Anthem

“Anthem” is a novella by Ayn Rand.

It is a dystopian book in a future where the last great invention was the candle. This is after some hinted at, but not discussed, apocalyptic war.

The most striking part of the book is perhaps the use of the pronouns “we” and “our” when spoken by individual characters. There is no “I” and there is no sense of ownership outside the collective. The book involves the main character’s discovery of “I” and the individual “ego” and self-realization.

The story did not really speak to me. It spoke to the dangers of an all-encompassing collectivism devoid of individual thought. The status quo is maintained because consensus on change is difficult, and so therefore advancement is not made for all.

Rand also focuses on the collective work, which is simple and manual. She also focuses on the inventive nature of her individual hero. I wonder what Ayn Rand would write about a future in which humanity essentially no longer needs to do manual labor because we have done so well with robots and automation such that skilled or unskilled labor is no longer needed.

Also, two things strike me in this book. One is how subservient the love interest, The Golden One, is to the main character. For an independent woman in a world of people bowing themselves to the collective, to me, it appears that The Golden One trades a collective master for an individual one. The book is written as a journal from the main character’s point of view. The main character, self-named Prometheus, writes about The Golden One, of her beauty, innocence, and seeming independence. Any time Prometheus quotes The Golden One it essentially includes her bowing to or consenting to his will. It just does not fit.

Secondly, the start of the book discusses Prometheus’ childhood. Names were word and number designations. He asked too many questions as a child. Another child drew art while not authorized or permitted to do so. It is indicated that due to these outlying / misbehaviors these two were made to be street sweepers for their professions. The way it is phrased and discussed by Prometheus makes it sound like there was a conspiracy to keep the independent thinkers low and subdue them. This contrasts later with the utter incompetence and group think / collective submission of the council in power. Essentially, there appears to be no independent thought in society as a whole, and without any independent thought or distinctions made anywhere then it makes no sense to persecute the more independent thought. To me it seems like you need some sort of independent body to prejudice or persecute someone, while society could be set up to oppress any independent thought, basically but not rewarding it and indoctrinating through collectivism and only existing for your fellows (which is what happens in this world) it does not then make sense that such a society would target certain individuals. Essentially, it seemed like there was a complete lack of competence in the presented society, so much so that there was no competence or ability to persecute any individual. Again, it did not fit.

As for a suggested reading, I’d say the novella is probably forgettable.

(Read on Kindle.)