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Anthem Author & Background Information

Ayn Rand's "Anthem," published in 1938, unfolds in a dystopian future where individuality is suppressed by a collectivist regime. Born in Russia in 1905, Rand experienced the harsh realities of political oppression, shaping her views on egoism and individual self-expression. In this novella, she critiques collectivism and emphasizes the importance of personal identity through the use of the collective pronoun "we." The novel explores themes of communication, historical value, and the potential for human rebirth, inviting readers to reflect on the significance of individuality in society.

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Anthem Author & Background Information

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  1. AnthemAuthor & Background Information

  2. The Author: Ayn Rand • Born in St. Petersburg, Russia in February 1905 • She lived during the Russian Civil War & the Bolshevik Revolution; these gave way to the Communist era in Russia • Her family lost its business & lived in extreme poverty • She majored in Philosophy & History in College & studied screen-writing at Cinema Arts • When Stalin ascended to power in the 1920’s, she escaped to Chicago in 1926 • She then moved to Hollywood to become a screen-writer

  3. The Author: Ayn Rand • She married the actor Frank O’Conor • Anthem was published in Great Britain in 1938, she later revised the novella and, in 1946, published it in the United States • She is best known for The Fountainhead (1943) and Atlas Shrugged (1957)

  4. Communist Russia • Stalin was the leader of the USSR & he improved the country's economic status • Stalin also ordered purges (execution) of all those who opposed him, especially independent thinkers & intellectuals • Millions of people were killed including government officials, military & common people • There were also forced labor camps and collective farms, causing many people to die from starvation • 1879-1973

  5. Anthem: Themes • Themes to look for . . . -Individual self-expression is important -Humanity should preserve and value the past -Humanity has the ability to be reborn or revived -People lose their humanity when not able to communicate/interact with each other on a personal level

  6. Anthem: Other Information • The novel is written as an allegory, a fictional story whose purpose is to present a fictional idea • Rand is critical of the idea of Collectivism – Belief that man must be part of the collective group for the sake of the common good • Rand supports the idea of Egoism – An ego is essential for a human to be unique, everyone has their own “ego”

  7. To Know, before you read… • The novel is written using the word “We” because people were not allowed to use the word “I”, they were a collective society & not an individual one • The novel is written in the future and people can barely remember/know what life was like (life as society now). Imagine that everything has been wiped out & society is starting from scratch even though it is the future

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