The values at risk in Anthem are not merely those of the central luminary; they are the ostensible values of an entire civilization—our own. Our society is founded upon the notion of individual rights; its existence, as Ayn Rand depicts, cannot be conceived on any other grounds. Anthem, Rand’s dystopian novella, is about us, and about what will happen if we do not follow alongside Equality 7-2521 and Liberty 5-3000 in their discovery of the importance of individualism.
Rand intends Equality’s name to be a misnomer, since we know that he is far superior to his peers and later comes to reject the principle his name characterizes. Liberty 5-3000 is a character meant to epitomize freedom—although it is quite paradoxical that her society would name her so, since liberty is exactly what her collectivist society destroys. Equality’s decision to discard his given name shows his hindrance within a society worshipping “We,” unwilling to be held back among the masses. When Equality renames Liberty and himself, he is ultimately declaring war on collectivism, reclaiming themselves as their own—as “Man, not men” (104).
Equality decides they must choose their own names to distinguish themselves from the remaining proletariat—just as names used to do in the Unmentionable Times. Equality adopts the name “Prometheus,” imitative of the ancient Greek god who brought light to man from the heavens and was punished for his kindness. For The Golden One, the name Equality prescribed to Liberty upon first encountering her, he chooses “Gaea”: “[T]he mother of the earth and of all the gods” (99). Gaea was considered the primeval divinity of earth and the progenitor of life and reproduction: the Mother of All. It was upon her that living things thrived.
M...
... middle of paper ...
...r than “freedom,”—because “[t]o be free a man must be free of his brothers” (101). Additionally, by dispensing of the name Equality creates for Liberty upon first seeing her, she shows that they do not need to describe her individual characteristics in order to establish her overall individuality.
Prometheus' vicarious studying of the past and present, via the library of books found in the house of the Unmentionable Times, guides him in deciding that he will not allow the future of man to slip away in the same manner as before. Akin to Prometheus the Titan, Rand’s Prometheus brings light and knowledge to his people by ultimately writing an anthem to the ego, embracing his identity as a revolutionary of his time and the “god whom men have sought since men came into being…‘I’” (97).
Works Cited
Rand, Ayn. Atlas Shrugged. New York: Penguin Group Inc., 1996. Print.
In the book Anthem, written by Ayn Rand, Equality 7-2521 had never seen his physical appearance. He was surprised to see such a strong individual staring at him. One day after escaping into the woods, he finally met himself at a flowing stream and gained new confidence. This was an essential part of the theme of "Anthem." This shows how Equality finally found himself as an "I" in order to help others see themselves as an "I." This is an important part of "Anthem" since it reveals Equality 7-2521's determination, bravery, and development as a person.
...e the instruction of their dishonest city and directed Equality to the finding of the largest part of the human strength, egoism. “Ego” is the forbidden word that The Transgressor of the Unspeakable Word suffered from. He was burned alive because he was one of little that knew what individualism was. Prometheus and Gaea modernized this human race for centuries and initiated a new kind of success and advancement. Equality and Liberty will make a society that could possibly help the planet for the creation of light by rejoicing the individual human spirit, a thing to be set free, not restrained and crushed out of terror. Their discoveries put to rest the corrupt preaching of selflessness and humility in favor of the truly moral philosophies of freedom and, in fact, selfishness. Those are the reasons that Ayn Rand named Equality, Prometheus, and Liberty, Gaea.
Equality 7-2521 aspires to be a self-proclaimed individual. In the novella, Anthem, Ayn Rand discusses of a dystopian society in which every man and women are set equal to each other. Equality is damned by the World Council after a discovery of light and electricity, and a contradictory belief in individualism. Freedom is an essential factor in the happiness of man. Equality is scorned for his different looks, mental competence, and independent beliefs but laughs when he recognizes that he should be glorified for understanding that his perception of life leads to contentment.
Equality eventually escapes from the place that never felt like home, and runs off with his love, Liberty 5-300, who he calls the Golden One. After learning about the men from the Unmentionable Times, Equality would agree with Ayn Rand’s words in her short essay, “How Does One Lead a Rational Life in an Irrational Society?”, where she not only talks about the importance of having moral judgment, but also about being brainwashed by your leaders and government. Equality can relate because, for his whole life, he was in a society where their version of wrong and right were opposites to what they should have been. Individualism and moral judgement weren't encouraged, they were prevented, and that is where the society became
One day, Equality is supposed to be in the theater, but he is not there. Consequently, Equality is imprisoned to the Palace of Corrective Detention. Oddly, the prison does not have many restrictions, so easily Equality escapes. After his departure, he goes directly to the Council of Scholars, which is where a group of people have a job to gain more intelligence. Intentionally, Equality goes here because he wants to reveal his new discovery of electricity to the scholars. In effect, they denounce him for carrying out a discovery because it is contradicting to the laws of their society. After this happens, Equality bolts to the Uncharted Forest, he begins to actualize that people should live as individuals instead of one group. Liberty follows Equality and, eventually, catches up to him. In the Uncharted Forest, they find a sublime house on top of a mountain. Once they examine the house, Equality and Liberty decide to live in it. Uninhibited, they develop a more profound relationship along with a newly-founded liberated life. As an individual, Equality wants to free the people of his society and eventually begin his own. Equality says, "We matter not, nor our transgression. It is only our brother men who matter. Give no thought to us, for we are nothing, but listen to our words, for we bring you a gift such as has never been brought to men. Listen to us, for we hold the future of mankind in our hands" (70; ch. 7). Equality's life dramatically changes as he extends his life as a
Ayn Rand, in Anthem, illustrates a futuristic, socialist society. In the novel, Rand destroys any sense of individuality and describes the social setbacks endured after living ‘only for the brotherhood’. The individual person fails to exist and is but a ‘we’ and recognized by a word and a series of numbers rather than a name. Additionally, she describes the horrors encountered within this different system of life: from reproduction methods to punishments. Through the life of Equality 7-2521, Rand demonstrates a person’s journey from obedience to exile in this socialist society. Throughout the entire novel, Rand criticizes Marxist theory as she demonstrates socialism’s failure to suppress revolution, thwart material dialectic, and its detriment to humanity.
