Individuality in Anthem, V for Vendetta, and Brave New World Essay

All throughout history, society has ruled and the individual has tried to overcome its power. This is shown in two works of literature and one film. In the works Anthem by Ayn Rand, Brave New World by Aldous Huxley and V for Vendetta directed by James McTeigue, the success of the society over the individual is portrayed. In Anthem, the society is the overall winner because it forced Equality (Prometheus) and Liberty (Gaea) out of the society. However, the twist is that the society did nothing to make them leave. In the resolution of Brave New World, John Savage hangs himself in the lighthouse because of all the influences that the society has had on him. In addition, he did not like the majority of how the society was run so that also pushed him to the edge. In V for Vendetta, society is also victorious in the way that the protagonist ends up dying in the end. As a final result of the individuals thinking for themselves, society ends up crushing their individuality.

In the book Anthem, it is shown that the society defeats the individual. Anthem is a book that is written about a utopian society that is perfect in all forms. Nevertheless, some individuals try to overpower it, but fail and instead, run away. One example of how the society prevails over the individual is when Equality and Liberty decide to run away from the society into the Uncharted Forest. The society did not have to do anything to make them leave the society. They just left on their own free will, and the society did not change after they left, so they did not accomplish anything. When Equality made the light bulb, it caused a lot of corruption among the Council of Leaders and that was also one of the reasons why Equality and Liberty left the utopia. Another example is when they were in the Uncharted Forest and in the glass house they wanted to make their own little utopia. They did not take into consideration that they would need more people to help them. However, all of those people liked where they were in their current utopia.

Brave New World is another example of how the society overpowers the weak individuals. One of the strongest arguments is that the protagonist who wants to try changing all of society and the utopias hangs himself in the end of the novel. The protagonist of the story is John Savage. Before he hangs himself, he whips himself; society disgusts him because of people being promiscuous around and the soma tablets. A person could say that he was doing penance because he confessed what was wrong with the world he lives in and is now making peace with it. With him whipping himself, he causes a mass media frenzy and attracts a lot of attention toward himself. This gathering of people leads to a major group orgy, and Mr. Savage finally gives in, takes soma, and takes part in the orgy. The next morning he wakes up and realizes what had happened the previous night, so in disgust with himself he hangs himself, from a light tower.

Finally, in the movie V for Vendetta, the society prevails once again over the individual. V for Vendetta is about a terrorist who does not like the government and tries to dismantle it. An example of how the society overcomes the individual is in the resolution. The protagonist dies when he is circled by a group of police, is shot multiple times, staggers to a train station, and then dies there. Therefore, in the end society killed the only thing standing between them and peace and tranquility. In addition, if V would have never come out with his ideas and publicize about revolting then none of this would have happened and no one would have revolted.

Society has always been the dominant ruler of all humanity and all throughout these works of literature, including film, as well. These three works connected by the individual believes that he can change the way the society can be run, but fails in the act of succeeding. People all around the world have tried to revolt but in the end, the society takes power and the individual loses. V for Vendetta, Anthem and Brave New World are all modern justifications of how people would interpret utopias and how society would win in the conclusion.