...ANTHEM In a time after mass destruction, when the world has ended up where it started, the idea that people are one and all and all in one is ingrained into their minds. They go through school at the exact same pace, all for their careers to be chosen for them by the council. In this society, no one stands for themselves, but they stand for each other, and are punished when they don’t do this. Throughout Ayn Rand’s novella Anthem, the protagonist Equality 7-2521 learns that it is not a sin to be an individual in the radical and strict society he lives in, which condemns individualism. He does this by seeking knowledge from the Unmentionable Times after realizing how powerful it can be, alluding to his individuality. Next, he breaks free from...
Words: 1014 - Pages: 5
...In Ayn Rand’s novella Anthem, the main character is Equality 7-2521. He lives in a society in the far off future after a major war that tore the world apart and so started the Great Rebirth. In these times, citizens of this society must follow rules so that another war will not happen. These rules state that all men are equal and no man is better than another. There isn’t just one man, only we. The citizens cannot say the word “I”. If they do, they will be punished in front of everyone in the City. Equality 7-2521 must live in the Home of Infants until age five. Once he has reached the age of five, he will be sent to the Home of Students until he reaches the age of fifteen. Once students have reached fifteen, the Council of Vocations come...
Words: 623 - Pages: 3
...book, Equality 7-2521’s growth can be seen throughout the book. In the beginning, he’s trying his hardest to fit in with the society they live in, but towards the end he questions the beliefs of the brothers and goes as far as to maligning them as well. Equality 7-2521’s final assessment of his so called ‘sin’ is indeed correct because individualism a key factor in growing as person due to everybody in the world being their own person so trying to confirm people as one is profoundly useless. “We are one in all and all in one”, is basically the prayer they’re told to repeat to themselves when they’re...
Words: 1048 - Pages: 5
...At the end of Ayn Rand’s novella, Anthem, Equality 7-2521 breaks from the collective society and discovers the lost and unspeakable word, “I”. I believe that the newly named Prometheus will not resort back to his collective ways due to his determination to learn and the actions he has made in order to learn; however, I can not say the same about the generations that may come after him. To start, during one of his reflective moments, Equality 7-2521 says, “[I’m]glad to be living. If this is a vice, then we wish no virtue” (47). For all of his life he has been chastised and scolded for thoughts like this, yet he still chooses to embrace them and be different than his brothers. He has been taught, in almost a religious sense, that, “‘[t]here are...
Words: 348 - Pages: 2
...Equality 7-2521, in Anthem by Ayn Rand demonstrates determination. To have determination means to have a purpose and to be driven to accomplish that. It is important that people have this trait as it allows them to be motivated to do something and in turn, they will gain success from that. If any challenges come someone's way, then determination helps them overcome those challenges. Equality 7-2521 invented a light by himself that he was very proud of. In his world, it is not allowed to be an individual, as he lives in a collectivist society, yet he wanted to show his light to the World Council of Scholars. Equality wanted to do this to help his fellow brothers, but one night, Equality didn't get back to his house in time so he was taken to a prison....
Words: 321 - Pages: 2
...dark ages of the future, there lived Equality 7-2521. Equality, the main character in Anthem, was a 21-year-old man and was six feet tall. It was a burden for a man to become six feet tall because it was rare for someone’s bones to grow as long as his. Having that burden was considered evil. Equality had done many evil deeds. He was born with a curse, unlike other men. Men were wise in the eyes of Equality, but he saw himself differently. Nevertheless, all men were under a law of being one. Things had been that way since the Great Rebirth. Equality 7-2521 wished to be like the other men around him. He was looked upon differently because of the sins that he committed. Not only did other people see him that way, but he saw himself from mankind also. One main event that Equality disliked was his years at the Home of the Students. He was there from the ages 5 to 15. He disliked it because he did not enjoy learning. It was not because learning was too hard for...
Words: 915 - Pages: 4
...future might be like? In the book Anthem (written by Ayn Rand) main character Equality 7-2521 lives in a dystopian future where people have no unique qualities or personalities. Equality 7-2521’s discovery of his identity is important to the plot of the book because he changes the life of two people (whom he is close to), he shows the head of the council the unknown truth of the past, and ends up happier than he would’ve been if he didn’t try to expand his knowledge of the world. It only takes one person to change someone else's life entirely. Equality 7-2521 first changes his best friends life in a less than ideal way by running from the city to never return because the council wanted to destroy their power box. “We ran blindly”, “We were in the Uncharted forest”, “We are doomed”. He might have ruined his friend's life, but that was not the case for his other friend. His friend he calls the golden one followed him into the woods where they found a house. “This is our home and the end of our journey”. So they just settled down in a house and lived there for the rest of their lives....
Words: 630 - Pages: 3
...In the novel “Anthem” by Ayn Rand, from birth Equality 7-2521 was taught to think of everyone as a whole. To never think of one’s wants or needs, but the needs of the whole. He was raised to never question, to just do as you're told. No one questions the leaders. Yet after everything that has happened to Equality 7-2521, by the end of the novel, he no longer looks at the society the same way. He has become very critical of the leaders and no longer agrees with that style of life. Equality 7-2521 has every reason to feel this way. He was always in trouble for being different. It's not like he can help being born that way. He was born taller, smarter, faster, stronger, and he was even better looking than all the rest. He never meant to be, he...