“‘Her name was Gaea. Let this be your name my Golden One, for you are to be the mother of a new kind of gods.’ ‘It shall be my name,’ said the Golden One”(Rand 99). In Ayn Rand’s futuristic novel, Anthem, the people are taught that everyone is part of a whole group. At the point where no one can even think of being an individual, they only see themselves as part of a whole group. Equality 72521 is elected the job of the street sweepers, through his job he begins to have a relationship with Liberty 53000(the Golden One), but through this relationship he begins to move towards individuality and selfishness, as the author Ayn Rand thinks we should.The Golden One and Equality 7-2521(Equality) evolving relationship throughout the book illustrates the theme that you can only be one and you are the only person that matters is yourself evidenced by Equality loving everything about the Golden One in the beginning, then he become less involved with the Golden One and it only helps if he looks at her for a while in between, and at the end the Golden One doesn’t matter to him any more and she is only for making babies and trying on pretty things.
In a year that remains undefined beneath a small city lit only by candles, a young man is working. He works without the council to guide him and without his brothers beside him. He works for his own purposes, for his own desires, for the dreams that were born in his own steady heart and bright mind. In his society, this is the greatest transgression. To stand alone is to stand groping in the dark, and to act alone is to be shamed by one’s own selfishness. The elegantly simple society that Ayn Rand has created in the novel Anthem has erased all segregation and discrimination by making every man one and the same with those around him; only Equality 7-2521 defies the norm with his ruthless
Ayn Rand, a contentious woman, the new favorite author to multiple people’s list. People who have read her magnificent book, Anthem, understand how exquisite and meaningful her words are. Books like Anthem are worth reading because it gives the reader more knowledge about controversial topics and it takes the reader to experience new places and new adventures. Equality, the main character, is a symbol. He represents many people today, living in countries like his society. Equality has to find his true identity first before helping the others. People are not allowed to believe in individualism, they should not have a identity of their own. Each person has a monotone routine to follow every single day of their lives. Each step a person takes
Ayn Rand’s Anthem is a politically satirical novel set in a future society that is so highly collectivized that the word “I” has been banned. The world is governed by various councils who believe that man’s sole reason for existence is to enforce the Great Truth “that all men are one and that there is no will save the will of all men together” (Rand, 20). Any indication of an individual’s independent spirit is swiftly and brutally put down, with the transgressors being punished with severe prison sentences or even death. It is this dysfunctional world that Equality 7-2521 is born into. The novel begins with Equality 7-2521 alone in a dark tunnel, transcribing his story.
Later Equality 7-2521 gives the Golden One a new name: Gaea. They live in harmony together and finally discover the meaning of the Unspeakable Word “I” instead of which they always used the word “We” to refer to themselves like all the other collectivists did. After finding everything Equality searched for, he is a happy individual living in a perfect place with the woman he loves.
In conclusion, it is shown that Equality 7-2521 makes his journey from a prisoner of collectivism and extreme social dependence to an exclusive freedom. Ayn Rand portrays a society afraid of change, rebellion, and the idea of any singularity at all. Equality first frees himself from the shackles of his brothers, allowing him to be an individual. Next he discovers that he, as one person, can judge the truth, others change the truth the way they want you to understand it. Finally, the reflection of himself in a stream shows Equality that he is not only mentally, but physically different than what seems to be a shapeless society. Ayn Rand conveys the theme of individualism through the development of Equality's ego, he is able to find the importance of one’s self and help society ameliorate itself for years to come.
That is the main point that Rand seems to want to hit. There is no point of being your own self if you keep yourself directly chained to the ideals of society and not yourself. One of the other themes that she shows to the reader is that someone's love will not always be for all. Equality shown early in the book falling in love with someone named Liberty 5-3000. He has been taught to respect and value all his “brother” equally, but the thought of one touching Liberty drives him to anger. Liberty continues to be talked about almost every other chapter as she becomes a part of his life. In chapter seven, the book states, “Then a blow of pain struck us, our first and our only.”(Rand, 77) There is no regret for leaving or any hurt from being banished except Liberty. Love can be seen as a mere thought, but Rand seems to show that it is an emotion that shows the individual inside
He begins to “not think of them as Liberty 5-3000 any longer. We have given them a name in our thoughts. We call them The Golden One.” (Rand, p. 41) This shows that he wanted to give her a name, a name that gave her meaning to him. This book shows how a random name can take away from the individuality of a person. Your name makes you stand out and gives you a sense of individuality. As you get to know a person you begin to associate their name with their gender, looks, and personality. The Golden One gives Equality 7-2521 another name just like he gave her one too. She called him “Unconquered”. Soon after you read that “Such thoughts as these are forbidden” (Rand, p. 56). This quote from the book reveals even more on how feelings towards opposite sex were not accepted. The name she gave Equality 7-2521 gave him meaning and separated him out from the
Throughout the incredible courage and bravery of Equality and Liberty, mankind is free from going through the ideal of communism. Their sacrifices that they have chosen to do showed them their corrupt society and led them to discover the most important part of human spirit and individualism. Prometheus (Equality) and Gaea (Liberty) will find a society that, shows everyone, the world for mankind by celebrating individual human spirit, a thing have freedom, and removed out of the fear that they had. Their discoveries put a stop to the corrupt society of selflessness and humility of true moral of freedom and, in act of selfishness.