Comparative Essay: Anthem and 1984

According to Merriam-Webster, a dystopia can be defined as “an imagined world or society in which people lead wretched, dehumanized, fearful lives.” Dystopias have distinct characteristics that set them apart from other societies. In the dystopian societies of Anthem and 1984, the autocratic governments firmly oppose individualism and strongly believe in collectivism. The governments in Anthem and 1984 also keep constant surveillance on every citizen, putting them in command of all. The societies in the novella Anthem by Ayn Rand as well as the novel 1984 by George Orwell are characterized by opposition to individualism and complete government control.

Ayn Rand and George Orwell in their pieces, Anthem and 1984, portray the governments who run the societies – and the societies themselves – as ones that believe firmly in collectivism and oppose individualism. Equality 7-2521, the main character, and protagonist in Anthem who is different from his fellow citizens that reside in the City of the Damned, states that above the doors of an important building, there are words cut in marble which read that all the people “are one in all and all in one” and that there “are no men but only the great WE, One, indivisible and forever” (Rand 4). Therefore, it appears that the government who rules over the society in the City of the Damned, absolutely despises individualism and believes in collectivism. They do not accept that everyone is their own being and that they all have their distinct thoughts and opinions. These words harshly characterize what the dystopian society in Anthem is all about. Likewise, in 1984, the government, more commonly known as the Party, for the most part successfully prevent people from asserting their individual nature against the collective identity that is the status quo through terror and propaganda. While the main character, Winston Smith, is completing a mandatory workout, the instructor yells at him to try harder and “do better” but what stands out is that she calls him “6079 Smith W” (Orwell 46). This numbering shows that instead of giving people unique names, the Party does not allow distinction between people and resorts to numbering. These collectivist characteristics are vital to defining a dystopian society and set them far apart from other societies. 

In addition to collectivism, Ayn Rand and George Orwell both create societies that are under constant surveillance 24 hours a day. There is no sense of privacy which makes it extremely hard for the citizens to rebel and argue against the government to create change. In 1984, it is explained that through “telescreens”, the government would “watch everybody all the time” and people “could be seen as well as heard” (Orwell 5). This invasion of privacy shows the extreme measures that the Party takes to make sure that people are obeying every absurd rule that they have imposed. No one can ever live with full disclosure in their lives, and everything is shared with the government even if it is just a whisper. Similarly, in Anthem, the citizens are also always watched. On page 35, Equality explains that he is forced to “crawl under [his] seat and under the cloth of the tent” (Rand). This shows that the only way to gain some sort of alone time or privacy is by sneaking out. People who live in the City of the Damned are always forced to be looking over their shoulders in case they may be being watched for breaking any rules. One wrong statement or action by any citizen in the societies in 1984 or Anthem could spell disaster for them, which could mean getting killed. This shows the characteristic of constant surveillance very clearly, making it vital for dystopian societies to operate.

In essence, the novella Anthem by Ayn Rand and the novel 1984 by George Orwell both showcase the characteristics of collectivism and government surveillance in a dystopian society. These characteristics lead to governments in dystopian societies gaining absolute control and power over people and their minds. Collectivism and government surveillance are still used by dictatorships and autocracies around the world such as Kim Jong-un in North Korea. The characteristics shown help define what a dystopian society is and how it impacts the lives of the people living within them.