What if in the future the world reset to the beginning of time, technology becomes nonexistent and humans are unsure of their capabilities as an individual? Hypothetically speaking, if government
controls the people, individuals will often feel rebellious to fight for their rights. The world’s future generations are likely to be negatively impacted given that man continues to destroy his society. The destruction of society will lead to a termination of one’s freedom and happiness. The novella Anthem and film Planet of the Apes are not similar on the surface, however analyzing both shows that the world’s future will ahold devolved mankind, one's ego and sacrifice for a new word along with the unvalued worth of human life.
Usually, evolution
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of mankind continues to be expected as years go by, however Anthem and Planet of the Apes shows the opposite, devolution. Devolution occurs in both mankind and society, affecting every aspect of human life. One major sign of devolution in both novella and film include the lack of knowledge. For example, Taylor from Planet of the Apes struggles to realize the effect mankind has done on the world in the past, “Beware the beast Man, for he is the Devil's pawn. Alone among God's primates, he kills for sport or lust or greed. Yea, he will murder his brother to possess his brother's land. Let him not breed in great numbers, for he will make a desert of his home and yours. Shun him; drive him back into his jungle lair, for he is the harbinger of death” (Schaffner, Planet of the Apes). Adding on to this, Cornelius follows a sacred book that portrays humans as evil and selfish. In fact, humans are the ones to blame for the “forbidden zone” which was once a beautiful idyll before the mistreatment of mankind. Taylor seems oblivious on how human beings affect society and does not take into consideration that men's ignorant choices in the past let apes develop at a faster rate than man. Given these points, Taylor questions the orangutans how apes are in control, “A planet where apes evolved from men? There's got to be an answer” (Schaffner, Planet of the Apes). Consequently, Taylor’s question displays the arrogance of mankind. Additionally, Taylor’s unawareness proves that future human civilization will not learn from bad choices of the past. Not to mention the “Uncharted Forest” in Anthem. Entering this forest goes against the laws of the Council. Adding on to this, the Council does not want to lose control of their society, possibly fearing a repeat of the past. Additionally, Equality's society does not acknowledge the past of mankind's achievements. However, Taylor’s society seems aware of the great achievements and ideas from the past. Overall, mankind becomes devolved due to the ignorance of humans, resulting in society standing at its weakest point in time. Ego plays an important role in society, without it, the population will struggle without leaders.
The definition of “ego” according to Sigmund Freud, a former psychoanalysis, “ The ego is the psychological component of the personality that is represented by our conscious decision-making process” (Roundy, Lisa. “The Ego: Definition & Examples). In both Anthem and Planet of the Apes, examples of ego are shown a great deal of times. The main character of Anthem, Equality, and Taylor from Planet of the apes strive to be remembered in years to come, both fearing oblivion. Equality and Taylor posses extremely strong egos, believing they will positively impact their society. For instance, Equality tries to contribute to society when he shows the Council his discovery of electricity. After being sent to the Palace of Corrective Detention, Equality realizes that men will never give up on their needs, “I understood that centuries of chains and lashes will not kill the spirit of man nor the sense of truth within him” (Rand 98). Overall, the lashing that Equality undergoes symbolizes his sacrifice for others freedom and their right to think as an individual. Likewise, Taylor shows the orangutans his writing ability after they assume humans are not intelligent. However, unlike Equality, Taylor flees when the apes threaten to castrate him. Furthermore, these two characters have a sense of becoming the creator of a new, advanced and better world. Equality achieves his goal of becoming a …show more content…
“God” of a better society and changes his name to Prometheus, Equality as Prometheus makes a remark, “And now I see the face of God, and I raise this God over the earth, this God whom men have sought since men came into being, this God who will grant them joy and peace and pride” (Rand 97). However, the way that Equality and Taylor use their egos remains significantly different. For example, Equality uses his ego to take risks for others and give them a chance of freedom, while Taylor uses his for his own personal gain. In the film, Taylor communicates with the orangutans so that they release him from the cells, he does not think of anybody else's freedom. In summary, a person’s ego plays an important role in society, without ego the development of civilization will lag. Life contains no value in Anthem nor Planet of the Apes.
