The Role Of Individualism In Ayn Rand's Anthem

Ayn Rand’s strong opinion of individualism is exaggerated in a most extreme way in her world famous novel Anthem. Her book focuses on “we” rather than “I,” and about the community rather than individuals. She magnifies communism to every possible extreme. Though her book may only be an extended hyperbole, Rand was wrong to go that far into her distorted “future” reality. She should not have gone that far because we could never come to a point where the following things aren’t valued. Communism could never take away the importance of: names and families, learning and individual beliefs, and friendship. We will never have to recite to ourselves, “We are one in all and all in one. There are no men but only the greater WE, One indivisible forever,”

because we are all unique individuals that can change the world with our own ideas (Anthem 19).
First of all Ayn Rand went too far in her book Anthem by not giving her characters names or families.

Families are there to build each other up and help prepare each other for the future. “Family is the single most important influence in a child's life”(Smart Beginnings). Family names and individual names show personality and individuality. Treating people like they are just another number makes it easier for them to give up on themselves; and eventually take their own life. In an article published in 2009 Jim Connolly expresses, “These people have feelings. They have good days and bad days. They have ups and downs. They have days where they want to cry with joy and days where they cry with sorrow. These unique, immeasurably valuable individuals are many things to many people, but they are NOT numbers”(Connolly). In Anthem, Ayn Rand exaggerates the use of communism by identifying characters with numbers carelessly chosen by the government. explains, ¨Our name is Equality 7-2521, as it is written on our iron bracelet which all men wear on their left wrists with their names upon it¨(Anthem

18).
In her communist setting, Rand didn’t give the characters their right to learn and follow their own beliefs. They were taught the following by their teachers,”Dare not choose in your minds the work you would like to do when you leave the Home of the Students. You shall do that which the Council of Vocations shall prescribe for you.” Additionally, the students were not allowed to ask too many questions(Anthem 22-23). They limited learning to those chosen by the Council to dedicate their lives discovering and understanding new things. No one was permitted to gain as much knowledge as they desired. “Progress is impossible without change, and those who cannot change their minds cannot change anything”(Shaw). These unique individuals were not allowed to have their own opinions, ideas, or beliefs. Their society’s progress was moving slower than a snail running through quicksand. Anthem went too far by limiting the amount of education one person can have.
Lastly, Ayn Rand took away one of the strongest bonds unrelated people can have: friendship. “Friendships are vital for wellbeing, but they take time to develop and can’t be artificially created”(Collingwood). Consequently, it is critical that we have friends in order to learn to be social and teach us other important values such as: integrity, trust, confidence, accountability, and many more. The characters in Anthem were lacking in several of these categories due to the fact that they were not able to acquire friends. Equality 7-2521 was different, but that didn’t change the fact that he couldn’t have friends. When talking about a fellow Street Sweeper he revealed, “International 4-8818 and we are friends. This is an evil thing to say, for it is a transgression, the great Transgression of Preference, to love any among men better than the others, since we must love all men and all men are our friends”(Anthem 30). Although they may say, “all are their friends,” this is not true because friends are people that will help and support each other. In the book Rand was wrong to disregard the influence of friendship.
There are some that may argue that Ayn’s book is a great example of what our lives could be like in the future is we decide to adopt communism.

However, when communism is adopted so is collectivism. In history collectivism hasn’t been very beneficial; The Soviets tried to use it in 1928. “The state’s requisition of crops, livestock, and farmland was paid for by the farmers and by the lower class in general, some ten million of whom starved to death in five years.
” China also tried this approach in 1958 but it only lasted for three years. In those few years, almost 33 million people died from starvation (Communism Sucks). Furthermore, Anthem went too far by never using the word “I.” “We have broken laws...We are alone here...We strive to be like all our brother men”(Anthem 17&19). All about “we” communism

is.
Ayn Rand was wrong to exaggerate, and almost make fun of, a topic as important as this one. Although this is a problem our world is becoming more familiar to, communism will not be the answer just as it wasn’t the answer to the problems people faced in Anthem. Ayn exaggerated the book so much that there is no way any society could ever plummet as low as the society we read about. It is important to remember the significance of the word “I.” “What brought it to pass? What disaster took their reason away from men? What whip lashed them to their knees in shame and submission? The worship of the word “We””(Anthem 102). In the end, even Equality 7-2521 understood the nonsensical use of the word “we.” “To sell your soul is the easiest thing in the world. That's what everybody does every hour of his life. If I asked you to keep your soul - would you understand why that's much harder?” Don’t give in to helping “we.” Run as far away as possible into the rising sun of “I.”