Many people view the society in Anthem as a dystopian society, where each individual’s life is controlled by the government. If the question, “Is the world in Anthem more like today or in 1776?” was asked to a group of students who have read the book, a good majority of that group would answer 1776, including me. To illustrate my point, the people of the United States in 1776 wanted to find ways to survive through the nation as a whole. The thought of independence did not delight them, nor did it ever come to their mind. Everyone was so into the idea of using “We” instead of “I”, therefore, avoiding individualism. In Chapter 11, the first line includes: “I am. I think. I will.” (Rand, 1961, pg. 94) This is the exact moment when Equality
