...Motivations can be big things or tin things. To some, their family and friends are their motivation. To others, something as a simple as a smile can be their motivation. Equality 7-2521, from the book Anthem, however, is motivated by a big thing in his dystopic future. By understanding his motivation, his reasoning, and his society, any reader can better understand Equality’s ways. Equality had made a groundbreaking creation. With some help from a circuit and wires, Equality created a box of light. “We know not what we are saying. Our head is reeling. We look upon the light which we have made.” (59) With the power of light in his hands, Equality was wildly motivated by the idea of becoming a scholar, hence many of the actions he undergoes early in the story. His mind, however, was in his biggest motivation that set him to create light in the first place. His requirement to be a scholar set him apart from the rest and became one of his biggest motivations in the beginning of the book. This desire sent him to the Council of Scholars, where he was scolded and told he would be punished. There was a reason behind his motivation, however....
Words: 525 - Pages: 3
...The Right Motivation How would you decide what is right and what is wrong? What encourages you to go about life in the way you’re going about it? “When making the normative judgement that something is pleasing to us or that we have a reason to act in a particular way… moral motivation gives the impression to be of more significance in the apparent opposition between self-interest and morality.”In Anthem, written by Ayn Rand, Equality, the protagonist, knows that his invention will benefit humankind greatly. However, this is not his primary motivation in conducting his experiments. His primary motivation is his ego. An analysis of this motivation, in a sense, summons to contest if the prime motivation of Equality is right when looking at his...
Words: 922 - Pages: 4
...Do you think the most sacred word is Ego. In the book Anthem by Ayn Rand. Anthem is a dystopian novel takes place in the future where Individualism is eliminated and communism is in place. In spite of these laws, Equality breaks them and becomes an independent being. In Anthem, we see Equality break away from the collective, which paved the way for objectivism theme. What is Equality’s Motivation. P1 In the story “Anthem”, Equality is motivated to be an independent being, Since he is an individual being and has the power to think and act for himself. At the end of the story Equality states “I am, I think, I will” (94). This shows that since he is an independent being he has the power to think and make decisions for himself. As the story...
Words: 553 - Pages: 3
...Humans are incomprehensible creatures that tend to have a natural inclination to want to learn new things. It is the same case in Anthem, a book written by Ayn Rand, which is about a boy named Equality 7-2521 who lives in a society where he must think of only his brothers, but he does not. Equality is motivated to conduct his experiments by curiosity and desire for knowledge, which is a magnificent way to be motivated because if everyone obtained the same motivation, the world would have a society thriving in knowledge. Firstly, Equality's motivation to conduct his experiments comes from his desire for knowledge and his curiosity. It is evident that Equality's primary motivation is his desire to learn new things because he stole manuscripts from the Home of Scholars and he says that “. . . in these two years we have learned more than we had learned in the ten years of the Home of the Students.” (Rand, 36). If humans did not have a desire for knowledge, they would...
Words: 667 - Pages: 3
...Equality’s discovery of electricity was an incredible feat considering the complexity of society Ayn Rand depicted for Anthem. Rand’s portrayal of society contrasts with the quintessential dystopian society portrayed in many novels such as The Giver and Fahrenheit 451. The civilization in Anthem exists some time in the future, however, the intricacy of technology had declined to the point where citizens were using candles and torches as methods of illuminating their surroundings. The cause of this decline traced to the development of an intolerance towards individualism. Equality never fit in his community because of his strong nonconformist personality. He had preferences and objects of joy, a sin he called “the great Transgression of Preference” (6). He had a bias for science during his schooling and had a tendency to commit transgressions, which foreshadow his experiments in the tunnel. His...
Words: 984 - Pages: 4
...What makes one unique? A personality, look, or even intelligence can be the difference between two individuals. Think of a world where none of that exists and everyone is identical. Ayn Rand creates a perfect picture for that. In the book, Anthem, Equality’s primary motivation is his desire for individuality. Like every other human-being the challenge of finding who you really are and what your purpose is, is a rather difficult task to complete. After being strained to be someone he’s not and living off of strict rules the aspiration to establish who he really was, was the fire within him to conduct his experiments. Equality’s experiments were a symbol of his developing self. If everyone in the world were to be like Equality and have the same motivation, the world would be a more developed and efficient environment with very confident individuals. In similarity to Lois Lowry’s book The Giver, Ayn Rand establishes a society with uniformity. Lowry’s book refers to what is known as sameness and is a world that’s only black and white. What’s the point of no color? Color expresses one’s personality when both authors are trying to achieve the theme of equality. Everyone is seen the same and in most ways are the same. Going back to Ayn Rand’s writing, the kids attend a school where...
