Human Progress In Ayn Rand's Anthem

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In Ayn Rand’s dystopian novella Anthem, the theme that individual thinking is essential to human progress is developed. This theme is demonstrated through the events of the plot throughout the story. An example of this can be seen when the protagonist, Equality 7-2521, tells about the great “modern inventions” made such as “...the newest one, which [was] found only a hundred years ago, of how to make candles from wax and string…”(Rand 23-24). This reveals how unadvanced this society is. Instead of progressing beyond present technology, the collective society has degressed all the way back to the candle. This is due to the lack of individual thinking and the rejection of new ideas. When individuals are able to think freely and question things

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