Hmmm.. I’m not exactly sure where to begin when it comes to Ayn Rand’s novella, Anthem. I was recommended it by my sister’s boyfriend who was currently immersed in The Fountainhead. I think the recommendation came from my current obsession with dystopian lit, but I’m not exactly sure how I feel about this one. The clear capitalist agenda behind it was a little scary, just because she seems obsessed with the man as an individual and how bad working as a team can be for the world.
The general plot around the novel surrounds the protagonist, Equality 7-2521. Yes, seriously, that is his name. The man is perfect in every way, but must live among the commoners because nobody is allowed to be superior to others. He sneaks away at night, invents electricity, then is punished with jail time for not abiding by rules. Backwards to say the least.
The portion of the book I found to be the most interesting was the point of view. It took a few pages to figure out that every time a character said “we” he meant “I.” “I” is a word that has been outlawed in the society to prevent people from acting selfishly. Ultimately, Equality 7-2521 learns that it is not about “we” it is about “me” and decides he is not going to do anything that benefits others again unless it has his best interest at heart. This includes procuring a woman from a field he was working near. Oh, and staring at his own reflection in a pond and thinking about how good he looks. The last word of the book, “ego,” is meant to show that to a man, the most important thing in the world should be himself. End of story.
I enjoyed reading it, but I’m not sure I liked it in the end. I read it during my breaks in night school over two nights, so it took basically no time at all if you want to check it out for yourself. I don’t doubt that there is a reason this book is taught profusely in Florida high schools, but I am having some trouble seeing it. I’m sure people would argue otherwise, but I’ve always thought being an egomaniac is something that should be avoided. In Rand’s world it is the only thing. Man is the god of himself.
“The clear capitalist agenda behind it was a little scary, just because she seems obsessed with the man as an individual and how bad working as a team can be for the world.”
Mersmagic1,
The basic issue, according to Ayn Rand, is not working as a team vs. working as an individual. She was most certainly not against teamwork, and getting the full benefits from capitalism demands teamwork in many cases. The real issue for her is independent thought vs. mindlessly following the thinking of others. A team of mindless followers is an ineffectual mass of zombies or “yes-men.” For a team to be effective at accomplishing goals and improving their lives, each individual must be thinking on his own. A “collective brain” does not exist, and those who attempt to act as though it did end up suffering like Equality’s “brothers.” When a society is filled with such drones, it is poor and primitive, or becomes so.
“I’m sure people would argue otherwise, but I’ve always thought being an egomaniac is something that should be avoided. In Rand’s world it is the only thing. Man is the god of himself.”
In Anthem, Miss Rand is putting particular stress on the self as object of ultimate devotion vs. others. But the alternative of egomaniac vs. self-sacrificer is a false one. If we take egomania as the belief that “only I matter at all; no one else is of any value to me; everyone else is expendable,” then this is NOT Miss Rand’s view. All her philosophy says is that all others should be valued for what they contribute to your life and happiness, whether materially (business) or psychologically through their basic character and values (friends, lovers, children.) You’ll note that Equality valued another human being tremendously, (the woman) and not for simple material gain.
I recommend Ayn Rand’s other fiction works and her nonfiction, such as The Virtue of Selfishness and Capitalism: The Unknown Ideal. My blog has links to many other resources on Objectivism, as well.
Thank you for your insightful comments! It helped me understand the book better!
I read Anthem in a Texas high school. Rand certainly takes two extreme views (no self or self as all) but perhaps it’s meant to make you think about individual rights versus the common good.
Good point… I do agree, don’t blindly follow what everyone tells you, and I feel that was a major point she was making. But it’s to the extreme, the world the characters lived in were not even aware there was such a thing of human rights. Do you think the resolution of the book is even possible? A complete rejection of everything the characters had been taught up until that point?
I took it with a grain of salt, understanding that Rand had firm political ideas, so she wrote her ideal resolution. But people do make 180s, so maybe it’s a slender possibility.
This is true.. I will need to research Rand’s philosophies if I ever attempt one of her epic novels!
I read Atlas Shrugged… it took a while… and was more than enough Rand for my foreseeable future!