Moral Assessment of Anthem
In Ayn Rand’s novel, Anthem, Equality lives in a communist society that believes everyone must work for and be exactly like one another. For much of the novel, he believes what the Council of Vocations tells him, despite his intelligence and independence. By the end of the book, he realizes that the idea that everyone is the same and must work for each other is flawed. He deserves to live his own life and enjoy himself. Equality’s beliefs on happiness - “It is the end. It is its own goal. It is its own purpose” (95) - is correct. This is because the Council tries to eradicate human nature and replace it with a basic persona for everyone, which results in a limited mindset that does not allow them to see a logical point of view nor achieve happiness.
The Council is constantly attempting to stop human nature. This does not work because you cannot eliminate instinct. For example, Equality informs us that “Men never see their own faces
…show more content…
When speaking of Equality’s invention, a Scholar declares “And if this should lighten the toil of men...then it is a great evil, for men have no cause to exist save in toiling for other men” (74). The purpose of technology is to make lives easier, so if the government removes technology, they’re also saying that the purpose of living is to suffer. If they want as much work to be done for the people as possible, then they need to accept the fact that some changes must be made to how everyone lives. Moreover, the choice for Equality’s job does not make sense. In response to the choice of Street Sweeper, Equality thinks, “We knew we had been guilty, but now we had a way to atone for it” (26). With his intelligence and curiosity, Equality would do much better as a Scholar. The government punishes him for being different, and as a result, they can’t see him become advantageous. They are blinded by their beliefs on
Against many attempts to create equality within the
‘‘We are nothing mankind is all , By the grace of our brothers are we allowed our lives ‘’ Ayn rand the author of Anthem wrote the book after she left Russia because of the war, she moved to New York writing Anthem a dystopia about the future of mankind In her novella there are two major themes talking about the collective society vs. individualism were every one is the same nobody has the authority to be a individual also the council of vocations determines there jobs life and future the people don’t have a choice whatever they choice they accept and that is it no discussion, the council of vocation has removed all individuality so when equality may have started to uncover the coated truth the council has another plan for him as known the council of vocations has an absolute rule when it comes to jobs and they assign equality to the home of the street sweepers because they want to keep him down. The council of vocations make equality a street sweeper because they hope to prevent him from developing his intelligence even more as they assumed that may have dumbed him down and get people to assume he is beneath them and this is achieved when the council makes a mockery of equality for wanting to join the world council of scholars “A street sweeper! A street sweeper walking upon the world council of scholars!
Equality’s greatest strengths and personal qualities were intended to be restricted and abhorred. Indeed, Equality and his gifts were abhorred, but he found a way to circumvent each restriction, consciously or not. And, though he maintained use of his strengths and kept a strong spirit, Equality was never able to permanently influence the society because, as a Street Sweeper, he was no longer part of the great WE. The Council of Vocations mandated Equality to life as a Street Sweeper in order to limit his intellectual opportunities.
In Ayn Rand’s novella, Anthem, mankind is a philanthropic machine. The brotherhood nobly works together to achieve a common goal. In doing so, each man is asked to disregard his own personal means and goals. For every decision must be a collective thought and every advancement, a joint action. However, one man in this machine malfunctions.
It is base and evil. It is as if we were speaking alone to no ears but our own. And we know well that there is no transgression blacker than to do or think alone.” (Rand 1.1) So ends the end of this essay, Equality’s moral assessment in his life was worth the risk he took to be independent. His name is Prometheus, and his girlfriend’s name is Gaiea.
The Impact of Beliefs Contrast Equality’s view of morality at the end of the novel to the morality exemplified by his society’s institutions, practices and officials. In your essay, consider what Ayn Rand has to say in these excerpts (Hyperlink on One Note) from her writings. The collectivist society created in Anthem by Ayn Rand, rules with a strict hand condemning anyone who chooses to speak out against it to harsh punishment, or worse, death. Equality 7-2521 lives his early life without understanding what individuality is and being entirely oblivious to emotions that are meant to be present in each human life.
Equality was a creator his mind had driven him to science he had his own mind, his own strength, and his own courage he was independent, he was brighter than the rest. Standing alone in a modern world ruled by the suppressed government he faced the world alone. In a world where being intellectual was a severe sin he possessed gifts unlike no other that were despised by the government: intellectual and psychological strength. In a world where free will was not allowed and any form of diversity was punished by the authorities. Here we find Equality on a path of self-discovery and independence.
They leapt to their feet, they ran from the table, and they stood pressed against the wall, huddled together, seeking the warmth of one another’s bodies to give them courage” (70). Equality is smart, perhaps too smart or so that's what the councils thinks. The council recognizes that Equality is too knowledgeable and too inquisitive to allow himself to become a blind sheep in the herd. In the puzzle of which Equality lives, he is simply a tiny piece of a bigger picture.
Without the power to make decisions, the world would be different. People would be disposed if necessary and would not get to choose their jobs. Parents would never get to see their children and would not choose their spouses. This world is a reality for Equality 7-2521 in Anthem, written by Ayn Rand. Equality lives in a world where the government controls all aspects of life, including assigning jobs and controlling the mating of people.
With all of his experience that nobody has known in at least a century he is extremely capable of deciding whether of his choices are right. His personality keeps him from giving up hope and giving up on his society and his companion but keeps him curious enough to keep searching for something better in life. Equality has aged to the point where he thinks he needs to change the world and will try to do so. Most would believe that Equality’s actions were righteous and could not contemplate that his actions were
Equality can only think of himself, at the beginning
At the beginning of Anthem Equality has changed his mind about a lot of things in the beginning of the story. Equality got picked to be a street sweeper by the government, but he really wanted to be a scholar but couldn’t because of the government. Equality had a rough life. Well he was a street sweeper but he was smart enough to be a scholar the government did not think he was. In the book anthem by ayn rand Equality was not good for any body or anything at the beginning he had a rough start to his life.
Colin Kaepernick, the quarterback of the San-Francisco 49ers, chose not to stand for the National Anthem at a recent National Football League game. Instead, he decided to express his unhappiness with the way African Americans are being treated by police, by kneeling to the ground. This was his form of protest and attempt to convey his message about how he felt. Kaepernick does have the right to not stand for the National Anthem, however, it is disrespectful. People fight for our freedom, so why disrespect those men and women and an NFL game was not the right time or place to hold his protest.
Intelligence. Something that Equality 7-2521 has a great deal of. Ayn Rand, the author of Anthem, suggests that Equality 7-2521 knows that he is too intelligent to be a street sweeper, and he tries to prove his intelligence through his experiments so he can be “willed” into the Home of the Scholars. She shows this through his time in the Home of the Students when Equality is punished for his quick head, his love for learning, and the idea of learning, and when he escapes to the tunnel to work on his invention. Equality knows he is intelligent when he is punished in the Home of the Students because of his quick head.
There's so much emphasis on putting others before oneself that people often forget to look out for their own needs, as shown in this book. Ayn Rand successfully captures the negatives of an overrated ideology and presents an unorthodox perspective on the matter. In conclusion, Equality's true motives behind his work are much more selfish than they first appear to be. Equality strives to fulfil his own personal desire rather than contribute everything to society, and this isn't necessarily a negative thing.