Analysis Of Ayn Rand´s Anthem

Imagine a world where the word “I” is banned from overall use, and is replaced by the pronoun “We”. There is no individuality here. Total equality is established, but at the cost of any distinctiveness from one another. This is the world of Anthem; a short story written by the controversial author, Ayn Rand. The civilization set in Anthem worships ethical altruism, living for others rather than oneself, and strictly opposes ethical egoism. This dystopian society can be compared to that of today’s North Korea, a communist country located in east Asia. The dystopian society described in Anthem can be compared to real-life North Korea due to the fact that they both restrict individual choice and forces control onto people against their will,

and can be contrasted because of the differentiating powers of authority in each civilization.
The society set in Anthem and the government of North Korea both restrict the individual right of choice. The lack of these “choices” result in little to no freedom for the people who are not in positions of power. This is also seen throughout the plot of Anthem. For instance, Equality 7-2521, the protagonist of the story, states that “This is a great sin, to be born with a head which is too quick. It is not good to be different from our brothers, but it is evil to be superior to them” (Rand 21). Equality 7-2521’s “sin” is that he was born smarter than most. In today’s society, being intelligent is considered a “gift”, while the dystopian society portrayed in Anthem values equality to the point where anything that differentiates an individual from another, such as intelligence, is thought out to be a crime. In North Korea, citizens are also prohibited to any form of freedom. They are not allowed the freedom of speech, press, movement, religion, and many other rights that have come so easily for citizens of America. In the National Geographic documentary, Inside Undercover In North Korea, citizens are even restricted as to what information they receive as the internet, phones, and other forms of technology have all been banned. North Koreans are also not allowed to freely pass in and out of the country, unless approved by their work unit. Harsh restrictions in both North Korea and the society of Anthem are incorporated thoroughly into citizens’ daily lives.
Another similarity between North Korea and Anthem is that the people have conformed to misconduct over time.

In a sense, the people have been “brainwashed” to think that the way they are living is the way life is supposed to be. In an online article, The North Korean Defector Living in London, Kim Joo Il tells his story about escaping North Korea. When describing his experience in schooling while in North Korea, he stated that “...at school, 30 percent of our studies had been about the Great Leader.” North Koreans are constantly told to worship their leaders and protect their country at all costs. He also described how depressed and mournful he was when he found out Kim Jong-il had died, questioning it because he thought Kim Jong-il to be “invincible.” In Anthem, citizens are also “brainwashed” to think that the World Council is all-knowing and superior. For instance, when Equality 7-2521 revealed his invention of the light bulb, Unanimity 2-9913 stated that “This would wreck the Plans of the World Council, and without the Plans of the World Council the sun cannot rise” (Rand 74). Unanimity is claiming that the invention of the light bulb will destroy the “plan” that the World Council has for them, when in all reality the invention will advance their society

tremendously.
Although North Korea and Anthem are alike in several ways, one major difference is between who the population tends to idolize.

For instance, in North Korea, citizens worship their last three leaders: Kim II-sung, Kim Jong-il, and the current leader, Kim-Jong-un. Thousands of statues, monuments, and pictures are displayed well throughout the country. In the documentary previously mentioned, government officials even criticized and lectured at a photographer for “improperly” photographing the three monuments of their supreme leaders. They took complete offense for this “heinous” act and claimed that they were going to be deported for it. In Anthem, however, the general population honors not three, but a group of “thinkers” that rule overall and address wrongdoings. This group is called the World Council of Scholars. In general, there tends to be less pressure towards the public to worship the World Council of Scholars than the leaders of North

Korea.
To conclude, the society in North Korea and Anthem are both very strict as to what each citizen has the privilege to do. Over time, the people of both civilizations have conformed to wrongdoings, to the point where it has become “everyday life” for them. However, North Korea worships their past three leaders, while in Anthem people honor the World Council of Scholars, a group of “all-knowing thinkers” meant to guide the general public. Although alike, the lifestyle of both North Korea and the society in Anthem greatly differs from the lifestyle that most people live out in today’s modern society. Ayn Rand’s unique point of view, put into a book, and North Korea’s distinct way of life makes a great comparison, and contrast, between fiction and nonfiction.