Why do these rules exist, what is their purpose. The council wants to protect the people. The council doesn’t want the people finding out about what happened in the unmentionable times. But are they doing the right thing by keeping it a secret? Equality is stuck trying to figure out what to do and discovering new things and envisioning his new society. The citizens of this society are like pawns of the council. They are born in breeding houses. They are only taught what the council wants them to know. They have no social lives. They are assigned jobs, have to sleep in assigned barracks, and are not allowed to choose friends or lovers. They are trying to protect the people by taking away their right to have a personal concept of things. They took away the word “I”. The council thinks that by taking away certain things then …show more content…
But are they doing the right thing? Why the council doesn’t want the people finding out about the unmentionable times, no one knows except them. But they are not doing the right thing the people should know what happened that is so bad you are not supposed to talk about it. When Equality finds the tunnel, it sparks something. When he gets to the bottom and finds the metal tracks he knows that it is from the unmentionable times. But yet doesn’t understand why it was so bad it isn’t supposed to be talked about. This is one of the main events that make start to think of creating a new society. He can be alone messing with things in the tunnel and no one will ever know. By not telling the people what happened they could just become curious just like did Equality and find things that the council doesn’t know about and wouldn’t want you to know about. However, if the council tells the citizens what happened then that could start a rebellion with people that would want it how it used to be in the unmentionable times. That is probably what the council is most worried
Equality 7-2521 is rebellious. If a person is rebellious, he shows a desire to resist authority. This authority is most commonly a government that runs its territory in a way which the rebellious person does not support. Rebellious people argue for changing or replacing this authority because they often view it as corrupt or ineffective. Due to their desire for change, these people are often the most dangerous to governments that wish to retain power and control. Equality 7-2521 shows this desire to defy authority in Anthem. The society that he lives in forbids writing unless it is first approved by the Council of Vocations. However, he has done exactly
In the book Anthem, written by Ayn Rand, Equality 7-2521 had never seen his physical appearance. He was surprised seeing such a strong individual staring at him. One day after escaping into the woods, he finally met himself at a flowing stream and gained new confidence. This was an essential part to the theme of "Anthem." This shows how Equality finally found himself as an "I" in order to help others see themselves as an "I." This is an important part of "Anthem" since it reveals Equality 7-2521's determination, bravery, and development as a person.
A society where people lack individualism and the government has suppressive control, ultimately restrains its citizens. Those who rebel from oppressive authority and redefine themselves are those who remain unconquered. To be unconquered is to be uncontrollable, undefined, and in no form abide by social normality. In the poem, “Invictus” by William Ernest Henley, and the novella Anthem, by Ayn Rand both protagonist, Invictus and Equality portray determination and vigor.
Equality 7-2521 aspires to be a self-proclaimed individual. In the novella, Anthem, Ayn Rand discusses of a dystopian society in which every man and women are set equal to each other. Equality is damned by the World Council after a discovery of light and electricity, and a contradictory belief in individualism. Freedom is an essential factor in the happiness of man. Equality is scorned for his different looks, mental competence, and independent beliefs but laughs when he recognizes that he should be glorified for understanding that his perception of life leads to contentment.
Many people seem to get entangled into society's customs. In the novel Anthem, the protagonist, Equality 7-2521, lives a period of his life as a follower. However, Equality eventually, tries to distant himself from his society. He is shaped to be a follower, but eventually emerges in to an individual and a leader. On his journey, he discovers the past remains of his community. Ayn Rand uses Equality's discoveries of self to represent the importance of individuality in a functional society.
Ayn Rand, in Anthem, illustrates a futuristic, socialist society. In the novel, Rand destroys any sense of individuality and describes the social setbacks endured after living ‘only for the brotherhood’. The individual person fails to exist and is but a ‘we’ and recognized by a word and a series of numbers rather than a name. Additionally, she describes the horrors encountered within this different system of life: from reproduction methods to punishments. Through the life of Equality 7-2521, Rand demonstrates a person’s journey from obedience to exile in this socialist society. Throughout the entire novel, Rand criticizes Marxist theory as she demonstrates socialism’s failure to suppress revolution, thwart material dialectic, and its detriment to humanity.
