The Shade Of Oppression In Ayn Rand's Anthem

956 Words2 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Science and technology and its effect on human beings

The Shade of Oppression
Why can a plant not grow in the shade? When a population is kept in the dark, no progress is made. One example of a community kept in ignorance is from the novella Anthem by Ayn Rand, a place where there is total control by the government. This technology deprived world insinuates that science and technology can spur rebellion, division, and change, showing that technological progress develops from the freedom of oppression. To begin with, the knowledge of new information from science can spur rebellion among the citizens, insinuated by the tight control shown in the novella. The Council begins to berate Equality for daring to be different from the rest of society. After Equality presents his light discovery Collective …show more content…

The society that Equality belonged to drives him away. As Equality runs away from the society he explains, “We have not built this box for the good of our brothers. We have built it for its own sake. It is above all our brothers to us, and its truth above their truth” (Rand 76). Equality begins to put technology over his fellow citizens, showing how technology began to spur division between Equality and those he knew. The ultimatum of putting technology over humans is what this totalitarian government fears against. Additionally, the splitting up of opinions can come from technology development, adding to the idea that freedom of oppression can enable technological progress. The Council discusses with Equality about former inventors similar to Equality’s situation. Solidarity 8-1164 explains what process happened in the past, “Many men in the Home of the Scholars have had strange new ideas in the past […] but when the majority of their brother Scholars voted against them they abandoned their ideas as all men must” (Rand 73). The actions of one man are not to be implemented in this society against the word of the Council, as all men must agree and think the same. Divisions of opinion can disrupt the unity of the community, encouraging the authoritarian government to begin to restrict these ideas. Likewise, authoritarian control with …show more content…

The nature of science and technology is implied by the totalitarian world of Anthem by Ayn Rand by implying that it can stimulate rebellion, division, and change, which can indicate that progress develops from the absence of oppression. The added information of new technology can spur clashes of resistance among the population. Differing opinions can contribute to division among society, the opposite of what a totalitarian government wants. Change can develop from technology and science since these tools can widely lessen ignorance and spread the word about new and correct information and concepts. In the present world, LGBT+ rights have made clashes, uprisings, and change; showing the citizens of the current times have been subjected to oppression and ignorance which need to be brought more into the light of new

Show More
Related

  • A Comparison of Holden of Catcher in the Rye and Equality 7-251 of Anthem

    638 Words  | 2 Pages

    Holden and Equality 7-2521 were oppressed their entire lives.  The totalitarian government that exists in Equality's society holds him down.  If it were up to him, Equality would have become an inventor in the House of the Scholars, but the Council of Vocations sends him off to become a city janitor.  When he does not comply, and continues with his experimentation, Equality is p...

    Read More

  • Power In Ayn Rand's Anthem

    429 Words  | 1 Pages

    The book Anthem is a book that can be perceived many various ways. To me, Anthem is about an outstandingly smart young man, named Equality 7-2521

    Read More

  • Equality 7-2521 Character Analysis

    960 Words  | 2 Pages

    The natural desire of Equality 7-2521 is knowledge who is born with a curse of uniqueness. He abides within the walls of a collectivist society. The citizens of this society prioritize the good of society over the welfare of the individual. In the beginning of the novel, Equality confesses that “[He] have broken the laws. The laws say that men may not write unless the Council of Vocations bid them so” (Anthem 17). Equality is asking for forgiveness and proves this by quoting “[I] strive to be like all our brother men, for all men must be alike” (Anthem 19). Through Equality’s journey of self-discovery, he gradually starts changing his mind on how he perceives of how critical the Council truly is. He begins rebelling without a care and denounces

