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Anthem’s Rules and Controls
Ayn Rand’s Anthem is the story of a man’s journey to find freedom in a world based on equality. The novel’s protagonist, Prometheus, tries to find the meaning of his life. As he obtains independence and begins to care less about the laws, Prometheus also uncovers the power of his own mind. Prometheus learns the turpitude of the city and escapes from it. By the end of the novel, Prometheus becomes a true man. In leading Prometheus on his journey to find freedom, Anthem accompanies the bad side of collectivism by depicting a society of people, subdued under the needs of the common good. The rejections in his idea of electricity powering the city lead to Prometheus to the path of independence. Prometheus always broke
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These rules of the city existed in order to make sure that everyone treated each other equally. They were forced to not have problems with anyone. These rules showed collectivism in a unpleasant way which revealed that there was no individualism. The people of the city in Anthem were stipulated to follow every rule, or else there would be a cruel punishment or they could be executed if it was severe enough. Their whole lives are dictated by the council, who assign a particular house where they are forced to work until they are sent to the home of the useless. The allocating is done after they complete school in the home of the students. In this city people were forbidden to use the word “I,” which is now used in virtually every sentence. Although it was forbidden to say any first person pronouns, the worst word is “ego”. The ego configures the identity of a human being. There was no crime punished by death unless someone used one of those words. Prometheus had to suffer the consequences of these rules, so I don’t expect that he would want anyone else …show more content…
Prometheus belonged in the house of the street sweepers, but he was exceedingly intelligent compared to most. He started to collect old documents from the house of the scholars privately, and would experiment in the tunnel from the unmentionable times, which he kept as a secret. His constant experiments in the tunnel eventually lead to him discovering electricity, which he tried to present to the scholars. He felt extremely proud of his discovery and he thought it would be a tremendous help to the society. However, before he could present his discovery to the scholars, he was sent to the palace of corrective detention and was lashed for being out too late. They interrogated him, but he didn’t answer them, because he wanted to tell the truth to the scholars. To do that, he had to escape from the palace and get to the place where the scholars were meeting. The scholars were shocked to see Prometheus, because he was just a street sweeper. They had no eagerness for upgrades, and they declined his discovery. They additionally tried to destroy the lamp. Because of that, Prometheus concludes that mankind won’t survive and will only relapse since solitary success is against the law. This idea compels him to escape the city. He escapes the city and flees to the uncharted forest. He went through a great deal of work to show them his discovery, but they declined him because it was against
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.
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.
Anthem, by Ayn Rand is a classic novel about a man who struggles through life to try and show the positives about a life unknown, unlike the dark and wicked society that he lives in. It shows what collectivism can do to a society and how a community can not flourish without individual identities. Equality is shown as a extremely intelligent young man with great potential to the future of the society, but the Council of Vocations seems him in a different light. Looked down upon by everyone, Equality 7-2521 was given the job of Street Sweeper to make him equal to his fellow brothers and to erase any individuality he obtained.
In the novel, Anthem, written by Ayn Rand takes place when mankind has entered another dark age. A man named Equality 7-2521 lives in a society where he struggles to live equal within the brotherhood. In the world he lives in people are told they exist only for the sake of serving society, and have no other purpose. Therefore, each individual is assigned a vocation as a permanent life career which determines who they socialize and live with. However, Equality being very different from his brothers, believes in individualism and rejects the collectivism society around him. The concept of individualism vs collectivism is portrayed in the story because individuality is unknown to the people where no one is unique or excellent in any way. The people
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.
Ayn Rand wrote Anthem as a critique of Communism, yet along with that she demonstrated her own belief system of individual ideals. Objectivism was aptly shown throughout the entire novella with the thoughts and actions of the main characters, Equality and Liberty in contrast with the universal thought of the city and society. Rand clearly showed her philosophy well in this story.
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
Each one believed that the other one was committing blasphemy. Ayn Rand clearly portrays Prometheus as the protagonist, but she is not the only one who believes that Prometheus’ philosophy is correct. The United States’ Constitution is a document which was written to outline and sanctify the rights of individuals in our country. For example, the First Amendment guarantees that “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech” (Amend. I.
The dystopia depicted in Anthem could quite easily be considered Ayn Rand’s commentary on society. It puts into perspective the downfalls of societal trends and putting others above oneself. The novella itself is a satire of Collectivism, which can be seen in examples of Communism. Rand’s philosophy of Objectivism includes ideas of immutable facts, rationalist mentality, self-prioritization, and a capitalist society (ARI, n.d.). Her ideas are shown in a variety of aspects throughout the novella. Oppression felt due to the collective mentality is the most prominent of the ideas shown. Another aspect that is important to note is Equality 7-2521’s natural tendency to struggle against the restrictions set upon
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.
In Prometheus's society, being an individual is considered a "sin", but as events occur Prometheus begins to comprehend that being an individual is the way men are supposed to think. In the beginning of the book, he has a name like everyone else, and like everyone else he is living in a world that thrives off fear. Everyone is afraid to think, act, or be different from the rest, because as society has taught them being different and an individual is a "sin". As he began to grow up, he noticed that he was somewhat different from the rest of the people. He disliked many things such as the way society made people mate because he thought this was despicable and grotesque. The more he began to grow up he was becoming more of an individual and this scared him, he even began to see himself as an evil person. When he started to play around with science and began inventing things like the light bulb, this scared him but then he reasoned that maybe even though he was acting as an individual the council would let it go because it was such a remarkable invention.
Anthem by Ayn Rand is considered a dystopian novel. The characters live in a society where everything is bad, and they have no control over their life or destiny. The book is about a man, Equality 7-2521, who breaks all the laws of his society and dares to be different. The book is in first person and designed to seem like a journal entry. Equality 7-2521 lives in a futuristic society where people have no knowledge of individualism, and the words ‘I’ or ‘me’ do not exist.
An anthem is a sacred composition set to words from the Bible. This may have significance with the title that Ayn Rand has given the book by paralleling the story of Prometheus and Gaea to that of Adam and Eve. In the bible, Adam and Eve were given everything that they needed by God with the one exception of not to eat from a specific tree. They were told by the devil that this tree was the tree of knowledge and to eat of it would give them knowledge equal to God’s. In Anthem, Prometheus and Gaea are told that they have everything that they will ever need or desire by the council. They are forbidden to gain knowledge that is not permitted by the council but only to do as they are told. Adam and Eve disobeyed God in the pursuit of knowledge and ate of the tree in order to gain equality to God. When they did this God found out and so condemned them and punished them for all eternity. God banished them from paradise in the Garden of Eden. Adam and Eve were no longer given anything as they were in the garden but instead were forced to suffer and survive on their own. In Anthem, Prometheus and Gaea go against the will of the council and Prometheus yearns to gain knowledge that he realizes is being hidden from him. Prometheus hides his studies at first but then wants to share them with the council for the betterment of society but is instead condemned.
As one reads Ayn Rand’s significant quotes from the story of anthem, there is always a main theme that is trying to escape, just as Prometheus escaped in her story. All three of the listed quotes work as a trio to sing that We; as society, works to defeat individuality. The quotes emphasize that we cannot survive without individualism and being alone brings out our unique personalities. It is true that all the quotes work as one, but at the same time they have their own individualism. Each quote holds a purpose of its own and the author wants to express the quote to each persons understanding.
Throughout the book “Anthem” the city has many rules and controls. Such as, not loving any person over another. Not saying the forbidden word “I”. Not stealing from another. With these rules and controls, Ayn Rand created a collective society, but with the idea of a utopian society.