Anthem by Ayn Rand is a classic novel that can relate to many historical beliefs, issues, and events. Anthem displays a society where many economical-political beliefs are used. Rand exposes the many problems these beliefs have throughout the book using her philosophy of objectivism. Anthem takes place in some unknown future time and place in which freedom and individual rights do not exist. Anthem displays an extreme collectivism society which has led to the start of a dictatorship of the fascist/communist variety (Anthem). In Anthem, the main character, Equality 7-2521, discovers a hidden tunnel from the Unmentionable Times (the time period before the Great Rebirth of their society). In the tunnel, he discovers and reinvents a lightbulb. Afterwards, he realizes all of the sins he has made just so he could explore his tunnel. In attempt, to be forgiven for his sins, he displays his light bulb to the Council of Scholars (the…show more content… This type of society directly relates to the communist state Russia, and the fascist sate Nazi Germany (Cayton, Perry, Reed, &Winkler 568). This type of society helps Ayn Rand display her philosophy of objectivism throughout the novel. Rand once said “My philosophy, in essence, is the concept of a man as a heroic being, with his own happiness as the moral purpose of his life, with productive achievement as his noblest activity, and reason as his own absolute.” (Objectivism). Rand’s philosophy is displayed all throughout Anthem, but the most obvious examples of it are when Equality 7-2521 doesn’t do what the council wants him to and simply does his own thing. Another example of Rand’s philosophy is at the end of the book when Equality 7-2521 establishes his own life with Liberty 5-3000, or the Golden One, that is the exact opposite of what his life was like finally giving him freedom, happiness, self-respect, rights and
