Themes in Ayn Rand's Anthem

1612 Words4 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Anthem individuality essay

Anthem Themes
“My happiness is not the means to any end. It is the end. It is its own goal. It is its own purpose” (Rand, 95). Anthem is written by American author Ayn Rand about Equality 7-2521 on his quest for happiness. The novel is set in an unspecified time and place in the future. Years after human civilization has gone through a deconstruction in which all knowledge was lost and a new society established with no concept of the individual. “The novel describes the efforts of the main character, Equality 7-2521, to reestablish a sense of personal identity and restore the knowledge of the past by objective scientific inquiry. In doing so, he must face many dangers and privations” (Anthem). Anthem is a dairy of the Equality 7-2521 including themes of equality, love, courage, adventure, individuality, and postmodernism.
Ayn Rand was born on February 2, 1905 in Russia. She was twelve years old when the Bolsheivik revolution took place. She also witnessed the early establishment of the Soviet communist state but then moved to United States in 1926. Rand hoped to become a screenplay writer she moved to Hollywood; there she met her husband Frank O’Connor. Rand had her first successful screen play Night of January 16th which led to her first novel We the Living. The next novella Anthem was first published in Great Britain after American publishers rejected Rand’s work. Rand became a well known philosopher and novelist.
All men are equal. “We are nothing. Mankind is all. By the grace of our brothers are we allowed our lives. We exist through, by and for our brothers who are the State” (Rand, 21). Equality is a main theme in Anthem. In this society the word “I” is forbidden. The humans refer to themselves as “we” ...

... middle of paper ...

...see a different side of Equality 7-2521 and helps him rediscover his soul and true meaning in life.

Works Cited

“Anthem.” Novels for Students. Ed. Sara Constantakis. Vol. 29. Detroit: Gale, 2009. 45-65. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Web. 27 Apr. 2014.
"Ayn Rand." DISCovering Authors. Detroit: Gale, 2003. Student Resources in Context. Web. 1 May 2014.
" Ayn Rand." 2003. Books & Authors. Gale. Gale Internal User 1 May 2014 http://bna.galegroup.com/bna/start.do?p=BNA&u=gale
Rand, Ayn. Anthem. New York: Dutton, 1995. Print.
"Ayn Rand as Creative Writer." Ayn Rand. James T. Baker. Boston: Twayne Publishers, 1987. 29-64. Twayne's United States Authors Series 501. Twayne's Authors on GVRL. Web. 2 May 2014.
"Rand, Ayn (1905-1982)." Modern American Literature. 5th ed. Vol. 3. Detroit: St. James Press, 1999. 61-63. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Web. 6 May 2014.

Show More
Related

  • Theme Of Collectivism In Ayn Rand's Anthem

    709 Words  | 2 Pages

    In Anthem, Ayn Rand created a future world where there is no independence or individuality. The character’s refer to themselves as “we” instead of “I”. Their jobs are picked for them, their “mates” are picked for them, and almost all of their life decisions are decided for them. Equality 7-2521, the main character in the book, chooses to make his own decisions and rebel against his government. Through reading Anthem, even though her methods may seem a little extreme, Rand creates a better perspective

    Read More

  • Theme Of Individualism In Ayn Rand's Anthem

    964 Words  | 2 Pages

    Anthem is a short novelette written by Ayn Rand in 1937 and vividly expresses the Rand’s beliefs in praising the human being’s ego and rationalism that never changed during her life. From the literary point of view, Anthem could be compared with Neil Peart’s 2112 album as its basis can be observed in the song. Both works show a grim vision of a world of dark ages in the future where their main characters suffer from lack of free choice and struggle to find out their individuality in a fearful and

    Read More

  • Theme Of Collectivism In Ayn Rand's Anthem

    1387 Words  | 3 Pages

    When first reading Anthem you might be horrified by the collectivist society that lives there and you might think that surely collectivism doesn’t live on in the USA. However, the truth is collectivism lives on in every country, city, and town in this world, and the USA is included. Yet, contrary to what Ayn Rand, the author of Anthem, believes it might not always be the evilness

    Read More

  • Theme Of Dictatorship In Ayn Rand's Anthem

    899 Words  | 2 Pages

    for granted such as freedom and our individuality. But what if we lived in a restrictive society like Ayn Rand's Anthem. Would we be broken down until we could no longer think or be able to do anything for ourselves? Would they keep us so exhausted to the point they knew we wouldn't have the energy to rebel and form a new society better fit for man? What had to have happened in Ayn Rand's Anthem to make the people abandon everything of the past civilization and burn every piece of its existence?

