A Comparison of The Grapes of Wrath and Anthem

Comparing The Grapes of Wrath and Anthem

Two great intellectuals of the early twentieth century wrote works of fiction that have become classics; they espoused polar-opposite views, however, of how society best functions. Their battle between communalism, as pictured in John Steinbeck's The Grapes of Wrath, and individualism, as portrayed in Ayn Rand's Anthem, was played out in their novels, and still continues to this day.

Based on Ayn Rand's book Anthem, Rand would definitely believe that there is a greater danger involved in communalism than in individualism. The book offers a vision of a distant retrograde future in which the candle is the newest invention; individualism has been completely suppressed; and one of the most commonly used words today, "I," is completely unheard of. The book celebrates the heroism of an individual - the main character, Equality 7-2521 - in his fight to promote individual achievement. Once banished for his individualistic beliefs, he and his girl, Liberty 5-3000, discover the wonders of human freedom and the word "I." With his newfound gift, Equality 7-2521 pledges to return to the civilization and destroy the oppression of the collective spirit, and liberate humanity into "a world in which each man will be free to exist for his own sake."

It was mainly written as a response to the widening acceptance of philosophies of totalitarian governments, but also to the belief of sacrificing individual liberties for the public good, ever-present during the "Red Scare." In place of these ideas, Rand developed her theory of "Objectivism," which celebrates reason, capitalism, and individuality. Rand expresses these beliefs throughout the entirety of the book by showi...

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... has to be both. Also, it is good to sacrifice a little bit for the greater good, but you can't sacrifice as much as you would in communalism or as little as in individualism. For example, the sacrificing of civil liberties during the now-present "War on Terrorism" is becoming too great of a sacrifice; also, in the case of Enron, they didn't sacrifice enough, and the result was devastating to many people.

Ayn Rand and John Steinbeck, from the perspective of the very early twentieth century, have set forth in their novels opposing views that continue to be debated in the twenty-first century. Based on current events, it seems highly unlikely that the argument over Individualism and Collectivism will be resolved soon, if ever.

Sources

Rand, Ayn Anthem New York: Signet 1961.

Steinbeck, John. The Grapes of Wrath. New York: Penguin Books, 1978.