{"id":2250,"date":"2020-10-14T22:27:41","date_gmt":"2020-10-15T03:27:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lfs.org\/blog\/?p=2250"},"modified":"2024-05-10T22:09:30","modified_gmt":"2024-05-11T03:09:30","slug":"rediscovery-of-the-self-amid-post-apocalyptic-primitivism-ayn-rands-dystopian-anthem-the-1987-hall-of-fame-winner","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lfs.org\/blog\/rediscovery-of-the-self-amid-post-apocalyptic-primitivism-ayn-rands-dystopian-anthem-the-1987-hall-of-fame-winner\/","title":{"rendered":"Rediscovery of the sacred self: Ayn Rand\u2019s dystopian Anthem, the 1987 Hall of Fame winner"},"content":{"rendered":"

As part of the Libertarian Futurist Society series making clear why each winner deserves recognition as notable pro-freedom works, here’s our Appreciation of Ayn Rand’s Anthem, a<\/em>\u00a01987 Prometheus Hall of Fame inductee for Best Classic Fiction.<\/p>\n

By Michael Grossberg<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

For those who\u2019ve never read Ayn Rand, Anthem <\/em>is a good place to start.
\n
\n\"\"<\/a>Imaginative and inspirational with a tone of reverence and discovery, Anthem\u00a0<\/em>ranks as one of the great dystopian works of 20th\u00a0<\/sup>century literature, but also as the shortest and most poetic.<\/p>\n

Its powerful and poignant theme: the rediscovery of the self. In Rand\u2019s mythic and post-apocalyptic future of a primitive and very tribal society, the rediscovery of the self is tantamount to a revolutionary act amid the collectivism of forced servitude, ignorance, fear, stifling conformity and primitivism.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

With this spare but resonant work, Rand metaphorically drew some of her first philosophical and psychological links between the healthy emerging self-awareness of a freed mind and the constellation of civilization-nurturing values of reason, science, individualism, integrity, self-reliance and courage in building and sustaining one\u2019s life and civilization itself.<\/p>\n

I AND WE<\/strong><\/p>\n

As a novel, Anthem\u00a0<\/em>seems more like a novella-length poem. Artistically styled as a confessional, the story in its spirit evokes a prayer of thanksgiving by a human being grateful to discover their own soul, their own new-found self and individuated personhood.
\n\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Rand\u2019s innovative use of a maverick point of view for Anthem\u00a0<\/em>was intentional and sets the stylized personal and yet formal and almost religious tone: Rather than using \u201cI\u201d in her first-person narrative, she tells the first-person narrative using the words \u201cWe\u201d and \u201cOur.\u201d Here is how the novel begins:<\/p>\n

\u201cIt is a sin to write this. It is a sin to think words no others think and to put them down upon a paper no others are to see. It is base and evil. It is as if we were speaking alone to no ears but our own. And we know well that there is no transgression blacker than to do or think alone. We have broken the laws. The laws say that men may not write unless the Council of Vocations bid them so. May we be forgiven!\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

The central character, Equality 7-2521, is intelligent, curious and rebellious \u2013 enough to invent (i.e. re-invent) the electric light bulb in a world that only recently approved the new technology, after much conservative suspicion and delay, of candles.<\/p>\n

But Equality 7-2521 is also na\u00efve enough, about the ways of tyranny, to innocently bring his invention to the rulers with hopes that they will approve the invention and use it to improve the lot of his fellow citizens. Of course, that\u2019s not what happens.
\n\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Set in a timeless present, Anthem <\/em>can be interpreted as a prophetic warning about a distant future, but also can be understood as a metaphoric parable about our distant past \u2013 before the rise of the modern industrial-scientific and (classical) liberal order that advanced our species tremendously over recent centuries, wiping out tyranny, war, slavery, grinding poverty, endemic disease and other ancient ills.<\/p>\n

