Zayia Motley
Mr. Kerkhoff/Ms. Schmidt
U.S. Government/Senior English
30 October 2018
Anthem : The Barbaric Society
Imagine living in an era,where Collectivism is dominant. A Society that is deprived of
Individualistic culture. Where the majority of the population is illiterate, due to knowledge
being a privilege,only to those who are proven to be worthy. You are forced to fulfill
highfalutin ideologies, that have led the society to barbarism. In Ayn Rand’s Anthem, The
Government destitutes citizens of name,wisdom,self morality,emotions, and liberation. It is
an authoritarian regime that have oppressed its civilians since birth. The Citizens are living
in an netherworld, they can’t escape from.
In Anthem, one way the government exercises control over the civilians, by depriving
them of their independence. Individualism is viewed as an abominable sin by government
of the society. The Anthem society follows the beliefs of an Collectivist Culture,in which the
government prioritizes the good of society over the welfare of an individual. The society
teaches its people to put others before their wellbeing .You don’t get to choose how you
want to live your life and what you want to do”For the council of Vocations knows in its
great wisdom where you are needed by your brother men,better than you can know it your
unworthy little minds”(Rand 22).
In Chapter 1,we meet Equality 7-2521 who feels guilty about wanting to choose his own
fate. He claims that he have committed a crime by seeking knowledge,and having thoughts
about what he wants to achieve in life due to the fact, that his society has taught its people
not to act, or live as individuals and not to think of their lives as unique and self-guided.
Instead, the only real identity they have is “WE”.The society lives by a moral code
altruism.It is the principle of humans not having the right of existence, for their own sake.
Their existence is to serve humanity, ...
