Anthem Research
Topic
Having grown up in Soviet Russia herself, Ayn Rand, the
author of Anthem, was influenced by
her own experiences when creating the dystopian world found in her book. Born in 1905 to fairly wealthy parents,
Rand grew up during a time when Russia was experiencing many struggles over
power. In 1917, at only twelve years old, Rand saw a revolution take over the
nation as the proletariat took control of the government. Her own family was
greatly affected when her family’s business was taken away by the government,
as were all other privately-owned businesses (Shmoop Editorial Team).
The goal
of the Bolsheviks, the political party that seized the government, was to
create a “Vanguard of the Proletariat,” by establishing a small group from the
working class as the leaders of the nation. They seized their opportunity in
1917, when the tsarist regime could not handle the pressures of World War I.
Soon, tsardom fell to a revolution of the working class. The proletariat quickly
took over the government and made many changes to try to make things equal for
all citizens, despite class (“Revolution Comes to Russia”).
The Bolsheviks renamed themselves the Communist Party in
March of 1918. Instead of having one sole ruler, they decided to establish the
Council of People’s Commissars, which was a group that ran the government. Much like the World Council in Anthem, this small group of leaders made
decisions for the whole nation (“Revolution Comes to Russia”).
The people in both Soviet Russia and Anthem were oppressed by their
governments. They were told how to live, and even what job they would be working
for their entire lives. The government simply controlled everyone’s life for
what they thought would benefit “the whole”. This is shown directly in Anthem, as the people are unable to
express themselves personally, only saying “we” not “I”. They are only allowed
to think of the brotherhood, as one, instead of focusing on themselves. Even thinking
their own thoughts is against the rules, in some cases, a sin punishable by death.
Violence was used in both societies as a punishment for standing out.
Simply being different was a great sin.
Rand experienced this firsthand when she was in school. She nearly got expelled
from college because she was too smart, much smarter than her classmates. Equality
has the exact same problem. Not only does he look different, but he is hungry
for knowledge and asks many questions, something which is discouraged by his
teachers when he is in school. When he is assigned his job, the Council of
Vocations holds him back, giving him the job of street sweeper, for they do not
want him finding out the truth (Shmoop Editorial Team).
Also, neither society really had a
religion. Stalin was completely against religion and suppressed it by all means,
enforcing atheism onto the people of Soviet Russia. In Anthem, Equality never mentions a greater being until the end, when
he has escaped society and figures things out on his own.
Even though these societies relate, there
are some differences. First of all, I think that Rand made the society in Anthem into a much harsher
representation of Soviet Russia. The people in Anthem don’t even have families. Their entire lives revolve around
their jobs and their only time off is to go to the theater to see a show for a
couple of hours. They are never given any alone time, time to think, and the
government is completely against all advancement of knowledge. Also, food was
rationed in Soviet Russia, as another way to make things “equal”. In Anthem, it seems like the government
takes pretty good care of its people in this way, to ensure they are healthy
enough to work and do their job to contribute to society. However, once they
reach an old age, they are no longer of any use, so the government gets them
out of the way.
The society of Soviet Russia and the one
in Anthem were very oppressive. These
totalitarian societies were very harsh and extremely cruel towards those they
governed. We can only hope that the past does not repeat itself and that the
future society described in Anthem
does not come to fruition.
Works
Cited
“Revolution
Comes to Russia.” AP European History.
12 Dec. 2012.
Shmoop
Editorial Team. "Anthem" Shmoop.com. Shmoop University,
Inc., 11 Nov.
2008. Web. 21 Apr. 2013. <http://www.shmoop.com/anthem-ayn-rand/>.
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