YOU ARE IMPORTANT<\/strong><\/p>\n

Why has Anthem <\/em>\u2013 and Rand\u2019s fiction and philosophy overall \u2013 resonated so deeply with so many millions of people for so many decades? Perhaps because the theme she explores is both philosophical and intensely personal as an affirmation of the individual.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>Emotionally, her theme couldn’t be more basic or direct: You are important. Your life is important, precious and irreplaceable. You, as an individual, can make a difference \u2013 and should strive to do so by being the best person that you can be.<\/p>\n

Written after the early dystopian works by Yevgeny Zamyatin (We,\u00a0<\/em>written in 1921, published in 1924 and inducted into our Prometheus Hall of Fame in 1994) and Aldous Huxley (Brave New World, <\/em>published in 1932), Anthem\u00a0<\/em>establishes its own tone, style and distinctive substance within that distinctly 20th<\/sup>-century subgenre of dystopia and its cautionary tales.<\/p>\n

Anthem <\/em>also foreshadowed in some ways several other classic dystopian bestsellers by Ray Bradbury (Fahrenheit 451,\u00a0<\/em>published in 1953 and inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1984) and George Orwell (Nineteen Eighty-Four, <\/em>published in 1948 and inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1984, and Animal Farm<\/em>, inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2011.)<\/p>\n

Set during an unidentified Dark Age, Anthem\u00a0<\/em>also was written during a relatively dark era. The 1930s not only saw the grinding hopelessness of the Great Depression but also the intellectual rise of extreme collectivism and authoritarianism of the Left and the Right, with both extremes widely supported and hailed as the inevitable post-liberal future by the intelligentsia.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
Ayn Rand in the 1940s (Creative Commons license)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

One might speculate that the psychological struggle of the novel\u2019s central character seems informed and indirectly shaped by Rand\u2019s first-hand experience with indoctrination under Soviet communism, a vicious system of dictatorship that Rand escaped in the 1920s to make her career in America.<\/p>\n

TIMELY FOR TODAY<\/strong><\/p>\n

Anthem\u00a0<\/em>also can be appreciated as a timely cautionary tale, an implicit commentary on where much of the world was going in the 1930s (indiscriminately toward all forms of statism, collectivism and unchecked government control, with the then-seemingly-inevitable spread of socialism, Leninist-Stalinist communism, Hitler\u2019s national socialism and Mussolini\u2019s Italian brand of socialism dubbed fascism).<\/p>\n

Considering the statist extremes and horrors in the 21st<\/sup>century of North Korea\u2019s communism and the now-failed state of Venezuela under socialism, Rand\u2019s implicit commentary sadly doesn\u2019t feel dated.<\/p>\n

Although Atlas Shrugged\u00a0<\/em>is often referenced and quoted as Rand\u2019s most prophetic novel, Anthem<\/em> offers prophetic insights as well.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>How timely is Anthem\u00a0<\/em>in 2020?<\/p>\n

More than one might think, at first \u2013 that is, if one can think beyond the range of the moment, and seriously consider the long-term consequences of a variety of dangerous trends, including a resurgence of statism, collectivism, mob rule, Orwellian groupthink, ignorance, fear, power-lust, deception, self-delusion, declining educational standards and authoritarianism on the Left and Right.<\/p>\n

An essay by Caroline Brasiers<\/strong><\/a> (published July 27, 2020) in The Foundation for Economic Education\u2019s online website (fee.org<\/a>), intelligently draws the parallels. Here\u2019s how her article begins:<\/p>\n

\u201cRecent\u00a0legislators, activists, and education reformers have promised to lead us into a new world of equity. No longer will some groups have a different lifestyle from others. No longer will some groups have a different education from others. There will be reform or else,\u00a0Hawk Newsome\u00a0warns, \u201cwe will burn down this system and replace it.\u201d<\/p>\n

“For a preview of these glories, we have only to open Ayn Rand\u2019s\u00a0Anthem<\/em>. In this dystopian novella, collectivists achieve their ideal by burning cities and books, then implementing central planning. Now everyone is equal: equally poor, equally housed, equally limited in what they can say and do and think…<\/p>\n

