...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 Anthem depicts a completely collectivist society which is similar to the novel The Giver by Lois Lowry a futuristic society that had removed pain, fear, war, and hatred. Equality 7-2521 and Jonas are both in a society where they had no choice in what job was given to them. Equality was given the job of street sweeper due to his compliance to the council, while Jonas received the job of "The Receiver", which is the most trusted job in his society. It is one person suffering the knowledge of the past to make sure history will not repeat itself. Both characters were given their lives with no control over it. Past and present day societies treat their people in a similar way to Lois Lowry's Giver and Ayn Rand's Anthem's dystopian...
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...” (75) Equality 7-2521 lashed out at the council of scholars, attacking his brothers upon realizing that his invention -- the “power of the sky” (71) -- would be met only with anger and suspicion when presented to the council. Prior to this incident, Equality retained some faith that his brothers in the council would grasp 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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...course of Anthem by Ayn Rand, Equality 7-2521’s view of his leaders greatly changes. At first, Equality believes his actions are a sin. In time, Equality begins to denounce his leaders, but the reader is left wondering if he has the right to. In the novella, Equality denouncing his leaders is used to demonstrate Equality’s advancement towards individualism. To begin, Equality starts off as a very naive and acquiescent character. He believes even writing his thoughts down is a substantial sin because the leaders in his society have trained him to be altruistic. Over time, he begins to realize that the leaders in his society are just controlling the people. After he was in prison for being in the tunnel, the leaders have made all individualistic work somewhat illegal, and Equality having his own space in the tunnel that did not include his brothers resulted in punishment, he begins to realize that the leaders think the people of...
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...The popular phrase, “curiosity kills the cat”, represents a natural feeling that can be fatal. In Ayn Rand’s Anthem, a similar theme can be shown, like how rebellious and curious are both natural and inevitable. The theme of Anthem is that rebelling is natural against an oppressive collectivist government, which is shown through the main character, Equality 7-2521, who rebels by breaking laws and revolts against their way of life. Anthem proves that rebelling is natural because Equality 7-2521 breaks multiple laws that go against the collectivist beliefs of the government. The society and government in Anthem have laws in place to make individuality illegal and they brainwash the society to make it seem like a “sin”(Rand 17). Equality 7-2521...
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...Anthem Contest Essay Within the dystopian setting of Ayn Rand’s Anthem, the human spirit is enslaved and oppressed. Living under a totalitarian dictatorship, all people are obligated to live unselfishly. Beneath this collectivist regime, everyone lives a life of servitude and dependence on one another. There is no individuality, no identity, no sense of self, no word “I”. Taking its place is the word “WE”, emphasizing the collective body that encompasses all. In order for the State to maintain control over its subordinates, it has meticulously brainwashed all to believe that it is wrong to be different, to have a preference, to be superior, and to think or act independently from the collective. With these rules as the moral doctrine, each person is...
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...Equality, according to Dictionary.com, is the state of being equal, especially in status, rights, and opportunities; this is what societies think is the most vital part to having a great society. The societies in Anthem and "Harrison Bergeron" thought the same way as well, but later realized that it only led to their demise. Both Ayn Rand's novella, Anthem, and Kurt Vonnegut's story, "Harrison Bergeron," focus on the theme of equality, and it is apparent that the theme reveals that being different is wrong, that people are naturally different but are forced to be equal, and that equality is a barrier from individuality, which both suggests that everyone is naturally different; therefore, making the reader know that they should embrace rather than fear their differences among others....
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...Free Will in Ayn Rand’s “Anthem” Ayn Rand’s short novel, “Anthem,” depicts a collectivist society where any thoughts are only considered good if they are thought by everyone. Individuality is considered a sin. Children are taken from their parents and raised in a collective unit. One’s vocation is not decided by the individual, but rather appointed to them by a group. The main character, Equality 7-2521 (Prometheus), is a free thinker who longs to learn all he can in hopes of making a contribution to his town, and being promoted to one of the scholars. However, when he presents his discovery (electricity) to the “World Council of Scholars” the group is terrified because they have never seen anything like it before. Prometheus is scorned, rejected, and sentenced to be burned at the stake because of his choosing to think as an individual. Free will is something that many people take for granted these days, but in the world...
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...Ayn Rand’s Anthem depicts the dystopian future in which an unnamed society has completely “forgotten” the word ‘I’. While reading Anthem, Ayn Rand introduces Equality 7-2521, the hero who breaks away from the status quo of the unnamed society. Collectivism is the immoral guide for the unnamed society, a guide that Equality challenges to the extent of its extremities. The dictatorial leadership of this society restricts even thinking about one’s self, no one person is obliged to give priority to an individual. Thereupon, we see Equality’s entrance into the society, just by his physical characteristics rebelling against the status quo, being both too tall and too smart. Equality faces his own internal conflicts, he, in his misunderstanding, struggles to understand the gravity of his actions and his true differences from the society’s collectivism....
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...aspirations fade away. The sense of individualism is forgotten, as the word “I” has no meaning, it is erased from dictionaries and brainwashed from minds. Ego is lost. This collectivist society along with its impact on a person’s thoughts is portrayed in the works, Anthem and “Soul of a Collectivist” by Ayn Rand. Through reading the novel, the text made me realize if in the future our civilization would be similar to what it portrayed in Rand’s works. Inspiring me to discuss how ruler of the civilization justified their way of ruling, how civilizations today are slowly turning into a collectivist society, and my thoughts and reflections on Anthem and “Soul of a Collectivist”. Anthem...
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...makes a person one, giving them the right to be an individual, the freedom to equality. In the novel Anthem By Ayn Rand individualism is a central idea explored through the story. The main character Equality 7-2521 is living in a society where the concept of individuality is non existent, he is very curious about the world he lives in and the science and nature that surrounds it. But unfortunately it's a sin to think/wonder such things and that it's not good to be different from his brothers but it is evil to be superior to them. According to the text it states (Rand 6) “We...
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...Objectivism rejects this false alternative and offers an entirely different view of the world. Equality 7-2521 lives in a society where he has to follow rules and everyone has to be the same person. In the novel Anthem by Ayn Rand, it shows that Equality’s views have changed when he leaves that society. In the old society he had to use “we” to refer to himself. He can never be recognized as an individual. Equality had to respect everyone and stay where he was put. If he was not a scholar then he could not learn. He is sent to be a street sweeper so that is what he had to be. Ayn Rand’s philosophy ties into Equalitiy’s life because he is in a society and it is all he has ever known for a way of life but then he goes out of that society into...
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...unattainable ideal: equality. The societies that embrace these totalitarian political forms, including that of Ayn Rand’s Anthem, intend to become the paragon of parity by having their citizens sacrifice their own happiness for that of their brethren. The leaders of Anthem’s supposedly egalitarian society justify this subtly sadistic method of rule with the ideals of equality, fraternity, and selflessness. The principles that blinded Equality 7-2521’s brethren to the grim reality they faced too often imbue members of modern society, especially as these standards are broadcasted by religious, social, and governmental groups. The...
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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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...Ayn Rand, a Russian-American novelist and philosopher, is known for her belief in ethical egoism which is showcased in her dystopian novels, including the fictional novel Anthem. She expressed her political views within her many novels and developed her philosophy of “objectivism” which proposed ethical egoism. Her strong belief in her philosophy demonstrated how morality should only be based on one’s self-interest, even if it may benefit or harms others. One of her dystopian novels, Anthem presents her version of an awful society while featuring her political views. Many other works have used her novel as a resource as a connection as well as some locations around the world. Some societies have been experiencing similarities to the actions...
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