    Read More

  • Nikola Tesla and His Inventions

    1320 Words  | 3 Pages

    The Earth is not a piece of quartz - it’s like a stone with many imperfections and scratches, and though it retains its scratches, it attempts to heal them; it bandages its wounds. To heal a wound, though, it must be first isolated: and in the case of the world, it is literal flaw that resides with the mask of a wound - combated, though not incapacitated, by the innovators of the Earth. A telephone, refrigerator, microwave, civil rights and gender equality - not only technology, but even a concept as imperative as liberation or equality have altered the globe (as humans see it), for the better: technology has made life easier for humans, ideal rights and equality have been gifted to those that require it, and efforts have been exclaimed in order to protect the natural amenities that are taken for granted. The reason adhered to by the innovators, dedicated to creating the aforesaid circumstances, is rather simple: they endeavor as they do because of the profit that befits not only themselves, but the world in doing so. When Alexander Graham Bell and Antonio Meucci developed the telephone, they distributed communication among the masses (a profit), and thereby changed the globe for the better; that same reason is reflected throughout the ages: Percy Spencer, inventor of the microwave, gained favorable avail via his invention for not only himself, but the Earth as well. Thus, the innovators of the world retain that reason: they change things for the better because of the positive benefit that would befit doing so - the positive benefit for not only themselves, but the world. Nikola Tesla, one of those innovators, arguably fathomed that reason more than anyone. “Born on July 9, 1856, in Smijan, Croatia, Tesla was the child of a clergy...

    Read More

  • Freedom And Individualism In Ayn Rand's Anthem

    57 Words  | 1 Pages

    In the story Anthem by Ayn Rand the story takes place during a time when everything is technologically primal. It's a primitive society that takes place after modern times. The book doesn't say directly, but it suggest that something bad happened and now they have a society where everyone has had their freedom and individualism taken

    Read More

  • Ego In Ayn Rand's Anthem

    968 Words  | 2 Pages

    There society was hurting people because they weren't allowed to reach their full capacity of there true knowledge. When they are born they were all ready under the control of the government.They were already assigned a career, and if you were not needed you were put into a place for people of no use. People could not do anything for themselves. They didn't even know who to refer to themselves as an individual. When Equality finds out what it means to be an individual he plans to go back to the city and help other people discover what it means, to share his knowledge on what he read in the books he

    Read More

  • Anthem, By Ayn Rand: A Literary Analysis

    759 Words  | 2 Pages

    “No thief, however skillful, can rob one of knowledge, and that is why knowledge is the best and safest treasure to acquire” (L. Frank Baum 8). In all of your education, you have acquired knowledge, whether or not you have gotten good grades. Ayn Rand’s novella, Anthem, tells the story of Equality 7-2521 who attempts to acquire knowledge and intelligence by experimenting with his individuality. Likewise, Stephen Vincent Benét’s short story, By the Waters of Babylon, describes the adventures of John who will become a priest after his father. John, a teenager, goes against society to attain knowledge of the Place of the Gods, which is forbidden. In both inspiring stories, knowledge is important to the progression of the characters. In them,

    Read More

  • Theme Of Collectivism In Ayn Rand's Anthem

    1387 Words  | 3 Pages

    the theory and practice of the ownership of land and the means of production by the people or the state. (Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English)

    Read More

  • Anthem By Ayn Rand: An Analysis

    1180 Words  | 3 Pages

    People are not individual, they are just beings working towards a common goal. There are many things that equality is forbidden to do that he wishes he could. To have any friends or relationships are banned. Equality breaks the rules when he admits, “International 4-8818 and we are friends. This is an evil thing to say, for it is a transgression, the great transgression of preference, to love any among men better than the others, since we must love all men and all men are our friends”(page 30). When Equality does this, he discovers that the morals of his society are unjust, this makes breaking society’s unfair laws much easier. There is a time in the story when Equality discovers the power of electricity. Frightened and then amazed, he decides to bring his discovery to the men of the council. He thought they would be enthralled and honor him, instead they snapped: “We have much to say to a wretch who have broken all the laws and boast of their infamy! How dared you think that your mind held greater wisdom than the minds of your brothers? And if the councils had decreed that you should be a street sweeper, how dared you think that you could be of greater use to men than sweeping the streets?(page 72)”. This event changed his mind about the leaders of his society, and he now knows that the rules of the council are wrong and evil, rightfully so. The harsh words crush Equality and cause him to run from the city, in a fit of rage, into the uncharted forest. Days pass in the forest and Equality admits: “And suddenly, for the first time this day, we remembered that we are the dammed. We remembered it, and we laughed”(page 80). Equality now knows that the city that he grew up in was unfair and cruel. If this had happened to me, I would have hatred for my society, and I think that the way Equality reacted was a very normal response. Even though the society has many bad qualities, the rules of this

    Read More

  • Essay On Dystopian Societies In Ayn Rand's Anthem

    682 Words  | 2 Pages

    It is common for individuals to envision a perfect world; a utopian society where everything is paradise, with equality, happiness, and ideal perfection. Unfortunately, Equality 7-2521 lives in a dystopian society, a world in which everything is far from perfect. Dystopian society is a place where many do not which to live upon. Equality 7-2521 is not fortunate enough to do what he enjoys. He is forced to follow rules and laws, which many of them he has already broken. Ayn Rand's novelette, "Anthem," is based on a dystopian society in which individuals are created to be "equals".

