Stoning people was a tradition practiced by many countries as a means of punishing a citizen for committing a crime. It went on for centuries, until someone finally realized the true horror of the act. Life is full of traditions that people uphold only because their ancestors before them did. However, there comes a time when traditions, even ones practiced for thousands of years, are no longer beneficial to society or yourself. All it takes is someone to realize the immorality of them. In Anthem by Ayn Rand the word “I” no longer exists in society. Everyone is referred to as the royal “we” but a young man named Equality 7-2521 begins to question, unwillingly at first, this act. Equality 7-2521 has been different from the beginning and he knows he is special, even if he does not want to be.
Rand’s own life experiences played a major role in her work. She uses her escape from a Russian society as building blocks for Equality’s own journey to individual freedom. Ayn employs other symbols such as light, the Uncharted Forest, and manuscripts, to drive home idea of individualism. At this point in time the only light available to the citizens of this society is that of candles, Equality 7-2521 actually creates a light bulb and brings it to the people. The Uncharted Forest is a forbidden forest that holds relics from the pre-Great Rebirth era. Equality 7-2521 must hide away in the forest after his plans for greatness go south. Anthem is told to us from Equality’s view as he is writing on manuscripts he has stolen. Also after finding an old home in the forest Equality 7-2521 finds dozens of manuscripts that he reads and eventually discovers the words ‘I’. These symbols help to enhance her hatred for collectivism.
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... self has to come first and everything else will follow. This is exactly the idea that she modeled Equality 7-2521 after. Equality 7-2521 “emphasizes the idea that respect for the self and its freedom requires similar respect for the freedom of other selves” (Cox n.p), this way her idea of egoism is not exchanged for egotism which is the inherent need to control others. Rand wanted a society where the only control is you controlling yourself. The idea of a collective unit all thinking, and acting the same disgusted Ayn and her own past experiences are good indicator as to why that is. She wrote Anthem to tell her story, in a hyperbolized way, to show people that collectivism harms the members of its society. No one, save for the people on top, can thrive in a collectivist society and that is why Equality 7-2521, much like Rand herself, had to escape and start fresh.
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,
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
Ayn Rand’s Anthem is about a man who overcomes the pressures of society to remain uniform, and breaks barriers in technology thanks to his individuality and hunger for more knowledge. The theme of the value of individuality in Anthem is developed through Equality 7-2521’s desperate need for knowledge, Equality 7-2521’s creation of the lightbulb, and Equality 7-2521 discovery of the word “I”.
Ayn Rand’s Anthem is a politically satirical novel set in a future society that is so highly collectivized that the word “I” has been banned. The world is governed by various councils who believe that man’s sole reason for existence is to enforce the Great Truth “that all men are one and that there is no will save the will of all men together” (Rand, 20). Any indication of an individual’s independent spirit is swiftly and brutally put down, with the transgressors being punished with severe prison sentences or even death. It is this dysfunctional world that Equality 7-2521 is born into. The novel begins with Equality 7-2521 alone in a dark tunnel, transcribing his story.
Life has fared well since Gaea and I have lived in this house. There are now others in houses surrounding us. These are my friends that I returned to rescue, International 4-8818 being one of them. He is now called Apollo. We are happy here, all of us. The others are learning, albeit rather slowly, yet they learn to say I instead of we. It is my hope that, before my first child is born, they will all say I so that he or she may only know this and not the cursed we.
In Anthem, Ayn Rand took a picture where life of where first person pronouns don’t exist, and made it a reality. It is really weird to read a novel with no first person pronouns. When you think of a society where there is no electricity, only by the power of candles for light. A council that chooses their job until they go to the home of the elderly. It becomes so real in your mind it is freaky. That is exactly what Ayn Rand transformed into a novel. This novel has been read by many kids and young adults around the world, and is still being read as a literature study book by many teachers around the globe.
“For the coming of that day shall I fight…” (Anthem 104). Equality 7 - 2521 was oppressed for being contradistinctive than others in his society. Because of this, he decided to leave his society and plotted in opposition to them. The book Anthem by Ayn Rand stars Equality, a Street Sweeper, venturing through his secret life of discovery, driven by curiosity. Against his leaders’ wishes, Equality 7 - 2521 experimented and invented new gadgets. By his lonesome, he made a grand discovery; thinking that his leaders, the Council, would approve, he presented it to them. They became furious which forced Equality to flee into the Uncharted Forest. There, he vowed to return to his place of birth and conquer. In Anthem, Ayn Rand uses Equality 7 - 2521’s actions to present
Ayn Rand’s Anthem is the story of a man by the name of Equality 7-2521’s personal growth and quest for freedom from the rules and regulations in society, which he lived. Long ago something called the Great Rebirth happened and later all of mankind started to think of it as one “great WE”. Members of this society were expected to obey the rules; these rules are set in place to help this society function as a unit.
In Ayn Rand’s novella Anthem, all men are bound to one another by a collectivist, allencompassing
Prometheus writes: “The secrets of this earth are not for all men to see, but only for those who will seek them.” (Chapter 3) Why does he think that the secrets of this earth are not for all men to see? If he thinks this, why does he decide to show his glass box to the World Council of Scholars? How do these issues relate to the theme of the novel?