How Ayn Rand’s Anthem relates to the eras of American Literature
In Anthem, Ayn Rand attempts to present her vision of the ideal man, the Objectivist Hero. Equality 7-2521
must make a mental or philosophical journey from the conformity of the State to the ideals of Objectivism in
order to become a Rand hero. The following chart illustrates Equality’s progression:
Puritanism
Emphasizes conformity and subjugation to a larger
entity (God or a theocratic government). The
philosophy of the city is called collectivism, vs. the
Romantic philosophy which emphasizes individualism.
p. 17 crime is “sin”
Emphasizes the immoral nature of crimes, which in the
Anthem world is non-conformity
Don’t think; just obey. Don’t be different.
p. 21 “This is a great sin to be born with a head
which is too quick.”
p. 21 “We exist by through and for our brothers
who are the State.”
Puritanism held God to be the power greater than the self
which was to be revered above the self. To the Puritans,
man’s purpose for existence was to glorify/serve God. To
the city in Anthem, a man’s purpose for existence is to serve
the State.
p. 76 “…we have heard of the corruption to be
Although he as fled the city, Equality still buys into its
found in solitude. We have torn ourselves from philosophy. He calls his brother men “the truth.” The
the truth which is our brother men, and there is
collective is the city’s god. His use of religious terms such
no road back, and no redemption.”
as sin and redemption emphasize how important adherence
to the city’s ideals is.
p. 77 “We are one of the Damned.”
Equality accepts his condemned status as just.
Emphasizes reason and its use to make life better, and
Enlightenment
knowledge for its own sake; emphasizes that any of
natures mysteries can be revealed through logic and
scientific observation
p. 18 “We were born with a curse. It has always Equality’s curse is the presence of desire, especially a
driven us to thoughts which are forbidden. It
desire to know. A totalitarian state, such as the theocracy
has always given us wishes which men may not established by the Puritans, is threatened by those who
wish.”
question the status quo.
p. 23-4 “We think that there are mysteries in the Equality has the Enlightenment desire to understand his
sky and under the water and in the plants which universe through scientific inquiry.
grow…and if we went to the Home of the
Scholars, we could learn from these…”
p.76 “We have not built this box for the good Emphasizes the acquisition of knowledge for its own sake.
of our brothers. We built it for its own sake. It While the Enlightenment WAS concerned about improving
is above all our brothers to us, and its truth above their truth .”
SOCIETY through the use of logic, Equality is concerned
only about the use of his logic for its own sake. Later he
will develop conscious desires/plans that he will fulfill
through the use of his logic. Accepts the movement to
Enlightenment, but still hasn’t rejected Puritanism.
p. 76 “…the glass box in our arms is like a
It is REASON that keeps Equality going, that gives him
living heart that gives us strength.”
hope.
Ayn Rand’s Objectivism blends aspects of the Enlightenment and Romanticism. Objectivism accepts
the use of logic, but not for the betterment of society, and it accepts the Romantic reverence for the
individual, but not the mystical/spiritual aspect of nature, preferring to plumb the mysteries of the
universe through logic. Objectivism revels in the frontier spirit, the pull-yourself-up-by-your-ownbootstraps attitude that defined America for so long.
Modernism
Emphasizes the futility of action in a random,
purposeless universe. Fear and despair are the
hallmarks of this era/philosophy
p. 68 “We shall sleep on this moss for many nights,
till the beasts of the forest come to tear our body.
We have no bed now, save the moss, and no future,
save the beasts.”
p. 76 “We are doomed. We know…but we do not
care. We care for nothing on earth. We are tired.
…the glass box in our arms is like a living heart that gives us strength. ”
Rand presents Modern ideas out of sequence
because, as a Romantic Realist, she cannot allow
her hero to be exposed to the individualism of
Romanticism, her truth, and then fall into despair.
Equality feels despair because he has attempted to
conform, and he has engaged in guilt-inducing nonconformist actions, and STILL he cannot reconcile
himself to his brothers. No matter what he does, he
can’t seem to make an impact on his world.
Equality’s moment of despair. If not for the light, the
symbol of reason, he would literally lie there and die.
Attempts to accept Modernism, but still holds
tenously to
p.76 truthssss
Romanticism
p. 75 “our legs had carried our wisdom, and our
legs had brought us to the Uncharted Forest”
p.78 -79
p. 80 “And we thought that we could trust this
being who looked upon us from the stream, and
that we had nothing to fear with this being.”
p. 82 “We wish to be damned with you, rather
than blessed with all our brothers.”
p. 83 “Fear nothing of the forest. There is no
danger in solitude. Let us forget their good and
our evil, let us forget all things save that we are
together and that there is joy as a bond between
us.”
p. 85 “If this is the great evil of being alone,
then what is good and what is evil?”
p. 86 “We are learning to doubt.”
Emphasizes the importance of the individual, selfreliance, the mystical/spiritual aspect of Creation, and
the nurturing aspect of nature
This is where Equality enters the Romantic philosophy. He
uses instinct and flees society for the solace of nature. He
doesn’t KNOW this, but his body/instinct leads him.
At the beginning of Chapter 8, Equality experiences the
“sublime,” a moment of bliss and perfection achieved,
according to the Romantics, by communion with nature.
The only emotion he’d felt in the city was fear.
This line is quite Emersonian in that Equality is beginning
to trust himself. (Self-Reliance) Notice that he still hasn’t
internalized this trust; he trust’s “this being who looked
upon us from the stream.” Seeing his own reflection is so
unreal that he can’t immediately associate what he sees
with what’s in his head.
Liberty accepts self-reliance.
Equality accepts self-reliance and REJECTS Puritanism/the
collective (Let us forget their good and our evil). He no longer
fears solitude (Romantic).
Emersonian idea: “A great man must not be hindered by the
name of good but must question if it be good.”
Equality is learning to question the philosophy of the city
and to develop his own ideas.
Objectivism
Stresses individuality, self-reliance, logic.
p. 94 “I am. I think. I will.”
Mirrors Rene Decartes (a French philosopher) idea “I think;
therefore, I am.” This idea suggests that thought/logic is
the essence of being.
Equality is not alive to serve God, the State, or anything
else but his own happiness.
p. 95 “My happiness is not the means to an end.
It is the end. It is its own goal. It is its own
purpose.”
p. 97 “I am done with this creed of
corruption…I am done with the monster of
“We,”…And now I see the face of god, and I
raise this god over the earth. This god, this one
word: “I.”
Equality is now the fully formed Objectivist hero: selfreliant, rejecting the city’s oppressive creed, and refusing to
subject himself or others to anyone’s wishes.