Anthem Advanced Research Response

Anthem Advanced Research Response

Topic #3: Is Anthem a realistic portrayal of life in a totalitarian society? Compare the fictionalized society in Anthem to a real dictatorship, past or present.

The cold war and communism of the Russian Revolution in 1917 is similar to that of the dystopian society portrayed in Anthem. Not only did Rand grow up during Russia at this time, but she also based her book off of the thoughts it gave her.

A lot of major events happened in Russia during 1917, this year was also known as “The End of Tsardom”. During March of 1917 food riots broke out in St. Petersburg -- troops in the city refused to fire on the people and mutinied. Under pressure from St. Petersburg the Duma set up a provisional government under Prince Gregory Lvov on March 14th. Three days later Russia became a Republic. The soviets challenged the Provisional Government for control, and by October 1917 were controlled by the Bolsheviks, this marked the beginning of the Bolshevik Revolution. Lenin promised the people “Peace, Land, and Bread”. They so obviously didn’t receive this -- thus explaining their uprising. By November 1917 -- the Bolsheviks are in total control of the Soviets and took over the telephones, railroad stations, and power companies in St. Petersburg. The Bolsheviks later became a communist political party. (Mason)

To compare this to Anthem, this almost sounds like what could have scared the people in her story into going back into the Dark Ages. In Russia there was also The Purges that was also referred to as “The Great Terror” -- this could have been what influenced Rand to have the story take place in a future where people all act the same because they are afraid of one individual having too much power.

The heart of the dystopian society in which Equality and the Golden One were forced to live in is a lot like the communistic dictatorship of Russia.All though in Anthem the people are dictated by different sets of councils, in a real dictatorship everyone is typically controlled by one person -- hence the term dictator. Communists believe in collectivism which is the same thing as believing everyone is one big “whole” or “we”. In communism you don't have a say, or an opinion -- you must only fall in routine with the crowd and go through the motions.