Anthem
As the novel opens Equality 7-2521 states that what he's doing is a sin. In his society it is a sin to do things that do not involve others, and the words he thinks and writes are for no one eyes to see or hear, but his own. In his society everyone thinks the same, and if you were to be the different one you would be sent to the palace of correction and detention. Equality 7-2521 actually had a mind of his own. As you can see Science fascinated him. For example in chapter 1 while it was dark Equality 7-2521 would sneak into a dark tunnel in which he would spend 3 hours doing scientific research, and experiments. He would also steal manuscripts from the scholars, and every night he would study. This went on for two years. The difference between Equality 7-2521 and his society is that he actually wanted to succeed, while the rest of his society would settle for what they were told to be. The "glass box", can also be referred as a light bulb. After countless nights of experimenting, Equality 7-2521 succeeds in connecting the power of electricity to re-invent the electric light. This invention that he came up with can benefit to society, but he doesn't know how to tell them. Remember, you can't do anything that others can't do. That was the philosophy that the society believed in. He figured that since the council wouldn't appreciate his work, he would rather show his invention to the scholars. When the World Council of Scholars arrives in his city, he will present to them, as his gift, the "glass box with the power of the sky." One night while Equality 7-2521 was working on an experiment in his tunnel, he totally lost track of time. He rushed out, and then the council questioned him on why was he late. Equality 7-2521 refused to answer and therefore he was sent to the palace of correction and detention. He was able to escape and retreat back to the tunnel. He found everything the same way that he had left it. He was then getting prepared for the arrival of the scholars.
time; yet, nerds and geeks are still oppressed by others. To illustrate his intolerant attitude of the
In the beginning of the novella, the reader is introduced to a collectivist society that rose up after a era dubbed the “Unmentionable Times” where it is assumed there was great destruction that caused the fear of new society. This society rejects individual ideals, differences, choices, and solitude. This society is meant to be portrayed as unlikable to people who come from where differences and talents are celebrated and encouraged, such as the United States. It doesn’t fit objectivism, and actually is entirely the opposite. The use of this kind of society in the book is only a tool to show how objectivism is much better than collectivism. It is meant to show the troubles of this kind of ideology such as a boring lifestyle, lack of choice, and inadequacy of technology and advancement. This society portray as weaker and less than an individual, while Equality, who is slowly gaining a sense of individuality, progressed beyond them at a much faster rate. This shown by the way they light up their respective worlds. While the society as a whole uses candles, which are primitive, provide small amount of light, and have fragile, naked flames, the light Equality discovers is stronger. It can be made brighter, cleaner, and doesn’t go out with a breath of air. The electric light is also a symbol for Equality himself. He is stronger and taller ...
Equality 7-2521 knew that technology was something that could be used for greatness, “This has never been done before, but neither has such a gift as ours ever been offered to men,”(61) but for the world he lived in, technology was an atrocity. Technology was considered to be a creative invention of an individual, something that was considered the vilest of offenses. Equality 7-2521, or self-declared Prometheus, was certain that if he showed the council how amazing the concept of technology, of light, that he could change the way his world saw technology and creativity. He believed that with the creations of his seclusion he would aspire to greatness, but in the world he lives in has clones of men who believe that what he did was a monstrosity. With the degeneration of technology, the world in which Equality 7-2521 lived in was able to suppress the thirst for knowledge in nearly all of the inhabitants. It only took one mind with a hunger for knowledge and learning to destroy an entire
Anthem is a story of man’s struggle to be free and to fight the masses of conformity. It tells of human nature and the want to gain all the knowledge that one could possibly attain. Man loses his safe haven and his security when he lets this lust for knowledge overpower him and lets it be seen by others. He becomes vulnerable Like Johann Faust, Prometheus sells his life for wisdom. Unlike Faust, however, Prometheus is expelled from his society but gains his freedom of individuality and his freedom of knowledge and the ability to understand. In Anthem, Prometheus and Gaea sin against society to become singular and understanding much like Adam and Eve’s sin against God when they ate the fruit of the tree of knowledge to gain wisdom; as a result, they can be compared to each other by there desire for learning and by their damnation.
Lowery, George Allen Collier and Elizbeth. Basta! Land and the Zapatista Rebellion in Chiapas. Okaland, CA: Food First Books, 1999.
Star, Alexander. "Technopoly: The Surrender of Culture to Technology." New Republic. v207 n5 (July 27, 1992):59.
As time progresses technology increases and improves. However, this progression could pose as a serious problem for generations to come, and New York University department chair of communication arts Neil Postman expresses this concern in his 1992 book, Technopoly: The Surrender of Culture to Technology. In the opening of Postman’s book he expresses that technology is indeed our friend because technology provides our society with fast and easy convenience and accessibility. As with most other things, there are always two sides to everything and Postman notes, that “of course, there is a dark side to this friend” referring to technology (Postman, 1992). Many people do not address the negative sides to technology and just turn a blind eye to them so it is refreshing to have someone point them out and discuss the issues technology possess on our society.
La Botz, Dan. Democracy in Mexico: Peasant Rebellion and Political Reform. Boston, South End Press, 1995
Equality has discovered something all by himself and he’s the only one that knows it. Equality would help create a new idea of the period of invention and discovery but only if it was accepted by the Council. (Pg 53 Rand)“We put a piece of copper and a piece of zinc into a jar of brine, we touched a wire to them, and there under our fingers, was a miracle which had never occurred before, a new miracle and a new power.”
In today's world, technology is constantly changing from a new paperclip to an improvement in hospital machinery. Technology lets people improve the way they live so that they can preserve their own personal energy and focus on the really important factors in life. Some people focus their energy on making new innovations to improve transportation and the health of people that may save lives and some people focus on making new designs of packaging CDS. Technology is significant in everyone's life because it rapidly changes what is in the market. But, some new innovations of technology are ridiculous because they serve no purpose in helping mankind.
Whether technology is with us or hurting us, we still have to use it and it affects our lives daily. We need it to get a hold of someone. We need it to do our jobs. Most importantly, we need it to keep our lives away from harm. There are many ways to manipulate technology, but technology has more good to it than bad. There are those who use it for good, like investigators so they can figure out the real story. Then there are those who use it for bad, just like those who commit cyber bullying along with other minor and major things. We need technology regardless if people argue they like or not. There is no way to stop technology and keeping people from making it better. With the developments in technology, we may be able to enjoy all the pricey luxuries and still enjoy life at the same time.
...ons web page. List of quotes by Gibson and others. Internet. 28 April 1995. Available www:http://sfbox.vt.edu:10021/J/jfoley/gibson/gibson.html William Gibsons web page
For everyone today, technology plays a large part in everyday life. Technology has a wide range of benefits which is a reason technology has become so integral today. Technology has helped from elementary school children, to wealthy CEO’s. However, there is also a camp that thinks we should limit technology because of its negative effects. Frankly, I believe that we are afraid of change. We are afraid of new endeavors, new frontiers to explore; which is why people are so against technology. I think that an unfortunate flaw that humanity possesses is that, everyone calls for change. People call for change but they themselves refuse to change. People call for new technologies to change our lives but when they realize that they themselves are
Daniel Bell (1973) coined the expression ‘the post-industrial society’. In this society a substantial proportion of the population are employed or involved in the work of information collection and communication. In this sense we can see that information has become a commodity which can have a value and is therefore marketable. It also can be seen as an indispensable component of our social fabric.
Gould, Carol C. (ed.) (1989). The Information Web: Ethical and Social Implications of Computer Networking. (Boulder, Colorado : Westview Press).