Peikoff’s observations about the lack of traditional structure in Anthem are important to understanding how the novella works as a whole and what Rand was trying to accomplish with publication of the work. Though Anthem is plainly fictional, it is less like a novel and more like a manifesto, or statement of views. It does not, for example, contain detailed descriptions of characters or setting, or have easily identifiable structural components, such as a climax. Rather, it seeks to compel us to fear what Rand considers the error of embracing collectivism and to stave off this future by embracing the tenets of objectivism.