Anthem is a book about a society that is ruled by few and has very limited individualism and freedom of self-expression. The society is split into ‘jobs’ that designate what each person will do the whole rest of their life. According to the group you are designated to be in that will be the only people you will communicate with for the rest of your life. This means the community lacks in social skills and communication throughout groups. This shows that the leaders of the communities have supreme control over the community and organize everything in the order that supports their interests and themselves best. Speaking to other people out of a persons work force was not allowed so equality had to stand out to try new things. First, he discovers electricity and what it can do because he wanted to change the community and how it worked so he ventured out to find something new. Next, he shows the scholars of the community because he wanted to change the community into a new community with his discovery of electricity. The community in the book does not know of any modern technology and they should not unless they want to.
The secrets of earth are not for all the men in the community as Prometheus states, but those who seek the mysteries of the earth deserve to learn of their mystical features. Equality discovers electricity because he ventures out to change the community because he wants to be different and because he wants to prove to the scholars that he has the ability to be part of their group. Equality is one the first in his community to venture out and be different ever since birth. Equality has always looked and acted different leading himself into a more individualized approach on society than the conventional group outloo...
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...rself even though others can help you succeed. Equality proves this by venturing by himself and accomplishing his goals and then still be able to work together with the Golden One to do things as a group as we do in the world today.
In conclusion, those who try new things will have the ability to succeed rather than those who sit around and fail without trying. Equality expresses the theme of this book by showing that when you go try new things and express your opinion good things will happen if you have good intentions. Equality discovers electricity and when he show the group of scholars he is denied the use of electricity throughout the community. Equality takes his opinions and designs o make his own society that is based on oneself. In my opinion the world is a combination of both of these societies and this is how the world has accomplished what it has today.
...e the instruction of their dishonest city and directed Equality to the finding of the largest part of the human strength, egoism. “Ego” is the forbidden word that The Transgressor of the Unspeakable Word suffered from. He was burned alive because he was one of little that knew what individualism was. Prometheus and Gaea modernized this human race for centuries and initiated a new kind of success and advancement. Equality and Liberty will make a society that could possibly help the planet for the creation of light by rejoicing the individual human spirit, a thing to be set free, not restrained and crushed out of terror. Their discoveries put to rest the corrupt preaching of selflessness and humility in favor of the truly moral philosophies of freedom and, in fact, selfishness. Those are the reasons that Ayn Rand named Equality, Prometheus, and Liberty, Gaea.
As Equality stops to devour the supper he caught, he notices a, “great satisfaction to be found in the food by which we obtain by our own hand” (Rand 80). For once, Equality puts the hunting skill he possesses to use, and the pleasure that comes with consuming an adequate meal made completely by him is far beyond that of meals prepared by others. And by residing in the Uncharted Forest, Equality experiences joy because he essentially is free and can pursue tasks he desires, like hunting, at any time. Furthermore, as Equality proceeds through his day he, “walks on til the sun had set” (Rand 80). Equality now does not have to conform his life to regulations, such as having a curfew, set by the World Council of Scholars. He has the power to choose where he wants to settle and the time at which he must be home, a decision that would not be left up to him back in the city. Ultimately, Equality for the first time broke the chains of uniformity that bound him since birth, and because of this he scoffs at the idiocy of the Scholars to realize that true happiness is achieved through liberty, not
Equality eventually escapes from the place that never felt like home, and runs off with his love, Liberty 5-300, who he calls the Golden One. After learning about the men from the Unmentionable Times, Equality would agree with Ayn Rand’s words in her short essay, “How Does One Lead a Rational Life in an Irrational Society?”, where she not only talks about the importance of having moral judgment, but also about being brainwashed by your leaders and government. Equality can relate because, for his whole life, he was in a society where their version of wrong and right were opposites to what they should have been. Individualism and moral judgement weren't encouraged, they were prevented, and that is where the society became
Equality appears to be the ideal factor that can perfect a society. It eliminates the need to feel envious of any human or their qualities. Nevertheless, with impartiality comes lack of diversity and ambition. Inequality is the entity that provides individuals with the passion to strive for a better life. If everyone has already reached their full potential there is no purpose for living.
Equality deserves the right to be motivated in his own way, and the people in the world today would or would not benefit from being motivated in all the same ways. Firstly, the main character was creating electricity to finally be added into the House of Scholars. Next, he deserves the right to be motivated in this way because he is his own person. Finally, in today’s world if everyone was motivated in the same way we would not be our own person anymore. In conclusion, every man has his own
Ayn Rand wrote Anthem as a critique of Communism, yet along with that she demonstrated her own belief system of individual ideals. Objectivism was aptly shown throughout the entire novella with the thoughts and actions of the main characters, Equality and Liberty in contrast with the universal thought of the city and society. Rand clearly showed her philosophy well in this story.