Words: 572 - Pages: 3
...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...
Words: 937 - Pages: 4
...Underlying Motives in Anthem Oscar Wilde said, “Most people are other people. Their thoughts are someone else's opinions, their lives a mimicry, their passions a quotation.” His quote explores how a person's personality is shaped by the personalities of others, and this sometimes makes it hard to find one's self-identity. Ayn Rand’s book Anthem explores this topic through the eyes of Equality, a man who was solely raised on the belief that he is to serve his fellow citizens, his brothers. But he alone discovers electricity, and he finds joy in his discovery. Even though he wants to help his brother men, Equalitie’s primary source of pride and joy from his work is caused by his discovery of how self motivation and perseverance can pay off while...
Words: 882 - Pages: 4
...way for us as we took a stroll to work. After reaching our destination we slump in our rickety suede chair. As we turn to the side and glare at the newcomer, memories flooded our mind of the 43 years we have held this position of factory manager. He is slow. He is smart, we think knowing that regardless of how much work is done, the pay will remain the same. As a result of this, motivation is lost, dreams are crushed, and 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...
Words: 670 - Pages: 3
...In Ayn Rand's novella Anthem, a child is conceived in the Time of Mating, a child born different, curious, unique, a child to be known by the name of Equality 7-2521. Growing up in a post-apocalyptic collectivist society, Equality was repeatedly ostracized by his teachers and friends. While writing about his time in the Home of Students, Equality talks about how he had never considered learning as a challenge, but instead, it was a thirst that was never quenched. His teachers told him to be different - superior - was to be evil, and they looked down upon that. All Equality wanted was to be normal and to please his brothers, but he had believed he was cursed. Equality had become of age to visit the Council of Vocations where he was assigned...
Words: 764 - Pages: 4
...Life Motivators It is often said that allowing other people to control the way one lives their life will hinder them from reaching their maximum potential. On the other hand, when one lives their own life they way they want to, unimaginable things happen and are achieved. One of the best ways to achieve unimaginable things is for one to find something that motivates them and drives them to be the absolute best person that they can be and to never let themselves do any less. The entire world would be a more amicable and surpassing place for everyone. Throughout the different scenes and obstacles that the novel’s hero experiences in Ayn Rand’s, Anthem, it shows that in order to be the best person one can be they have to find themselves and live life...
Words: 1073 - Pages: 5
...Unlike during the Unmentionable Times, when men created “towers [that] rose to the sky,” it is an affliction to be born with powerful intellectual capacity and ambition in Ayn Rand’s apocalyptic, nameless society in Anthem. Collectivism is ostensibly the moral guidepost for humanity, and any perceived threat to the inflexible, authoritarian regime is met with severe punishment. The attack on mankind’s free will and reason is most evident in the cold marble engraving in the Palace of the World Council: “We are one in all and all in one. There are no men but only the great WE, One, indivisible and forever” (6). Societal norms force homogeneity and sacrifice among all people. Laws and rules are crafted to prevent advancement and preserve relentless...
Words: 1196 - Pages: 5
...Dorie Love-Ashby P. Elmore Composition II 1302-7420 5/25/11 FAULKNER Faulkner was born in 1897, to a genteel southern family. His father, Murry Cuthbert Falkner, was a railroad worker, owner of a cottonseed oil and ice plant, livery stable operator, hardware store employee, and secretary and business manager at University of Mississippi. His mother was Maud Butler Falkner. Falkner grew up and spent most of his life, off and on, in Oxford, Mississippi. He trained for the Royal Air Force in Canada, and later the British Royal Air Force during World War I, but the war was over before he saw action. After the war he briefly attended the University of Mississippi. He married Lida Estelle Oldham Franklin, June 20, 1929. The Faulkner works were greatly influenced by his family history. The area in which he lived had a great deal to do with his sense of the doleful position of Black and WhiteAmericans. This also influenced his sense of humor and is said to be the legacy of earlier writers like Mark Twain. Faulkner was best known for his novels, but he also wrote short stories, poetry and occasional screenplays.. Film versions have been made of several of his works: Sanctuary (1961), Intruder in the Dust (1949), The Sound and the Fury(1959), The Reivers (1969), and Pylon (1957; or Tarnished Angels). Others (Requiem for a Nun, 1951, and "Barn Burning") have been filmed for television. (Pierce, Constance, and Heller) Faulkner received the 1949 Nobel Prize for Literature for "his...
Words: 2838 - Pages: 12
