...the importance of his invention and commend him for his contributions to their society; inevitably, however, Equality recognizes the impossibility of his situation as the council berates him and denounces his invention, claiming that since it had not been devised in cooperation with his brothers, it was a sinful abomination that needed to be destroyed. Utilizing her characters as a means for presenting her ideas about morality, Ayn Rand’s novella Anthem illustrates a fundamental truth about the necessity of an objective moral framework within a society. Similarly, in her essay How Does One Live a Rational Life in an Irrational Society?, Rand poses her ideology that morality is objective and an absolute essential to a functional society. In both her essay and in Anthem, Rand explores the necessity for an objective morality in society, blah blah blah, and blah blah blah implications of a society....
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...During the course of the book Anthem, Equality transitions from feeling oppressed to being confident in himself. In the very beginning of the book while in his tunnel, Equality confesses, “We were born with a curse. It has driven us to thoughts which are forbidden. It has always given us wishes which men may not wish” (Rand 18). Equality thinks that he is different from everyone else because he does not conform like the others and he hates himself for it. Using the word “curse” in this phrase shows the negative way in which he views himself because of these thoughts. Likewise, his wishes also lead him to see himself in a hostile way because he is a nonconformist. But, later in the novel Equality’s view of himself changes, and after escaping the Palace of Corrective Detention Equality writes, “We shall tell them, as our confession these pages we have written....
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...In Ayn Rand’s “Anthem”, a plethora of themes is presented. Ayn writes about a collectivist society at an indeterminable date in the future, but the residents ae lead to believe by the government that this is a utopia. They had lost all individuality and free will to collectivism. So, the main character, Equality 7-2521, tried to change this and instead got cast away by his brothers. He wanted them to thrive. Collectivism is detrimental because human nature is to be selfish, self-reliant, and independent. Through characterization, Rand’s character Equality 7-2521 learns that selfishness is not a sin, but a right. Since Rand grew up in a Communist government she could accurately model Equality off a common citizen under collectivist...
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...Ayn Rand’s novella, Anthem, follows a 21-year-old named Equality 7-2521 and how he fits into the collectivist society in which he resides. In this society, all men work for the benefit of mankind, from the ages of fifteen to forty. Once somebody turns 40, they are sent to the House of the Useless until they die, usually before age 45. However, the main question is: why it is so unusual to reach the age of 45 in Equality’s society? This essay will present a few possibilities. One possibility is that the work people in this society have to do for 25 years is incredibly debilitating. On page 28, Equality 7-2521 writes: “At forty, they are worn out. At forty, they are sent to the Home of the Useless where the Old Ones live. The Old Ones do not work… they do not speak, for they are...
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...In the novel, Anthem, Equality knew that his community would benefit from his invention; however, the real motive for his rediscovery was his own selfish desire to learn more and his skepticism of his society's ideals. Evidence of this motive is apparent in the textual quote on page ninety-five, "My happiness is not the means to any end. It is the end. It is its own goal. It is its own purpose." At this point in the story, Equality came to terms with his actions and realized that there is nothing wrong with pursuing one's happiness. At the start of the book, Equality discovered an ancient tunnel that exposed him to technology unknown to his society. This was the beginning of his transition into a rebel in his society. All along, he had felt superior to his peers and thought he should have been a scholar due to his intelligence. As a kid, Equality was always clever and inquisitive. This side of him came out when he was in his tunnel with the freedom and means necessary to pursue his interests. After making several discoveries, his faith in collectivist ideals collapsed. All of his life, he was led to believe that the council of scholars had known exactly what was best for society, yet Equality had made discoveries that the council had known nothing about that would have helped advance their society....
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...A person’s identity molds them as a person and gives them a sense of completion in knowing who they are. In the novel Anthem, Equality became a completely different person than at the beginning of the story where he would atone his mistakes and really care about the society. He, in return, wanted to change himself and the Collective to make it a better place. This ultimately shaped him as a person as many things he experiences make him the way he is. The things that influence him are the Golden One who gave him new feelings and emotions, his tunnel which created his independence and grew his intelligence, and his old school experiences which made him want to learn and teach him that he is smarter and much different than everyone else....
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