…”For the collective, the goal is control of outcomes, not freedom or human flourishing. And to maintain that control, they make sure that no one can see the truth, much less say it. In the Home of the Street Sweepers at night, the men undress silently in the dim candlelight: \u201cFor all must agree with all, and they cannot know if their thoughts are thoughts of all, and so they fear to speak.\u201d<\/p>\n

…”Over the last few months, we have come closer to Rand\u2019s dystopia of fear, silencing, and distorted \u201cequity.\u201d In a recent\u00a0survey<\/a>\u00a0at the University of North Carolina, students across the political spectrum reported that they (like the Street Sweepers) engaged in self-censorship in classrooms, remaining silent even when their opinions related to topics in class. They are afraid. They are not alone. Online mobs are destroying careers and lives, as John Stossel observes in \u201cCancel Culture is Out of Control<\/a>.\u201d He urges those of us who can speak to do so.<\/p>\n

Yet embracing free speech and other rights becomes increasingly difficult as governments push to eliminate them.’<\/p>\n

“…If, as\u00a0Jen Maffessanti\u00a0observes, dystopian fiction helps us understand the dangers we face, then none is more relevant to this moment than Rand\u2019s novella. What\u00a0Anthem<\/em>\u00a0clarifies is the real significance of collectivist ideals and language, which undermine not only our rights but our ability to articulate them.\u201d<\/p>\n

A final tip for parents and families: At only 59 to 105 pages (based on different printed editions over the decades), Anthem <\/em>is an excellent book to give to an older child or young teenager, especially those who have demonstrated some affinity for literature, poetry, fantasy or science fiction.<\/p>\n

READING RAND\u2019S NOVELS<\/strong><\/p>\n

Of the four novels that Rand wrote during her life, Anthem\u00a0<\/em>was the second \u2013 and by far, her shortest. For broader perspective on Anthem <\/em>and Rand\u2019s overall work as a novelist, a brief overview of her other works might be relevant:<\/p>\n

Published in 1938 in England in 1938 and re-edited in 1946 for publication in the United States in 1946, Anthem<\/em> was Rand\u2019s second novel following We the Living\u00a0<\/em>(1936, 528 pages).<\/p>\n

WE THE LIVING<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>Although not eligible for a Prometheus Award because it\u2019s historical fiction but not within the sf\/fantasy genre, We the Living\u00a0<\/em>offers a heartfelt romantic tragedy. Beyond that, the novel ranks among the best pro-liberty and anti-authoritarian works of fiction because of its semi-autobiographical (but fictional) realism about post-revolutionary Soviet Russia from 1922 to 1925 and its devastating expose of the evils of communism.<\/p>\n

In several ways, Rand\u2019s debut novel can be compared in artistry and impact to Victor Hugo\u2019s The Hunchback of Notre Dame.\u00a0<\/em>Both authors are best known for another, more famous and more epic novel, but if they hadn\u2019t written those magnum opuses, these novels would be far more widely recognized as first-rate romantic and historical dramas.<\/p>\n

THE FOUNTAINHEAD<\/strong>
\nRand\u2019s third novel, and the one that finally catapulted her to bestseller status and international renown, was The Fountainhead\u00a0<\/em>(1943, 720 pages).<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>Although also not eligible for a Prometheus award because it\u2019s not sf\/fantasy, this enduring bestseller offers a stirring affirmation of Promethean individualism that centers on the uphill struggle of a modern architect of talent and integrity.<\/p>\n

ATLAS SHRUGGED<\/strong><\/p>\n

Rand\u2019s fourth and final novel, Atlas Shrugged\u00a0<\/em><\/a>(1957, 1088 pages), is widely recognized as her magnum opus in its epic saga about a civilization-wide crisis that illuminates the role of the free mind in creating and sustaining a fully human society.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>Perhaps the best order to introduce yourself or others to Rand\u2019s novels, in my opinion, is to read\u00a0Anthem <\/em>first, followed by either We the Living\u00a0<\/em>(which some skip) or The Fountainhead\u00a0<\/em>(a must-read) but always culminating with Atlas Shrugged.<\/em><\/p>\n

