...In Ayn Rand's dystopian, novel Anthem, the author shows that society or individuality is not acceptable. Neither is personal freedom and independent thinking. This is shown throughout the book as the characters are assigned numbers not names, and individualism is forbidden. They are not allowed to call each other by pronouns. The world depicted in Ayn Rand's Anthem can be seen as just a book, but not a direct production of the future. “There's nothing to take a man’s freedom from him, save other men. To be free, a man must be free of his brothers.”(Rand 92) In this quote Equality 7-2521 says that individuals are free on their own unless another man disrupts them with the man's expectations based on their life. The author sees this brotherhood...
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...The novel Anthem is a dystopian fiction novella written by Ayn Rand, a Russian-born American novelist in 1937. The main purpose of this novel was to show discrimination of individuality. Rand used characters with ironic names such as the main one, Equality 7-2521 and Liberty 5-3000. Equality 7-2521 has become very critical of the leaders of his society by the end of the novel, denouncing them in moral terms while in the process in becoming an individual. Moral values are important to most people in the world. They are the motive power in their actions. Equality 7-2521 was not right to become so critical to the leaders of his society. Everyone’s moral values motivate people to do more than they think they can, and having Equality 7-2521 be critical and denounce them was not a helpful thing to do for the other people’s thoughts. Men have to make choices; no moral neutrality is possible when there is no escape from moral values. Therefore, Equality 7-2521 was not right for denouncing the leaders of his society in their moral terms....
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...Anthem Essay In her essay “How to live a Rational Life in an Irrational Society” Ayn Rand states that in a society with zero judging there could only be two people who had initiative. They could be someone who was willing to create rational and moral judgements for society or a thug who had no moral responsibilities such as a thug who was aware of how irrational the society really is. The character from her novel Anthem Equality 7-2125 would certainly agree with her as he is a person in the former group. He was right to denounce the way of his leaders in moral terms and to leave the City. On Ayn Rand’s Essay In her essay “How to live a Rational Life in an Irrational Society” Ayn Rand states that the only way to keep society rational is to judge others and be prepared to be judged yourself. In her essay Ayn Rand states, “An irrational society is a society of moral cowards—of men paralyzed by the loss of moral standards, principles and goals. But since men have to act, so long as they live, such a society is ready to be taken over by anyone willing to set its direction. The initiative can come from only two types of men: either from the man who is willing to assume the responsibility of asserting rational values—or from the thug who is not troubled by questions of responsibility.”. This is because not judging only benefits the evil overall and not the...
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...Ayn Rand’s novel, Anthem connects to our society and history. The novel and our society both have groups of jobs and laws that have to be followed. Also, the novel and our history both involve communism. To begin with, Anthem and our society both have groups of jobs. Equality 7-2521 states, “They called the Students’ names, and when the Students stepped before them, one after another, the Council said: “Carpenter” or “Doctor” or “Cook” or “Leader.”” (Rand 10). This quote shows that the group of jobs in the novel, are present in today’s society. In conclusion, this quote supports the idea that Anthem has a connection with our society. In addition, Anthem and our society have laws that have to be followed. Equality 7-2521 says,...
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...He has denounced everything he has ever known. Impeached the contrivance of his leaders to show his brothers the life they deserve to have. In the story, Anthem by Ayn Rand, it illustrates the strong character, Equality. Equality declaims the leaders of his society “The Council” due to their concealing and cruel ways. Living in a loveless, dark age in the future, he found himself alone. Feeling alone, being what his society would call an “unpardonable sin” because he differed from his mindless brothers. In Anthem by Ayn Rand, “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”(17). His brothers are always cowering in fear and sadness, making one know Equality was not only doing what was best, but what was best for his brothers, his community, thus even the world. Although Equality denouncing his leader can throw off the balance and scare citizens of his community with shock, if he hadn’t taken a stand his brothers would have continued to be depressed. His brothers are depressed due to being unfairly placed into...