“For the coming of that day shall I fight, I and my sons and my chosen friends. For the freedom of Man. For his rights. For his life. For his honor.”(page 104). In the novella Anthem by, Ayn Rand, the main character Equality, fought for a way to be himself and help mankind. Rand clearly made Equality’s primary motivation joining The Council of Scholars as a creator, and through the course of two years, due to Equality conducting experiments in all of his spare time until he discovers a method of harnessing the power of electricity to use it to light the community. Equality confirms the right to his motivation. What was Equality’s primary motivation, is he right to be motivated in this way, and what would the world be like if everyone was
“For I know what happiness is possible to me on Earth. And my happiness needs no higher aim to vindicate it” (Rand 95). In this part of the novella, Equality, the narrator, is aware that he can find his own happiness and he should show it once it is found. Throughout the novella, Anthem written by Ayn Rand, Equality is trying to find himself in a society full of equals. As he discovers the tunnel, Equality creates a light bulb in which he wants to flaunt upon the people of his society. Subsequently, when it is rejected by the Council, he hides in the forest from those who see him as a betrayer. Equality tries to find himself in a collectivist society that he knows he does not belong in, in which he evolves. The author believes in objectivism,
In Anthem there are so many rules and controls, yet there is one that truly rises above it all. And that word is “I”. There is no “I” only “We”, for the great “We” is what they follow. And they are one not individual, they are one. And poor Equality can’t seem to understand that the rules are rules, but in a way he’s making his own rules. And he is mistreated for his looks and appearance and dosen’t seem really one with his brothers. And he’s curious and most don’t even question life, and he notices the little things, “Yet as we stand at night in the great hall, removing our garments for sleep, we look upon our brothers and we wonder. The heads of our brothers are bowed. The eyes of our brothers are dull, and never do they look one another in the eyes. The shoulders of our brothers are hunched, and their muscles are drawn, as if their bodies were shrinking and wished to shrink out of sight. And a word steals into our mind, as we look upon our brothers, and that word is fear.”(Rand 46). He has a wanting to learn and build his knowledge, but the rules don’t permit his decisions.
In Ayn Rand’s famous, or in some circles, infamous, story Anthem, the differing ideologies of objectivism and collectivism are pit against each other. With objectivism being so tight knit and different from the society in the book, it seems that it would be almost impossible to truly follow in its entirety. However, Anthem, as a whole, doesn’t violate the ideals of Rand’s philosophy of objectivism.
The world is divided up into numerous things: Countries, states, cities, communities, etc. However, when looking at the big scope of things, one can group the vast amount of people into a society. This society is where the majority lie in the scheme of things - in other words, the common people. Individuals do exist in this society, but they are scarce in a world of conformism. Society’s standards demands an individual to conform, and if the individual refuses they are pushed down by society.
Right from the beginning we learn that Equality 7-2521 is breaking an important law. He is in a society that is tightly protected and there is not much freedom to do anything. Everything is fixed and there is no changing. Also, we see that no one can be alone and there is no freedom if there isn’t any alone. We find out that Equality 7-2521 can break some rules and will.
In this novella, the characters have every aspect of their lives planned by the government in an attempt to make everyone indistinguishable. As a result, the characters have no sense of identity. For example, the characters have names such as Equality, Collective, and Union. Alone these names suggest a common core. Drastically, a complete loss of individuality can be noted by how the characters say "we" rather than "I", the forbidden word.
In 1984, the Party teaches "that the proles were natural inferiors who must be kept in subjection, like animals, by the application of a few simple rules" (Orwell 91). The Party says to the people that proletarians are not equal to the Party. The rules of conformity show that the proletarians are inferior to the Party but have much more freedom than them. On the other hand, the Party are the well-educated people but, are watched at every moment. The hierarchical system of government and rules of conformity keep the Party in power and treat them differently compared to the proles. In Anthem, the World Council of Scholars condemns Equality's presence by crying "A Street Sweeper walking in upon the World Council of Scholars!... It is against all the rules and all the laws!" (Rand 25). The distinction between the different classes of people shows that the Council is in power. The hierarchical system of government represents the Council as the high class. To maintain this power, they bound their people to the rules of status and conformity. People from different social classes are treated differently based off of their social class. The Council is the highest level of authority in society due to the rules of conformity and has the most power in society. The piece of art, All for One or One for All?, show the faceless people are in different
When someone is on a first date they often ask people “What is your favorite color, movie or T.V show?” These questions are to ask about the person’s preferences. The world today revolves around what people like, or prefer, more. Most people do not realize how much freedom of preference they have. For example in grocery stores people have over 100 options of cereal, people have 1,000 of options for schools, they also can choose what color they want their room or home to be. Anthem by Ayn Rand demonstrates that preference will always exist. Even though in Anthem it is banned, citizens demonstrate the Transgression of Preference with certain people, ideas, and places.