Ayn Rand was a philosopher novelist during the 1930’s, 40’s and 50’s – she famously wrote in an essay that “The fundamental difference between private action and governmental action – a difference thoroughly ig¬nored and evaded today – lies in the fact that a govern¬ment holds a monopoly on the legal use of physical force.” In her novels, she portrays governmental institutions and characters basically, as ugly. Take a look:
In Atlas Shrugged, Rand portrays government officials and entities as a threat to individual achievement and the free market. The novel’s plot centers around a dystopian society where government regulation and intervention have stifled innovation and driven society to the brink of collapse. The protagonists, a group of industrialists and thinkers, seek to remove themselves from society and establish a free market system where individual achievement is rewarded. Rand’s message is that government intervention in the economy is detrimental to individual achievement and that the pursuit of one’s own self-interest is the key to a thriving society.
- Wesley Mouch: Head of the Bureau of Economic Planning and National Resources, responsible for implementing socialist policies in the United States. “Mouch was a little man, with a of manner oily enough to lubricate a diesel engine.” “He was not incompetent, but he had neither the ability nor the mind to be more than a passive, limited, obedient functionary.”
- James Taggart: President of Taggart Transcontinental, a railroad company, and later becomes a government official. “He was tall, fat and balding, and he had a way of blustering, of puffing himself up and demanding obedience.” “He was that curious thing: a man incapable of anything but the function of a public office.”
- Orren Boyle: Owner of Amalgamated Switch and Signal, a competitor of Taggart Transcontinental, and a crony of the government. “He had a round, soft, flabby face, the face of a man who eats too much and exercises too little.” “He was not important enough for the politicians to be concerned with him, but he was useful as a tool.”
- The State Science Institute: A government organization tasked with promoting scientific research, but instead uses its power to suppress new ideas and protect the status quo. “The Institute’s sole criterion of scientific merit was whether or not a given theory was compatible with the ideas of Marx, Lenin, and Stalin.”
- Project X: A secret government project to create a weapon of mass destruction. “The Project was a maze of vast corridors, hundreds of feet underground.” “They were the men who knew how to deal with matter, but not with life.”
In “The Fountainhead,” Ellsworth Toohey, a prominent architectural critic, serves as the primary antagonist to the protagonist, Howard Roark. Toohey seeks to use his influence to promote conformity and mediocrity in architecture, while Roark strives to create innovative and individualistic designs. Toohey’s attempts to sabotage Roark’s career and promote his own agenda showcase the dangers of those who seek to control and manipulate society for their own gain.
- Ellsworth Toohey: A columnist and architectural critic who seeks to destroy individualism and promote collectivism. “He looked like a man who could use a drink, or like one who had just had too many.” “He had a face that suggested resentment.”
- Guy Francon: A successful architect who compromises his artistic integrity for financial gain. “Francon was handsome in a large, beefy way, with the face of a man who would never want anything he could not get.” “He was a friend of many politicians.”
- Howard Roark’s enemies: A group of architects and critics who oppose Roark’s individualistic designs. “They were the men who worked in the group and did not know why they worked or what they wanted.” “They looked like conspirators, but not like heroes.”
- The Council of American Builders: A government agency that seeks to impose conformity on architecture. “The Council was an anonymous-looking building in a slum street.” “The Board consisted of two architects, one labor leader, one engineer, one businessman, and three representatives of the public.”
In Anthem, Ayn Rand portrays the malevolent government officials and entities as the embodiment of oppression and collectivism, stifling the protagonist’s individuality and creativity. They serve as the antagonists that constantly interfere with the protagonist’s journey towards self-discovery and personal growth. Their actions are described as follows: “The government officials in Anthem were like parasites feeding off the creativity and productivity of individuals. They had no interest in promoting individualism, only in the perpetuation of their own power.”
- The World Council of Scholars: A group of intellectuals who suppress individualism and promote collectivism. “We had known that the Scholars of the World Council were wrong, but we had thought that it was only by accident.” “They were tall men, proud and unapproachable.”
- The Home of the Infants: A government institution responsible for raising children. “The sleeping halls there were white and clean and bare of all things save one hundred beds.” “The eyes of the little ones looked up at us, and they smiled, but then they turned away, and their eyes did not look at us again.”
