Anthem and Other Dystopian Novels: 1984 and Brave New World

Anthem - Lesson 10 of 10

How does Ayn Rand’s Anthem compare to two other well-known works of dystopian literature: 1984 by George Orwell and Brave New World by Aldous Huxley? Unlike Anthem, Brave New World depicts a society in which advanced technology goes hand in hand with totalitarian collectivism. Unlike Anthem, 1984 depicts a world in which the individual has no chance to succeed or escape. What accounts for these differences? Is evil really an all-powerful, inescapable force? Are science and technology really compatible with the collectivist mindset? How does Anthem’s critique of collectivism differ from that of these other works?

Spoiler alert: This lesson assumes that students have read the works discussed.

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[daviddedick]

Thanks for this Keith. I just gave a friend a copy of Anthem. I’m hoping it will be as important to her as it has been for me.