Note: In addition to Anthem<\/em>, inducted into the Prometheus Hall of Fame in 1987, the Libertarian Futurist Society recognized Rand for her magnum opus\u00a0Atlas Shrugged,<\/em>\u00a0one of the first two works co-inducted into the Hall of Fame when it was established in 1983.<\/p>\n

Besides her four novels, three plays, screenplays and short fiction, Rand (1905-1982) wrote many non-fiction essays and columns later published in more than half a dozen non-fiction books.
\n\"\"<\/a>
\nCapitalism: The Unknown Ideal<\/em>\u00a0and\u00a0Return of the Primitive: The Anti-Industrial Revolution<\/em>\u00a0are probably of greatest interest to libertarians, classical liberals (for Rand was more truly a liberal than an \u201carch-conservative\u201d) and other freedom-lovers.<\/p>\n

IF YOU WANT TO KNOW MORE ABOUT OUR AWARDS<\/strong><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

* Other Prometheus winners:<\/strong>\u00a0 \u00a0For a full list of winners \u2013 for the annual Best Novel and Best Classic Fiction (Hall of Fame) categories and occasional Special Awards \u2013 visit the recently updated and enhanced Prometheus Awards page<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0\u00a0on the LFS website. (This page contains convenient direct clickable links to each Appreciation for Best Novel and Best Classic Fiction, as they are published on the Prometheus blog.)<\/p>\n

* Read the introductory essay<\/a>\u00a0<\/strong>about the LFS\u2019 40th<\/sup>\u00a0anniversary retrospective series of Appreciations of past Prometheus Awards winners, with an overview of the awards\u2019 four-decade history that launched the series in 2019 with review-essays about more than 40 Best Novel winners and that continues most weeks in 2020 with appreciations of the more than 40 Best Classic Fiction winners in the Prometheus Hall of Fame. If you\u2019ve ever wondered why some fiction is recognized with a Prometheus, this series will help you better understand what LFS members see as the libertarian and anti-authoritarian themes in each winner.<\/p>\n

* Read \u201cThe Libertarian History of Science Fiction,\u201d<\/strong><\/a> an essay in the June 2020 issue of the international magazine Quillette<\/em> that highlights the Prometheus Awards, the Libertarian Futurist Society and the significant element of libertarian sf\/fantasy in the modern genre.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

* Join us<\/strong>! To help sustain the Prometheus Awards,\u00a0join\u00a0<\/strong><\/a>the Libertarian Futurist Society(LFS), a non-profit all-volunteer association of freedom-loving sf\/fantasy fans, and help nominate, judge and vote for the annual Prometheus Award winners. Libertarian futurists believe upholding and advancing culture is as vital as politics in spreading positive visions of the future, achieving a flourishing society based on cooperation instead of coercion and a better, free-er world (perhaps eventually, worlds) for all.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

As part of the Libertarian Futurist Society series making clear why each winner deserves recognition as notable pro-freedom works, here’s our Appreciation of Ayn Rand’s Anthem, a\u00a01987 Prometheus Hall of Fame inductee for Best Classic Fiction. By Michael Grossberg For those who\u2019ve never read Ayn Rand, Anthem is a good place to start. Imaginative and … Continue reading Rediscovery of the sacred self: Ayn Rand\u2019s dystopian Anthem, the 1987 Hall of Fame winner<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":10,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[43,1854,2353,160,8,996],"tags":[267,558,167,744,747,525,745,746],"class_list":["post-2250","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-appreciations","category-ayn-rand","category-book-reviews","category-hall-of-fame","category-review","category-young-adult-fiction","tag-anthem","tag-atlas-shrugged","tag-ayn-rand","tag-collectivism","tag-equality-7-2521","tag-individualism","tag-post-apocalyptic","tag-primitivism"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pe8nGl-Ai","jetpack-related-posts":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lfs.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2250","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lfs.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lfs.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lfs.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/10"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lfs.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2250"}],"version-history":[{"count":29,"href":"https:\/\/www.lfs.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2250\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7523,"href":"https:\/\/www.lfs.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2250\/revisions\/7523"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lfs.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2250"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lfs.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2250"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lfs.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2250"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}