No doubt, human life has no meaning due to the fact that emotional attachment becomes scarce in the future. First and foremost, women have only one purpose, reproducing. In Anthem babies are sent to “Home of the Infant's” right after birth. From here on out, the mother and child do not have any form of connection. Besides the fact that emotional bonds are rare, the Council uses this as an advantage for more control. Equality attempts to prove the Council that human life has deep and meaningful value. Also, if a man does not benefit to society, he has no reason to live in the eyes of the Council. According to the Council humans are objects, “And if you are not needed by your brother men, there is no reason for you to burden the earth with your bodies” (Rand 22). For this reason, emotional bonds between humans will come to end in the future, death does not cause agony for others anymore. Strangely enough, characters in Planet of the Apes also do not value life. For example, Taylor does not pay any mind to or show emotion towards Dodge’s violent death. Another great example consists of the death of Lieutenant Stewart, the only women on the journey. As a matter of fact, Taylor somewhat admits that he does not feel guilty of her death, “It’s too late for a wake. She’s been dead for nearly a year” (Schaffner, Planet of the Apes). Usually, people tend to grieve anothers death, especially if a proper funeral does not take
place. To add on to this, Taylor’s reaction to her death reveals that he has a extremely self-centered personality. Therefore, life has holds no value in both of these future societies. The current society should feel obligated to protect rights and the amount of control the government has. If society does not protect itself and work itself full potential, freedom and happiness of future generations might be taken away. The novella Anthem and film Planet of the Apes give a visual of what mankind's future might look like if civilization does not change for the better. As a society, citizens should realize the cause and effect of everything they do and how it will impact the future of mankind. Afterall, one's ego might not be strong enough to stop devolution and the diminishing value of life in the future.
Have you ever wondered what it would be like to live in a world where everyone was forced to be exactly alike? Well in Ayn Rand’s novel Anthem she directly confronts this topic through the main character named Equality 7-2521. Equality 7-2521 faces challenges directly relating to the issue that the government has been trying to address for many years. Equality 7-2521 is not like his brothers, he is smarter, wiser and even taller, therefore, his brothers think that he has “evil in his bones” (Rand 18). The book Anthem is the firsthand account of how Equality 7-2521 finds the word “I” amongst the word “We”. He does not agree with these rules that the government has put into place, these are the rules that held him back for a time, but in the end, pushed him forward to be his own person.
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.
As Equality stops to devour the supper he caught, he notices a, “great satisfaction to be found in the food by which we obtain by our own hand” (Rand 80). For once, Equality puts the hunting skill he possesses to use, and the pleasure that comes with consuming an adequate meal made completely by him is far beyond that of meals prepared by others. And by residing in the Uncharted Forest, Equality experiences joy because he essentially is free and can pursue tasks he desires, like hunting, at any time. Furthermore, as Equality proceeds through his day he, “walks on til the sun had set” (Rand 80). Equality now does not have to conform his life to regulations, such as having a curfew, set by the World Council of Scholars. He has the power to choose where he wants to settle and the time at which he must be home, a decision that would not be left up to him back in the city. Ultimately, Equality for the first time broke the chains of uniformity that bound him since birth, and because of this he scoffs at the idiocy of the Scholars to realize that true happiness is achieved through liberty, not
Many people seem to get entangled into society's customs. In the novel Anthem, the protagonist, Equality 7-2521, lives a period of his life as a follower. However, Equality eventually, tries to distant himself from his society. He is shaped to be a follower, but eventually emerges in to an individual and a leader. On his journey, he discovers the past remains of his community. Ayn Rand uses Equality's discoveries of self to represent the importance of individuality in a functional society.
A captivating novelette in which a man’s priority is to serve only for his brothers, Ayn Rand’s Anthem illustrates a society that has suffered the ghastly consequences of collectivism. She depicts an oppressive culture in which the word “I” is unheard of and men belong to the collective “We.” Men’s lives are determined through the Council of Vocations, a group that maintains a powerful dictatorship by subjugating the public from the beginning of their lives. The idea that “If you are not needed by your brother men, there is no reason for you to burden the earth with your bodies” (Chapter 1) has been forced into average mindset of the vehemently maintained society. In contrast, Rand mocks the totalitarian civilization through the main character Equality. Since he was born, Equality possessed a quick mind and constantly strayed apart from his peers. Through his life, he shows an unwilling behavior to conform not only to his name, but also to the rules of society. After he is found guilty of independent thought, he is sadistically beaten and dragged into the Palace of Corrective Detention, an unguarded jail that castigates the public of their wrongdoings. Shackles are unnecessary as a result of the brainwashed society and their compliance to obey orders, which consequently allows Equality to escape. In a collective society, citizens are denied their inalienable right of individualism, which ultimately eliminates all thoughts of opposition. Through their submission, the presence of their souls vanishes and society deems the collectivist tenet true. The lack of guards and old locks in the Palace of corrective Detention symbolize the evils that result from a collectivist society.
