Surviving Totalitarianism: Individuality and Resistance in Animal Farm and Anthem

Totalitarian governments seek to suppress individuality and enforce absolute control over their citizens. George Orwell’s Animal Farm and Ayn Rand’s Anthem explore how such societies crush personal identity and freedom—and how characters struggle to survive and resist in these oppressive environments.

Suppression of Individuality

In Animal Farm, the pigs manipulate ideology to justify their power, enforcing conformity through propaganda, fear, and rewriting history. The animals’ individuality is erased as they become tools of the regime, with slogans like “All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others” highlighting the betrayal of revolutionary ideals.

In Anthem, individuality is literally outlawed—people live in a collectivist society where the word “I” is forbidden. The protagonist, Equality 7-2521, lives in a world that suppresses independent thought, creativity, and self-expression, demanding absolute obedience and sameness.

Characters’ Responses to Oppression

Both works show characters grappling with their loss of identity:

  • In Animal Farm, characters like Boxer represent blind loyalty to authority, which ultimately leads to their exploitation. Others, like Benjamin, observe passively, while some resist subtly but are powerless to change the system.

  • In Anthem, Equality 7-2521 embodies rebellion. He rediscovers the forbidden concept of self, escapes the collective, and embraces individual freedom, symbolizing hope for personal liberation.

Survival and Resistance

Survival under totalitarian rule requires navigating fear, manipulation, and enforced conformity:

  • Animal Farm reveals how power corrupts and how survival often means complicity, but also hints at the inevitability of resistance as truths emerge.

  • Anthem champions radical individualism as the ultimate form of survival, emphasizing self-awareness and courage to break free from oppression.

Conclusion

Animal Farm and Anthem offer compelling portrayals of life under totalitarianism, showing how regimes suppress individuality and how characters respond in varied ways—from complicity to courageous rebellion. Together, these works highlight the enduring human desire for freedom and selfhood even in the darkest political landscapes.