    Read More

  • Theme Of Collectivism In Ayn Rand's Anthem

    746 Words  | 2 Pages

    In Ayn Rand’s Anthem, its society models the extremes of collectivism, where nothing is accepted unless it is created by a group of people: “The laws say that none among men may be alone, ever and at any time, for this is the great transgression and the root of all evil” (Anthem by Ayn Rand). It is a society where selfishness is a sin, and everything is done for the sake of the whole community

    Read More

  • The Theme Of Identity In Ayn Rand's Anthem

    730 Words  | 2 Pages

    them know that they are different from everybody else, and not part of a collective society. In the novel Anthem, the theme of identity is explored through Equality 7-2521, in which he is stuck in a world where know one has an identity. I believe that identity is the most important thing to surviving on this world, because it leads to creation

    Read More

  • Theme Of Buriosity In Ayn Rand's Anthem

    1339 Words  | 3 Pages

    Linus Pauling once stated, “Satisfaction of one's curiosity is one of the greatest sources of happiness in life.” In other words, by acting upon impulses of curiosity, one can achieve happiness. As for Equality 7-2521, the protagonist in Ayn Rand’s novel Anthem, this claim may hold true. Equality is a teenage boy living in a dystopian society, where the concepts of freedom and individual rights are eliminated. Society is controlled by the World Council of Scholars, who ensure that no individual stands

    Read More

  • The Theme Of Equality In Ayn Rand's Anthem

    788 Words  | 2 Pages

    A Whole New World Throughout the novella Anthem written by Ayn Rand, Equality comes to understand the life he really lives in. In Anthem Equality lives in a brotherhood society, the thought of yourself or speaking the word “I” is a sin. Equality is very curious and suspicious of his society and discovers things from the unmentionable times, which are events from the past life and are forbidden for any member of the society to uncover. With his new discoveries he finds new ways to live. By going

    Read More

  • The Theme Of Individuality In Ayn Rand's Anthem

    680 Words  | 2 Pages

    conformity is praised? In Anthem by Ayn Rand, that idea is more like reality. Citizens follow a precise schedule, very specific laws, and are punished for any sliver of defiance. Equality, the story’s narrator, defies the laws of “Anthemville”, but is able to evade severe punishment by leaving the city. With Equality leaving society in ruins, one would assume Anthem is a story of despair and weakness, but in fact, it is a story of hope and freedom. The Saint of the Pyre shows how Anthem is a story of hope

    Read More

  • The Theme Of Equality In Ayn Rand's Anthem

    684 Words  | 2 Pages

    The novella Anthem, is a very unique story about a man’s strive for independence and freedom. The rules and restrictions of the society he lives in does not allow him to have a personal opinion. In the beginning of the story the main character, Equality, has great difficulty finding where he belongs in the society. Eventually he discovers his own opinions and way of thinking. At the end of the noella he ends up changing his name to Prometheus and become a fearless, true independent man. Throughout

    Read More

  • Theme Of Collectivism In Ayn Rand's Anthem

    1045 Words  | 3 Pages

    there is a general fear of not being able to make personal decisions in America. According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, collectivism can be defined as; emphasis on collective rather than individual action or identity (“Collectivism”). In Anthem, Ayn Rand describes an extreme collectivist society. Although Anthem’s society seems extremely surreal, aspects of its collectivist society closely mirror today’s society. By its use of majority rule, America’s democracy models a collectivist society

    Read More

  • The Theme Of Equality In Ayn Rand's Anthem

    1078 Words  | 3 Pages

    Equality; the state of being equal, especially in status, rights, and opportunities. Ayn Rand the author of Anthem made her society, so that everyone was equal no one referred to themselves as an individual. Everyone was one with everyone. The view her book takes on equality is different from how we view equality to be . The society that her characters live in no one is better than the other. But Equality, the main character of this story brings the story to life because of how different he is from

    Read More

  • Theme Of Individualism In Ayn Rand's Anthem

    1135 Words  | 3 Pages

    idea of individualism has been a main part of Ayn Rand’s life because she accomplished so many things during her childhood. She grew up in a time when russia was beginning to control what their people did. The government would choose what jobs they would have and what food that they would eat. Ayn Rand realized that this was wrong and separated herself from the group and tried to convince others that this was the wrong thing to be doing. In her book “Anthem”, it takes place in an undated era where the

    Read More

  • The Theme Of Equality In Ayn Rand's Anthem

    601 Words  | 2 Pages

    In Anthem, famous Russian-American novelist Ayn Rand , describes Equality as being young, beautiful, tall, strong, fearless, and brilliant, which would be great characteristics to have if it weren’t for the upside down , dystopian world that he is forced to be a part of. The people in this world like to live by one quote: “ WE ARE ONE IN ALL AND ALL IN ONE. THERE ARE NO MEN BUT ONLY THE GREAT WE, ONE, INDIVISIBLE AND FOREVER.” This quote suggest that this society is to live as one which seems like

    Read More

  • The Theme Of Equality In Ayn Rand's Anthem

    1834 Words  | 4 Pages

    are forced to help others, then that is socialism. In Anthem nobody has a free choice, the government chooses everything for them, they are told what jobs they can do, when they can eat, when they are allowed to talk to others and at what specific time they are allowed to talk to others. Nobody is allowed to have a different opinion, and the only thoughts permitted are the ones permitted by the council. The life depicted by Ayn Rand in Anthem is justified by the thought that the only way for everyone

    Read More

More about Themes in Ayn Rand's Anthem

Open Document