Anthem, by Ayn Rand, is a very unique novel. It encircles individualism and makes the reader think of how people can conform to society and do as they are told without knowing the consequences and results of their decisions. Also, it teaches the importance of self expression and the freedom that comes along with being your own person and having the power to choose what path to take in life. Figurative language is used often in this book and in a variety of quotes that have great importance to the theme, plot, and conflict of the novel.
of all, they do not know when they will die). Anthem sees Equality and Liberty (later
At the start of Anthem, Equality is a collectivist who knows there is something wrong with the world he lives in. This allows him to evolve into an individualist. Equality says , “It is a sin to think words no others think and to put them down upon a paper no others are to see. It is base and evil. It is as if we were speaking alone to no ears but our own” (Rand 17). Equality admits he has committed a transgression and hopes to be forgiven. Equality, at this moment, is living to the standards of others because he lives in a society where no man is to think differently than another. This contradicts Rand’s philosophy because she says that a man is entitled to his own happiness and that you are in charge of it, but since Equality is living to the rules of his society, he cannot find his own happiness, for he is almost forbidden to do so. Likewise, it states in the text, “I owe nothing to my brothers, nor do I gather debts from them. I ask none to live for me, nor do I live for any others. I covet no man’s soul, nor is my soul theirs to covet” (Rand 96). Equality realizes that he is not to live nor commit himself to the standards of others. He has come to the understanding, as Ayn Rand says in her interview, “That he cannot demand that others give up their lives to make him happy, nor should he wish to sacrifice himself for the happiness of others.” Equality finds his own happiness because he has found himself, and he has learned that he cannot put his happiness in the hands of others nor put the happiness of others in his own hands. This allowed him to find himself, and to find
Ayn Rand’s Anthem is a politically satirical novel is 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.
Anthem is a novella written by Ayn Rand, in which Equality 7-2521, the protagonist, struggles for self-identification living in a collectivist society. Equality believes that individuality is an eminent aspect of one’s life because individuality defines and outlines who man is. He endures all the hardships in his life living with people who support collectivism, and who reject his ideas. For example, when Equality 7-2521 invents and exhibits the light bulb, the World Council rejects it and tells him that it is selfish to work on something alone instead of working with his brothers. The World Council threatens to destroy the light bulb but Equality does not let that happen and rebels, so he is forced into exile from his society. Equality realizes that he is different from others because he cares about his happiness unlike others who are convinced to believe that a group’s happiness counts more than an individual’s happiness.
Equality 7-2521 struggles in the Home of the Students because he is too intelligent and deft at absorbing information. The ability to think quickly and easily was looked down upon by the teachers and the government. Equality notes, “It was not that the learning was too hard for us. It was that that the learning was too easy. This is a great sin, to be born with a head which is too quick. It is not good to be different from our brothers, but it is evil to be superior to them. The teachers told us so…” (21). The students are taught that being intelligent is evil and that they cannot be superior in knowledge than the officials in the government. Equality’s intelligence leads to his job as a Street Sweeper because the government wants to suppress radical ideas by assigning him to a socially lower job and authoritative status. As literary critic Tore Boeckmann states about Anthem, “[Equality] belong[s] at the pinnacle of any rational social hierarchy, yet [he is] thrown (at least temporarily) to the very bottom” (135). Overall, the public citizens in Anthem are extremely selfless and lack a sense of self-worth because the government wants them to put the good of the community above the
with the criminal and decided to go on a personal crusade to restore individualism to his world.
The beginning of the story opens with Equality being chastised because he is too tall and too smart. He noticed that “to be free, a man must be free of his brothers” (Rand 101). This quote shows that when society controls him, and he relies on everyone else, a lack of progress is inevitable. Even the higher powers control their city with aggressive strength; the Council of Vocations assigns Equality to be a street sweeper even though he wants to be a scholar. Out of curiosity, he finds a tunnel while on duty. He begins to write about himself, even though “it is a sin to think words no others are to see” (Rand 1). Having no obligation to others allows one to work towards their own goals, Equality is able to pass his previous instinct where “all men are one” (Rand 20). With the revelation of himself as being a separate indiv...
Totalitarianism can be defined in the Merriam-Webster dictionary as the centralized control by an autocratic authority. The leaders of these societies are obsessed with complete control and will take whatever steps necessary to reach such a goal. In many totalitarian societies, children are separated from their families. This is enforced on the citizens because rulers want them to be loyal to the government only. Such living arrangements can be portrayed in Ayn Rand’s novel, Anthem. In Anthem, the narrator, Prometheus, lives in a community in which all of the children born that year live in the same house until they turn fifteen. Then they are assigned a job and live with the people that share that occupation. This keeps the people from having an emotional attachment to someone like they would have with a family.
Anthem is a story of man’s struggle to be free and to fight the masses of conformity. It tells of human nature and the want to gain all the knowledge that one could possibly attain. Man loses his safe haven and his security when he lets this lust for knowledge overpower him and lets it be seen by others. He becomes vulnerable Like Johann Faust, Prometheus sells his life for wisdom. Unlike Faust, however, Prometheus is expelled from his society but gains his freedom of individuality and his freedom of knowledge and the ability to understand. In Anthem, Prometheus and Gaea sin against society to become singular and understanding much like Adam and Eve’s sin against God when they ate the fruit of the tree of knowledge to gain wisdom; as a result, they can be compared to each other by there desire for learning and by their damnation.