Collectivism And Communism In Ayn Rand's Anthem

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When one reads even the first paragraph of Ayn Rand’s “Anthem”, it is difficult to not immediately draw a connection to the multiple communist regimes throughout history. Multiple connections can be drawn, and external evidence can be used as well. Ayn Rand was very opposed to collectivism, and in turn, communism. She even designed a philosophy that directly opposes it. The idea that shall be expanded on in this essay is simple. The world of “Anthem” is essentially an elegant critique of collectivism and communism. A portion of Ayn Rand’s life was spent under the oppression of Stalin’s Soviet Union. She saw firsthand the damage that collectivism caused. Then she was almost thrown out of college for being disapproved of by communist sympathizers. She had a fascination with western culture, with surely only cultivated the skepticism of her legitimacy. Not long after graduating college, she escaped to the United States. The freedom of the west opened her eyes to the plights back home in Russia, and this helped birth her philosophy of objectivism. She also later wrote “Anthem”. Looking at the world of “Anthem”, it is clear to see the societal flaws. People are to act in a collective manner, and bow to the state. This is but a brief summary, and many more details can be given out. Vocations are given at an early age, but even the most …show more content…
The basics of communism are well known. Everyone is to be equal, as everyone is of equal importance to the state. Immediately this jumps out. Moreover, Russia was plagued with an oppressive government that enforced the detrimental rules of equality that crippled individualism. No personal items, no personal land, no rewards for being of extra importance to the state. This could describe either the book, or the Communist regime, as they are very
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