    Read More

  • Anthem

    752 Words  | 2 Pages

    As the novel opens Equality 7-2521 states that what he's doing is a sin. In his society it is a sin to do things that do not involve others, and the words he thinks and writes are for no one eyes to see or hear, but his own. In his society everyone thinks the same, and if you were to be the different one you would be sent to the palace of correction and detention. Equality 7-2521 actually had a mind of his own. As you can see Science fascinated him. For example in chapter 1 while it was dark Equality 7-2521 would sneak into a dark tunnel in which he would spend 3 hours doing scientific research, and experiments. He would also steal manuscripts from the scholars, and every night he would study. This went on for two years. The difference between Equality 7-2521 and his society is that he actually wanted to succeed, while the rest of his society would settle for what they were told to be. The "glass box", can also be referred as a light bulb. After countless nights of experimenting, Equality 7-2521 succeeds in connecting the power of electricity to re-invent the electric light. This invention that he came up with can benefit to society, but he doesn't know how to tell them. Remember, you can't do anything that others can't do. That was the philosophy that the society believed in. He figured that since the council wouldn't appreciate his work, he would rather show his invention to the scholars. When the World Council of Scholars arrives in his city, he will present to them, as his gift, the "glass box with the power of the sky." One night while Equality 7-2521 was working on an experiment in his tunnel, he totally lost track of time. He rushed out, and then the council questioned him on why was he late. Equality 7-2521 refused to answer and therefore he was sent to the palace of correction and detention. He was able to escape and retreat back to the tunnel. He found everything the same way that he had left it. He was then getting prepared for the arrival of the scholars.

    Read More

  • Anthem Equality Vs Society

    1126 Words  | 3 Pages

    Equality experienced meager treatment, and he has reason to call out the society that treated him so poorly. Equality does not come in the form of total fairness and ultimate control. A democracy: a mixture of individuality and creativity as well as the opinion of the people, defines equality. To have equality, everyone must have their own definition of equal. Equality clings to his definition of equality through the whole story:

    Read More

  • Equality (Prometheus) and Liberty (Gaea)

    797 Words  | 2 Pages

    Equality has discovered something all by himself and he’s the only one that knows it. Equality would help create a new idea of the period of invention and discovery but only if it was accepted by the Council. (Pg 53 Rand)“We put a piece of copper and a piece of zinc into a jar of brine, we touched a wire to them, and there under our fingers, was a miracle which had never occurred before, a new miracle and a new power.”

    Read More

  • An Enemy of the People, Waiting for Godot and Civilization and Its Discontents

    1409 Words  | 3 Pages

    Throughout the centuries, society has been given men ahead of their time. These men are seen in both actual history, and in fictional accounts of that history. Aristotle, Copernicus, Galileo, Bacon, and even Freud laid the framework in their fields, with revolutionary ideas whose shockwaves are still felt today. For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction, and so society has also possessed those how refuse to look forward, those who resisted the great thinkers in science and civilization. The advancement of science and technology is like the flick of a light switch; research may be slow and tedious, but once discoveries are made, they are not long hidden. In contrast, advancement in the ideas of ethics and human values come slowly, like the rising of the sun; there are hints at advancement for a long time before the next step is ready to be made. Because of this, science and technology takes off in leaps and bounds before human values have awakened to find society moving again.

    Read More

  • Use of Light Symbolism in Ayn Rand’s Anthem

    1248 Words  | 3 Pages

    The most important instance of it centers around Equality 7-2521's invention of a light bulb. Think of the scene. Equality 7-2521 generates the electric light by himself, in an underground tunnel, where it is the lone light shining in the gloom: "…in that moment nothing occurred save our two hands over a wire glowing in a black abyss."(5.5). And doesn't it seem to render Equality 7-2521's own position? He's the solitary source of idea and individuality in the dark mass of his afriad and harsh society, and the only source of hope,

    Read More

More about The Shade Of Oppression In Ayn Rand's Anthem

Open Document