Individualism Found in Nature - Alese Cowardin

 One of the most interesting pieces of literature I have read that relates to nature would be Ayn Rand’s Anthem. In this novel, a futuristic society is dominated by authoritarian rule that strips each citizen of their individuality, reducing them to a simple word, number, and predetermined job. There is no individual thought or feeling found in this society, demonstrated through the use of the collective “us” in place of the individual “I,” yet the main character comes to discover that it was not always this way. He eventually runs away from the dystopian society and into the forest, which dramatizes the idea of escaping into nature to reconnect with oneself. The forest even serves to further the growth of his individuality, as he learns to live by himself in connection with the surrounding nature, rather than relying on the societal constructs placed on him in society. The forest, detached from the rigid society he comes from, offers an understanding of his own personhood which was previously unknown to him. This idea of the forest and nature as an awakening for the main character is further emphasized by the finding of the old house on the mountainside at the end of the novel. This house, through its depiction of a place of light through its reflective material, emphasizes a connection between man and nature that has since been lost in the dystopian society, but the main character’s discovery of the house symbolizes a return to this connection. Nature then, through the house, provides the final step for the main character to regain his full individuality as he uncovers the existence of the word “I” inside.

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