Collectivism In Ayn Rand's Anthem

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“Collectivism holds that the individual has no rights, that his life and work belong to the group and that the group may sacrifice him at its own whim to its own interests”(Ayn Rand). Anthem is a novella written by Ayn Rand, sets place in the future where individualism is cease to exist. A collectivist society that taught citizens to be the same and not be different. The citizens have no rights and remain the same. Ayn Rand was born Alissa Rosenbaum in 1905 in St. Petersburg, Russia. When she was in highschool, she both witnessed the Russian Revolution and later the Bolshevik Revolution. She was inspired after the american history introduced to her and as her model of what a true nation of free. Although the story was not specifically for anti-Russian, …show more content…
In contrast with other species, humanity does not possess a natural ability or instinctive reactions but does have a capacity to think new ideas about techniques; are methods of creating tools and being able to construct artifacts, which makes up characteristics as being a human species (Buchanan). Equality 7-2521 has a fascination about the world and wants to understand. He even secretly desires to be sent to the Home of Scholars. However, he feels guilty due to their teachings that it is a sin to have secret intentions. He says,“But we loved the Science of Things, We wished to know. We wished to know all the things which make earth around us. We asked so many questions that the Teachers forbade it” (Rand 23). Curiosity is restricted in his society, so he cannot gain knowledge. Due to the lack of knowledge, the information they have is incorrect and outdated. Similarly to the dark middle ages, where an outbreak of deadly plague, known as black death claimed an estimated 75 million people. Back then they did not understand the biology of diseases as a result, many people have died believing this is the God’s punishment. Currently, when it comes to knowledge, the Capitalism are far more excelled than the Communism society. Because throughout history, these people are able to gain the wisdom to achieve by learning and gaining experience and the intelligence to develop techniques