Ayn Rand, a contentious woman, the new favorite author to multiple people’s list. People who have read her magnificent book, Anthem, understand how exquisite and meaningful her words are. Books like Anthem are worth reading because it gives the reader more knowledge about controversial topics and it takes the reader to experience new places and new adventures. Equality, the main character, is a symbol. He represents many people today, living in countries like his society. Equality has to find his true identity first before helping the others. People are not allowed to believe in individualism, they should not have a identity of their own. Each person has a monotone routine to follow every single day of their lives. Each step a person takes
The dystopia depicted in Anthem could quite easily be considered Ayn Rand’s commentary on society. It puts into perspective the downfalls of societal trends and putting others above oneself. The novella itself is a satire of Collectivism, which can be seen in examples of Communism. Rand’s philosophy of Objectivism includes ideas of immutable facts, rationalist mentality, self-prioritization, and a capitalist society (ARI, n.d.). Her ideas are shown in a variety of aspects throughout the novella. Oppression felt due to the collective mentality is the most prominent of the ideas shown. Another aspect that is important to note is Equality 7-2521’s natural tendency to struggle against the restrictions set upon
In the beginning of the book, Equality is part of the society and is not an individual. “It is a sin to write this. It is a sin to think words no others think and to put them down upon a paper no others are to see” (Rand #261). This quotation shows how Equality feels about sin and what he thinks a sin is. This perspective on sin is not correct because he thinks being an individual is a sin. “We are nothing. Mankind is all. By the grace of our brothers are we allowed our lives. We exist, by
Anthem is a novella written by Ayn Rand, in which Equality 7-2521, the protagonist, struggles for self-identification living in a collectivist society. Equality believes that individuality is an eminent aspect of one’s life because individuality defines and outlines who man is. He endures all the hardships in his life living with people who support collectivism, and who reject his ideas. For example, when Equality 7-2521 invents and exhibits the light bulb, the World Council rejects it and tells him that it is selfish to work on something alone instead of working with his brothers. The World Council threatens to destroy the light bulb but Equality does not let that happen and rebels, so he is forced into exile from his society. Equality realizes that he is different from others because he cares about his happiness unlike others who are convinced to believe that a group’s happiness counts more than an individual’s happiness.
Equality 7-2521 struggles in the Home of the Students because he is too intelligent and deft at absorbing information. The ability to think quickly and easily was looked down upon by the teachers and the government. Equality notes, “It was not that the learning was too hard for us. It was that that the learning was too easy. This is a great sin, to be born with a head which is too quick. It is not good to be different from our brothers, but it is evil to be superior to them. The teachers told us so…” (21). The students are taught that being intelligent is evil and that they cannot be superior in knowledge than the officials in the government. Equality’s intelligence leads to his job as a Street Sweeper because the government wants to suppress radical ideas by assigning him to a socially lower job and authoritative status. As literary critic Tore Boeckmann states about Anthem, “[Equality] belong[s] at the pinnacle of any rational social hierarchy, yet [he is] thrown (at least temporarily) to the very bottom” (135). Overall, the public citizens in Anthem are extremely selfless and lack a sense of self-worth because the government wants them to put the good of the community above the
Its 1:30 am and you are have just experienced a major car wreck. You are in the ambulance where the paramedics are telling you it will be ok just hold still big. You arrive at the emergency room and everything is a blurred. You don’t care if the nurse is a female or a male. You don’t stop the male nurse from caring for you. But what happens when you go to the doctor for a follow up visit and see a male nurse? Do you still see a powerful male that saved your life or a powerless manweak feminine failure ? When providing care for a patient, a male nurse faces challenges such as gender bias and judgement .
Anthem, by Ayn Rand is a classic novel about a man who struggles through life to try and show the positives about a life unknown, unlike the dark and wicked society that he lives in. It shows what collectivism can do to a society and how a community can not flourish without individual identities. Equality is shown as a extremely intelligent young man with great potential to the future of the society, but the Council of Vocations seems him in a different light. Looked down upon by everyone, Equality 7-2521 was given the job of Street Sweeper to make him equal to his fellow brothers and to erase any individuality he obtained.
Anthem, by Ayn Rand, is a very unique novel. It encircles individualism and makes the reader think of how people can conform to society and do as they are told without knowing the consequences and results of their decisions. Also, it teaches the importance of self expression and the freedom that comes along with being your own person and having the power to choose what path to take in life. Figurative language is used often in this book and in a variety of quotes that have great importance to the theme, plot, and conflict of the novel.
What is gender-role Socialization? it can be explained as what society automatically feels is what needs to happen. For instance when babies are born at the hospital what is the first thing they cover them with? Boys receive a blue blanket, girls get a pink blanket. With men doing women’s work they have this automatic view from society on how they should act, or do their job according to the gender-role socialization. To clarify men are to be “masculine, active, tough, and dominate. Meanwhile women are to be “feminine, soft, emotional, sweet, and submissive. This has a crucial role in socialization and emerging reversal roles of genders. With that being said men doing women’s work allows society to view men differently. In fact men that do women’s work can actually express to society the benefits. For example since men are known to be alpha and dominate, one day you meet a male nurse and you realize how much he is gentle, calm, and understanding. You actually have a 90% higher chance of encountering a female nurse, than a male nurse. This effects society by introducing a slowly newly “gender-role”. When the people of society slowly get familiar with males working in the medical field they, can gradually accept males can be alpha and do a woman’s