Words: 481 - Pages: 2
...Anthem is a book written by Ayn Rand, “We strive to be like all our brothers, for all men must be alike” (Rand, 19). Every individual in the society is brainwashed and afraid of escaping. Equality 7-2521 is not summoned because of his need to learn more about the world. In Anthem, the City has numerous rules because they are set in a place to help the society function as a one. Their entire lives they are governed by bells, telling them what to do. Men are not allowed to associate with others of different positions, and they are prohibited speaking to women. However, at the yearly Time of Mating, men and women are coupled at random and expected to sleep together. Any children formulated on this night are taken and raised by the state, never...
Words: 773 - Pages: 4
...Anthem is a book written by Ayn Rand, who was a Russian-American. She wrote the book Anthem in 1937. Anthem was a dystopia based book where the government controls everything. This type of government was called dictatorship. No one was allowed to make their own choices. They all had to follow what the government told them to do like what job they are supposed to work at or profession to take. The idea of ego was taken away from all the individuals. Equality 7-2521 who is the main character discovers something he never thought possible and will have to struggle to fight the corruption and collectivism of his society to reach his goal of discovering ego. Equality 7-2521 has to go through many struggles to be able to successfully be able to reach self-esteem. One struggle is that even though he is very bright the government does everything to stop him from entering the Home of the Scholars and becoming too smart and learn about the word “I”....
Words: 692 - Pages: 3
...The cliché future world of new inventions, flying cars and robots is not the way Ayn Rand took her dystopian novel Anthem. The world of Anthem is technologically primitive and many know the source of light only from a candle. People do not have names; they have qualities followed by a number. Equality 7-2521 is the main character of Anthem; he lives in a world without the modern technology that is around today. For example; cell phones, computers and televisions, which all need electricity to operate. This story is set in the future, but surprisingly their lack of science and technology creates the events that occur throughout the novel. During the story, the reader learns of a time called the “Unmentionable Times”. Ayn Rand never elaborates...
Words: 595 - Pages: 3
...Anthem, by Ayn Rand, Equality 7-2521 is the hero because he must overcome his guilt that he inherited from the society about pursuing his own happiness. He decides to move beyond his guilt when he arrives at randian ¨egoism¨ as the solution to all of life's questions. Equality is a byronic hero because he manages to surpass the best Scholars of his society by leaps and bounds in only a couple of years. For example when he says ¨I am a man. This miracle of me is mine to own and keep,and mine to guard, and mine to use, and mine to kneel before!¨. Equality 7-2521's development as a character throughout Anthem can be seen as a progressive move towards the end of the novel. It's an egoistic way of thinking, because it asserts that the only goal...
Words: 324 - Pages: 2
...The quote, “We stood still; for the first time did we know fear, and then pain. And we stood still that we might not spill this pain more precious than pleasure.” from Anthem means, Equality 7-2521's first experience of a feeling of love is really heated. Even with the pain and fear he still has interest in it. That means he clearly likes it. It's also interesting that this is the first time in his life Equality 7-2521 admits to having felt afraid. The horrible controlling society he's lived in has never once scared him, but an attractive woman does the first time he sees her. It shows Equality 7-2521 is getting ready to express a change further into the novel Anthem. My visual image represents Equality 7-2521 having felt those emotions...
Words: 316 - Pages: 2
...Which is worse failing or never trying? That's a question many of us should think to yourself and say it inside our brain which is worse. The books that we looked over to answer this question were Anthem by Ayn Rand , “The Emancipation Proclamation,” by Abraham Lincoln , “Prometheus,” from Greek Mythology also the audio of “Critical Thinking” by Leo and lets not forget the Socratic Seminar with the class. I think it's worse to never try in many thinks like in life. First , Equality 7-2521 in Anthem By Ayn Rand never gave up in what he discover. An example of this is planning to escape from the council to show them the light he discover in the tunnel. This is when Equality 7-2521 discover a light that no one has ever done or disobey orders from the council and following the light. This connects to my life by always disobeying everyone why because is something I always do I like doing many things on my own and in my own way not their way. Next Emancipation proclamation , by Abraham Lincoln. In the Emancipation Proclamation Abraham he wanted to free all of the slaves so that they can have freedom as the americans do. A quote of the Emancipation would be “ I order and and declare that all persons held as slaves within said designated states , and parts of states , are...
Words: 778 - Pages: 4
...From the novel Anthem by Ayn Rand, Equality 7-2521 escapes from an undemocratic society, but first he has to reject the society’s view of right and wrong. The view is a system of strict rules which surely makes sure that every single one is involved in an adequate role within the society in this system. No one is considered a single being or think that concept at all. Equality 7-2521 starts by informing the audience that it’s a big sin for him to be doing what he’s doing (which is writing). He is in an underground tunnel, writing secretly by candlelight’s. He then recalls about his past. When Equality 7-2521 was a kid, he stood out because he had a hard time adjusting to the society. He was smarter than everyone else, which the teachers...
Words: 427 - Pages: 2
