Anthem - by Ayn Rand. Notes as i understand it.


Anthem by Ayn Rand is a dystopian novel set in a future where individualism is outlawed and collectivism reigns supreme. It is short with easy English. 
The Protagonist,  Equality 7-2521 is a young man who yearns for knowledge and independence, but lives in a society that suppresses individuality. He defies the rules of his society by breaking restrictions, submitting to curiosity, conducting secret scientific experiments and eventually discovers an underground tunnel containing forbidden knowledge from the "Unmentionable Times" – the past before collectivism. Through these forbidden texts, Equality 7-2521 rediscovers the concepts of "I," "me," and "mine," realizing the importance of individual thought and freedom. He escapes his oppressive society with the help of Liberty 5-3000, a woman he loves. In the wilderness, they find an abandoned house and begin to rebuild their lives based on the principles of individualism and freedom.
 The central conflict revolves around the struggle between individual freedom and the stifling constraints of a collectivist society.
Reason and logic, which are denied in such a society,  are presented as essential tools for understanding the world and achieving personal fulfillment. The novel emphasizes the power of the individual to overcome oppression and create a better future.
Anthem is an exploration of the dangers of radical collectivism and a passionate defense of individual liberty.
A critical review may reveal a week argument against the idea of collectivism and the profound impression created about the individual. The over simplistic representation of a restrictive society, presenting limitation on ownership appears exaggerated. However since she was from the USSR, one may be allowed to accept an element of truth in the presentation with an element of drama. Looking back to the time of this book and comparing it with the way free individuals  has performed from , I am sceptical about the books core idea. In the last chapter, we get a glimpse of the beginning of collective behaviour, which is typical of the species displayed by the protagonist in his declaration of his ideas of a secure family and the way he wishes to expand. Fragmented collectivism could be the better discription of the authors conception. I would prefer a collective society with a balanced individual freedom to a objectivesed and ego burdened nations.

I have copy of the book with me. I can lend it for reading. 

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