The Anthem by Ayn Rand: An Analysis

The vehicle that drove Ayn Rands method objectivism in the book “The Anthem” are individualism, egoism, and independence. The opposite of collectivism is individualism, the way Ayn Rand looked at it “individualism” she wrote “regards man-every man as an independent, sovereign entity who possess an inalienable right to his own life, a right derived from his nature as a rational being”. Individualism doesn’t mean that someone can do whatever they want. It means that every man has the same rights as another man. Individualism is what Ayn Rand wanted to show the world they could look forward to after the strict communist society that had been in existence. “I am not a tool for their use. I am not a servant of their needs. I am not a bandage for their wounds. I am not a sacrifice on their altars. I am a man”. If you are lacking an ego, that means one has become a robot. Egoism means “concern with owns interests.” The character Equality 7-2521 in the book demonstrates what it is to be egotistic. He lived for his own happiness; he doesn’t sacrifice himself to others. He demonstrated egoism by his ambition, wanting things for himself, wanting to learn, wanting a career that made him happy, loving someone, and thinking for himself. Equality shows the confused human spirit, the way of life or man’s part in a technocratic society. One of the oldest and most important methods was independence. Ayn Rand, who advocated independence, contended that people can make choices, can make up their own mind, can make decisions, and can direct their own lives. The Anthem depicts a world where people’s lives seem to be determined for them but it’s actually a world where people eventually find their independence. In the Anthem only heroic characters have free will. “We forgot all men, all laws and all things save our metals and our wires. So much is still to be learned! So long a road lies before us, and what cares we if we must travel it alone!.” Ayn Rand