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...“norm.” Ayn Rand’s Anthem expresses the alienation of the individuals who fail to be homogenous to their coexisting society. Ayn Rand’s society provides characteristics such as punishing people by making them feel as if they are alienated, subjecting individuals to segregation or accepting them, as well as providing escape routes. Such humans who are alienated are considered to be “the other” in this society. Rather than promoting differentiation and diversity… Rand’s society strongly rejects it. The character in Anthem who is especially subjected to alienation and the title of “the other” is a man named Equality 7-2521 a.k.a. Prometheus. This character feels as if he is a target of alienation due to his height, intelligence, and ability of preference. Although Prometheus as said in the novel strives to be one with his “brothers,” he is unable to overcome his “sins” of inequality. Characteristics such as being six feet tall, smarter than the average Joe in his society,...
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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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...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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...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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...Ayn Rand’s Anthem takes place in a society that discourages individual thoughts and actions. The author herself was living in Europe as World War II was breaking out. Most of the people in Europe then were thought of as a whole, not as individuals. Ayn Rand felt as if she were being encouraged not to think individually, and wrote Anthem to warn people about the dangers of not being themselves. The characters in the novel are kept ignorant about any individual ideas by the rulers of their society, the Council. This prevents the people from asking questions and keeping them in the Council’s pocket. They are not allowed to say the word ‘I’, instead using the collective term ‘we’. They make their people repeat the same phrase over and over again...
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...Anthem Writing contest I am. I think. I will, when these words are thought nothing out of the ordinary comes to mind. According to Ayn Rand’s book anthem, mine, my, and I are all taken for granted. Ayn Rand was born in 1905 and her book Anthem, published in 1938 kick started a all new genre of dystopian society books. In Anthem a future world has lost technology and all knowledge of individualism. They have abandoned the thought of themselves and now “worship” the word we. Equality 7-2151 breaks we’s invisible bond made by us and we then created a brand new utopian society, that thrives on individualism. The perfect society equality created at the end of the book will include little to no rules from his past home because, he ran away from these rules, equality knows the unspeakable word, and the leader of his land is himself. Equality 7-2125 grew up just like everybody else. At age five left for schooling then at age fifteen got a job as a streetsweeper, doing everything as a whole with no thought of themselves whatsoever. Then years later his world changed when he found a grate within the outskirts of the colony and ventured inside. In the tunnel he was in awe at the sophistication of everything the tunnel...
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...instantly tells the story of Equality 7-2521. He knows what is and is not allowed in the totalitarianistic society pictured in Anthem, by Ayn Rand, and proceeds regardless. While the outright and truthful account is being given at the beginning, the reader comes to understand that Equality is unsure of what the response will be to his purposeful fracture of the law. But something more subtle is apparent following the conclusion of the book: Equality’s underlying carelessness with the law. Though acknowledging his refusal to adhere to every law set forth by the Council, he still maintains his sense of apprehension. The arc Equality undergoes throughout the course of Anthem...
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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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...ANTHEM QUESTIONS Chapter I – Response 1 In a well-organized paragraph, describe the society in which Anthem is set. Some areas to consider are the political structure, degree of technology, social relationships, quality of life, and education. ALSO comment on the following: ➢ Would you want to live in this society? Explain why or why not. ➢ How would your teachers react if you had Equality’s “curse”? ➢ Why do Equality’s teachers disapprove of his quick mind? Chapter II – Response 2 . Re-read the account of Liberty 5-3000 on or around page 38. Which character traits are revealed in this brief description? . Find several examples of the ways in which this society tries to obliterate each individual’s mind (and self!) by quashing personal choices, desires, and values. . Of the whole range of feelings possible to man (joy, excitement, anger, embarrassment, etc.) why is fear the prevalent emotion in this society? Explain the following terms-- WHAT do each of these terms symbolize? If you think about it, they are easy to label. The Great Truth, the Unmentionable Times, the Uncharted Forest, the Evil Ones, the Great Rebirth Chapter III – Response 3 Clearly, up to this point and beyond, Ayn Rand intended Equality to stand out from his “brothers.” Explain how she accomplishes this by contrasting Equality’s physical qualities and character traits to those of his fellow men. . What...
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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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