here is from a longer piece written for a 12th grade English elective course. The students had a choice of prompts; K selected the following:

Is the vision of a collective society like the one Rand presents in Anthem realistic? To what extent?

K wrote:

Collectivism in Ayn Rand’s: Anthem

… Rand’s works frequently explored themes of collectivism and social opposition. Anthem is a novella about a dystopian society set in the future. In the novella, society enforces collectivism, an idea that “individuals should be subjugated to the group and sacrificed for the common good.” In the novella, several people in the society, including main protagonist Equality 7-2521, disobey the rules installed by the Council... Ayn Rand’s vision of a collectivist society is not a realistic one because individuals like Equality 7-2521 all embody a distinctness, and an inner inclination to act as separate, distinct individuals, regardless of the Council’s vigorous attempt to suppress their individuality.

One of the ways Rand proves that a collectivist society cannot fully function without issue can be seen through an incident with the individual named the Transgressor… The Transgressor was set with chains “wound over their body at the stake, and a flame set the pyre”(Rand, 50). Moreover, Equality 7-2521 describes the lack of pain in their eyes, which held “pride holier than it is fit for human pride to be”(51). The Transgressor committed the sin of using words that distinguished him from everyone else in their society. He used the powerful and forbidden singular form to refer to himself. The Council forced all members of society to witness the dangerous consequence of committing sin under their authority as a means of fear mongering. The Transgressor did not apologize or beg for mercy, and… did not react remorseful or fearful of his fate, instead viewing it as a moment of awakening to those witnessing. Ultimately, Transgressors act of speaking distinctively, their form of resistance amongst the society, proves that the collectivism can not function fully.

Similarly, history reveals instances where sacrifices were made for the greater good and for advancement as individuals. For example, Frederick Douglass, an African American man born into slavery in the 1800’s, learned how to read and write, despite it being forbidden to slaves. Even through the likeliness of punishment and possible death, Douglass acted fearlessly. Later on as he became a freed man and rose to prominence in society as a reformer and writer, spoken in a letter, Douglass affirms that human beings are “by nature distinct, separate beings, each with his own body and his own faculties” necessary to exist. Much like several characters in Anthem, Douglass’s act of learning to read and write as a slave was his own inclination to better himself and gain knowledge.

… After the Transgressor is burned alive for acting out individually, Equality 7-2521 gains a sense of enlightenment that shapes the way he behaves for the remainder of the novel. Rand presents the instance where Equality, recedes to a secret tunnel and builds a “strange thing, from the remains of the Unmentionable Times”(59). Equality recreates light, a creation that had been left behind in the Unmentionable Times. Having created a thing deemed a great discovery, Equality decides that his creation is “too great for us to waste our time sweeping the streets”, and how he must “bring it into the sight of men” (Rand, 60)… Equality makes the source of light to free himself from his role of street sweeping, and also for the better of his society. He… hopes to give his brothers a light that is “cleaner and brighter” than they’ve known. He acted individually for his own benefit and for the benefit of his brothers. Through this act, the author proves that a collectivist approach in society cannot work to it’s fullest potential, as certain individuals are bound to resist and act freely.

Equality undertook a risky endeavor to make a creation for the betterment of his society in the same way that education activist Malala Yousafzai spoke out about the right to education in Pakistan despite Taliban efforts in restricting young girls from going to school… Yousafzai faced an incident in 2012 in which the Taliban entered her school bus and opened fire, and left her shot and injured in her head, neck and shoulder. It was later revealed that Taliban leaders had voted to kill her. She had become a threat to their aim of blocking young girls from getting an education. Malala was gaining recognition for being a rising voice in advocating girls education in Pakistan. Having known the risks, she continued her advocation and did not let fear and threat stop her from having her voice heard.

In Anthem,... Rand proves that it only takes one rebellious act from an individual to incite others in society, and that individuals are bound to disobey no matter the punishment and retaliation they may receive from those in power; thus, she reaffirms the idea that collectivist order can never truly be successful.