Collectivism and Objectivism In Anthem and Village

Collectivism in Anthem Economic: The novel implies that citizens work in separate vocations and share their products. Money is not mentioned in the novel. Instead it seems that they have a more communal economic structure. Social: Social freedoms have been taken away from the citizens. Instead, different councils make personal choices for them. -Council of Vocations -Council of Eugenics Political: There is little political choice. People are elected to the council “by a free and general vote of all men”(Rand 25). However, their choices in candidates are made by the council of vocations.

Objectivism in Anthem Equality 7-2521/ Prometheus: He does not take actions that help the entire good. He goes away from the overall group to work on things not sanctioned by the collective. At the end of the novel Equality fights against the collective society by leaving the group. He learns to use singular pronouns and develops a life of objectivism by promising to never be a slave to the collective or the word “we”. Other characters displaying instances of objectivism are International 4-8818 and Liberty 5-3000. International helps Equality by not telling the collective about the tunnel they found. Liberty also recognizes what Equality sees in collective and makes an independent choice to leave the collective in order to follow him.

Collectivism in The Village Economic: Like in Anthem, money does not exist in The Village. The people share resources and the community is small enough that they have an almost help your neighbor mentality. Social: The village lacks some of the extreme social controls that Anthem has in place. However people living in the village live in a climate of fear that influences many of their actions. Political: In the village a select group of elders are the leaders. Although they do not control every aspect of people’s lives like Anthem they do control the communities access to knowledge.

Objectivism in the Village Ivy: leaves the collective to help one individual despite the protests of the village elders that it would damage the group’s way of life. Lucius: questions the way of life in the village and their seclusion. Like Equality, Lucius questions their lack of technology.

Symbolism and Archetypes Anthem: The color yellow on the cover of the book represents enlightenment. The light bulb that Equality creates shows new ideas and fits into a Light versus Darkness archetype of good versus evil. The white rooms that equality describes in all of his homes represent the extreme order in his society. This order pushes out creativity and free thought. The Village: The forest represents evil and fear. The colors in the movie represent the Good versus Evil archetype. Ivy is an archetypical character because she is blind seer

About the movie… Director M. Night Shyamalan is known for the Sixth Sense and Signs. His most recent movie is The Visit. He makes a cameo apperance in all the movies he directs and his movies end with his signature plot twist.