Written by Ayn Rand, “The Anthem” is a short Novella that shows the destiny of a society that has been corrupted by the collectivist mentality. In this world, there is no “individual”; there is no “I.” There is only “we,” “us,” the collective, the mob, and the masses. It’s a futuristic dystopia of a world that has forsaken and erased all the current knowledge and technology. It was fascinating for me because when one usually thinks of a futuristic story, it is typically characterized by technological advancement. There are many similarities between this novella and one of my favorite short stories, ‘Harrison Bergeron’ by Kurt Vonnegut, in terms of themes of government vs individual and advancement vs retrogression. 

This world only values humans for their contribution to their given workplace and their obedience. People’s entire existence consists of concentric restrictive circles that start in the Home of the Infants, proceed to the Home of the Students, and finish with the Home of the Useless. Names, as you and I know them, are no longer used in this world; instead, they are named by the government with a word (e.g., equality, liberty, international, etc.) and a number. This method of naming people was just one of the ways the government intended to dehumanize their subjects. 

The story follows Equality 7-2522, the name of the protagonist, whose intelligent and independent mind aided him in a significant rediscovery. In a world where you are forbidden from writing, thinking, and even favoring certain people above others (such as familial or romantic attachments), Equality 7-2522 rebels. He meets a woman, who he affectionately named “The Golden One” in his mind and who names him “the Unconquered” in return. Both are very fitting names.

I love this novella, and I highly recommend it.