12 April 2021
Anthem Explanatory Essay
Ayn Rand's Anthem shows us her view of our world united under what seems to be communist rule. Dystopia is an imagined state or society in which there is great suffering or injustice, typically one that is totalitarian or post-apocalyptic. The Giver is an example of a dystopia for example Choices are taken away from the people for fear that they cannot handle the consequences. Citizens have a fear of the outside world, information, independent thought, and freedom are restricted, and Propaganda is used to control the citizens of society are used in Anthem.
The citizens seem to have some sort of fear of the outside world known as the Uncharted Forest. In the Uncharted Forest there is thought to be scarce food, wild beasts, and ruined cities it has grown over. Equality explains in chapter 2, "There is fear hanging in the air of the sleeping halls, and in the air of the streets. Fear walks through the City, fear without name, without shape.” (Rand 53) Humans tend to steer away from anything that might harm them, and fear is usually present to alert us about harm.
Information, independent thought, and freedom are restricted in this society. Equality must think about “the will of all men together” and how they are all supposed to be “one in all and all in one”. No one may think of or for themselves and everyone decision is made by the grace of every brother. While freedom is not given to individuals, safety is seen through strict boundaries and disciplinary act. “‘Dare not choose in your minds to work you would like to do when you leave the Home of the Students. You shall do that which the Council of Vocation shall prescribe you...And if you are not needed by your brother man, there is no reason for you to burden the earth with your bodies’”.(Rand 61) This explains that in Anthem, freedom is an unwelcomed word.
Anthem’s society uses propaganda to control the citizens. A form of propaganda is when one man was executed on the pyre in front of everyone which teaches the citizens not to break the law and use pronouns. “But I still wonder how it was possible, in those graceless years of transition, long ago, that men did not see whether they were going, and went on, in blindness and cowardice, to their fate. I wonder, for it is hard for me to conceive how men who knew the word “I”, could give it up and not know what they have lost.”(Rand 35) This quote explains how the simple word “I” was taken for granted and how men did not notice the value of this word. The word “I” is what allows you express your opinion and the word “I” is what implies it’s your opinion and not a groups’ opinion.
In conclusion, citizens have a fear of the outside world, information, independent thought, and freedom are restricted, and Propaganda is used to control the citizens of society are used in Anthem. Dystopia is not good because it does not allow humans to be who they want to be. They cannot think for themselves or be their own person