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Conformity And Collectivism In Ayn Rand's Anthem

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In Anthem, Equality egotistically breaks past the barriers of conformity and collectivism with innovation and invention. Equality creates the light bulb and believes that his creation will help him become a member of the Council of Scholars. When Equality presents his invention, the Scholars say “A Street Sweeper! A Street Sweeper walking in upon the World Council of Scholars! It is not believed! It is against all the rules and all the laws!” (69). The collectivist society forces Equality to become a Street Sweeper, and as a result his intelligence suddenly decreases in the eyes of the Scholars. He gets placed in that occupation in the first place because the government wans to keep him from speaking out and using his mind, but he does
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In the book Anthem, Ayn Rand uses diction, imagery, and syntax to create a confident tone in Equality 7-2521 to show how he is changing for the better. Equality learns that individuality is ok and states “ I am done with this creed of corruption,” to emphasize that he’s “done” with how the governing body brainwashed him and that he now has his own views on society (55). Equality thought all the things the governing body wanted him to think, but as he broke off he realized that none of it was true. He did not want to live by the standards of the governing body so he broke through the standards and started to individually listen to himself. Equality grew up with the impression of everyone should have the same thought but, the individuality

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As you see societies that are based on the same idea are always share differences and similarities between all of them. How the people of these societies deal with their situations and what they do during the day shows the differences in them. In Anthem, you see a society that the government has total control over and the people have no control over anything that happens and they are on a set schedule and they are just seen as workers and nobody is different. While in Divergent people are allowed to choose their future and they have some say in life and they aren’t just seen as workers they actually have a meaning where they come from. Looking at both of them based around the same thing shows the difference in government control and how people

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In chapter five, Equality says, “We must bring it into the sight of all men. We need all our time, we need the work rooms of the Home of the Scholars, we want the help of our brother Scholars and their wisdom joined to ours. “ (Rand, 60). Equality convinces himself that he wants to help his brothers, but this isn’t actually what he wants. Later, when finally Equality arrives there, he presents to them his invention, and they are not only shocked, but they are frightened of it.

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Equality 7-2521 needed to find a way out. While working in a tunnel he found a glass box that held the power of electricity. He knew that he needed to show the Council of Scholars his discovery. He had confidence that they would appoint him as a scholar so he would escape from the darkness of society. “But terror struck the men of the Council” (70).

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Being seen as an individual is a “sin” to the society. Due to individuality contradicting the idea/rule of collectivism. Equality 7-2521 is a very intellectual man. He could be seen as superior over his other brothers. Therefore, the World Council of Vocations assigns him the job of street sweeper to exemplify the fact that he is not any better than any of his brothers.

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Imagine living in a world where people are unable to think for themselves and can only carry out actions that will better everyone else. That world is a collectivist society in which Ayn Rand forces her characters to live in her book. Anthem can be defined as a dystopian book because of the setting characterization, and the amount of government control. Anthem is set in the future. Equality writes in his journal saying, “They whisper many strange things of the towers which rose to the sky in those unmentionable time,” (Rand 19).

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Everywhere people go there is always the basic need for rules, yet no matter who the person is, they want the right to be free. What we need to learn is how to balance rules and freedom. In Anthem, harsh rules exist due to the World Council having so much power. In the U.S, rules exist to help people. On the other hand, in Anthem rules exist to control people.

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The book Anthem by Ayn Rand is a book with many strict rules and consequences. The City was very particular in how they do things. If you lived there, you never made one decision for yourself. They had a set group to decide your job for you and everything else for your life. You was not allowed to say certain things or even talk the way you want.

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Some people are filled with an insatiable desire to learn. In “Anthem” by Ayn Rand, the main character, Equality 7-2521, wants nothing more than to study the Science of Things and become a Scholar. Although this is forbidden for a Street Sweeper like him, he does research in isolation. He wants to join the Scholars because he is intelligent, inquisitive, and always driven to learn about the way things around him work.

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The novel Anthem by Ayn Rand is set in a dystopian society where the idea of collectivism is prevalent. Collectivism is the idea of a group having more priority than any of the individuals in it. Throughout the novel, the characters refer to themselves as “we” instead of “I” and refer to each other as their brother men. Equality 7-2521 tells the reader that whenever they feel tempted, they are to repeat the phrase “We are one in all and all in one. There are no men but only the great, WE, One, indivisible and forever.”

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“Equality 7-2521 always displayed a keen intellect and pride. Equality 7-2521 has ambitions to join the Council of Scholars. The Scholars, however, fear what Equality 7-2521 is capable of. To break his spirit and discourage his intellect, Equality is relegated to the menial position of street sweeper.” (gradesaver.com).

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Equality also expresses his pleasure in the Science of Things as he creates electricity. Slowly, Equality begins to do whatever will bring him pleasure and happiness, and according to the author, a country is based on “a man’s right to the pursuit of happiness. His own happiness” (Soul of an Individualist 38). Equality displays his integrity as he is true to his principles and beliefs. He realizes that no society can be collectivist without depriving individuals of basic rights, conforming to Ayn Rand’s beliefs: “There is no such thing as a collective brain…collective thought” (Soul of an Individualist 9).

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Equality is assigned a job as a street sweeper, but his curiosity leads him to secretly conduct scientific experiments

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In the dystopian novella Anthem written by Ayn Rand, Prometheus is used to show why collectivism is harmful, how egoism affects society so much, and how it contributed to the society of Prometheus. One of the firstthings we notice about the society in Ayn Rand’s Anthem is “We are one in all and all in one There are no men but only the great WE, One, indivisible and forever.”(Rand 19) .This proves that we also learn that the collectivist that society presented in the novella or story and contributions any who as on alone one and with the thoughts of one and not of the many” ( Rand 72). Throughout this novella that explains how Equality 7-2521 Prometheus displays many which directly oppose the standards of the society that Prometheus goes

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In “Anthem”, by Ayn Rand, Equality 7-2521 is completely unaware that the Council he trusts is actually plotting against him to maintain control of the society, but comes to realize the truth about his society as he questions its morals and eventually runs away to make his own path. This leads to his ultimate realization that his society is completely and totally evil. He weeps when he discovers the word “I”. He had been searching for a word that could suffice for that meaning, but never found it until he ran away from the society to discovery it. The society in Anthem was morally wrong for a handful of reasons.

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