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Essay On Symbolism In Ayn Rand's Anthem

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Recommended: Ayn rand, individualism collectivism

Anthem is a very symbolic novel that reinforces and expresses Ayn Rand's beliefs. The novel Anthem focuses on collectivism which is the thought that everything should be done for the good of the group. Great examples of symbolism is the uncharted forest, the name prometheus and the light bulb. The uncharted forest is in part a symbol of the unknown. It withholds many mysteries which draws Equality 7-2521 to try and solve them. When Equality is forced to run through the forest he found out all the answers to the mysteries. Through his journey in the woods he found the women he loves named liberty. He discovered the truth of the unemotional times and eventually found a house in the forest were he and liberty ran off to start their own civilization. …show more content…

He tries to share his new found light with his brothers in order to improve technology but they want nothing to do with it. Ayn Rand uses light to symbolize knowledge, freedom and life. Abundant light in the novel creates a bright mood, were as darkness provides a depressing gloomy mood. Light can also symbolize happiness just like the light bulb was for equality 7-2521.
The story of Prometheus is very symbolic and directly corresponding to Equality situation. At the end of the book Equality changes his name to Prometheus, who was a greek titan who brought fire to humans against the gods wishes. This is symbolic because Equality brought a life changing technology into mankind against the world of council.
The symbolism in Anthem is shown in various different ways. Things such as the enchanted forest the light bulb and the name Prometheus. Ayn Rand does a great job utilizing symbolism and expressing her beliefs throughout the

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In the novel, Equality 7-2521 learned that to be your own person you must first stop trying to be like someone else. Exemplifying a theme of Anthem where individuality breaks through teaches Equality a big lesson. Brothers stick together and help each other but are not supposed to be exactly like one another. In this novel it tried to make everyone the same and as one, rather than as individuals. The quote “To be a free, a man must be free of his brothers” (chapter 1 page 1) exemplifies a theme by saying that not everyone has to be the same.

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Lucius, from The Village, is asking permission from the Council of Elders to go into the Forbidden forest to retrieve medicine. He has watched people from the community die unnecessarily. “I ask permission to cross into the forbidden woods and travel to the nearest town” (That Guy). Equality from Anthem is much like Lucius because he invented the light and wants to leave to go explore the other societies. Both characters know there is more to life than what they were told and they are determined to find out more to advance their

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All three of novels have different and unique symbols, but there is at least one that represents the same aspect that is necessary for this type of genre: freedom and hope. In Fahrenheit 451, it was Clarisse and her bright nature that unintentionally provoked Montag to discover what it meant to have freedom. It was the light that Equality invented in Anthem that provided hope along with the Uncharted Forest representing the potential freedom that he could away from the society. Finally, the Sun represented hope along with normalcy in The Maze Runner for the Gladers, something they had not realized until it was gone from their lives. In Dystopian Literature, hope and freedom is needed along with the symbol(s) necessary to symbolize those two aspects.

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Ayn Rand says, “God…a being whose only definition is that he is beyond man’s power to conceive.” When one can’t think for their self, how can one be set free? The citizens of society conform to the belief that as a group they are the great WE. The word “I” is not in the vocabulary of men. Ayn Rand’s novella, Anthem portrays examples of a dystopian text because the protagonist questions the social and political systems, citizens conform to uniform expectations, and the protagonist is struggling to escape.

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This light represents the abstract idea of knowledge. It is brought forth from the “night of the ages,” in which the lack of light symbolizes ignorance. Equality is able to harness his knowledge and use it to create something significant. He realizes that his invention is capable of doing many things: “We can light a tunnel and the city, all the cities of the world and nothing save metal and wires” (Rand 60).

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From this quote, Equality recognized the freedoms he didn’t have, creating a turning point for the story to unfold. “The sacred word: EGO”(105) is represented as a word for greed, glory and the reason for living throughout the story. The term “ego” doesn’t always mean pride, it means

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One of Equality’s main goals in the beginning of the novella was to become a scholar when he turned 15 years of age. Even though Equality received the mandate to be a street sweeper, he did the same work, if not more superior work, as the Scholars in his secret tunnel. When Equality was exiled from his city and found the house in the Uncharted Forest from the Unmentionable Times, he wanted to study it and all of the house's contents. Equality wanted to read all of the books that he found in the house so that he could learn the words that were lost in the Unmentionable Times. When Equality told Liberty about his findings and his discovery of the word “I”, Liberty’s first words that she spoke to Equality were, “‘I love you”’ (98).

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In another situation in Anthem, Ayn uses Symbolism by illustrating in the beginning of the book where the protagonist Equality 7-2521 starts introducing himself but his name has a string of numbers rather than a personal name, symbolizing the dehumanizing effects of conformity. We can see this when Equality introduces himself by saying, “Our name is Equality 7-2521, as it is written on the iron bracelet which all men wear on their left wrists with their names upon it.”(Rand 18) Rand uses symbolism in this part of the text demonstrating how conformity affects individuality, like when Equality says, “Our name is Equality 7-2521,” this shows us that Rand is using symbolism because she shows us how Equality’s numbered name symbolizes the dehumanizing effects of conformity. In Jackson’s short story “The Lottery” the whole

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Equality became more independent unknowingly, by being by himself and learning more while he was by himself. The setting very much so impacts the theme, especially in this book. This is because, in this book, the theme is to not let yourself be controlled by others, to be different, independent and outgoing, and, to not be afraid to seek knowledge and or be curious. The setting connects the theme to the character development, because Equality 7-2521 becomes independent, the person that he turns out to be in the end of the book, and faces conflicts throughout the book because of this Cave from the Unmentionable Times. This cave caused conflict with Equality 7-2521 and the Corrective Detention, since he wouldn’t tell the people where he was and what he found, which caused him to be lashed

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The Path Towards Equality In Anthem, Ayn Rand creates a world where unbroken laws erase individuality and displays the plea for control against anarchy in the world. The laws created prohibit individuals from standing out from one another, prevent individuality, and create a uniform “we” in order to keep people from thinking about themselves. Equality envisions a society that will not only destroy this “we” but it will also create a world of choice from the individuality gained with the word “I”. The pride that Equality grained throughout the story and his numerous transgressions will help direct his society in the direction he wants it to go.

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And if the Councils had decreed that you should be a Street Sweeper, how dared you think that you could be of greater use to men than in sweeping the streets?" (page 53, paragraph 2). Devastated by the dreadful and unexpected news, Equality dashes into the forest and discovers Liberty 5-300, known as the Golden One has followed him. This lightens his heart, and causes him to remove the rest of his doubt, and recognize that being himself and being capable to complimentary think and feel as an individual and not as a whole. The pair stumble upon a home from the unmentionable times, and scrutinize their finding.

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However, since the council fails to recognize this idea, Equality has two options: either face imminent execution or flee. By choosing the latter and fleeing into the Uncharted Forest, Equality finally is, in a physical sense, free from the rule of collectivist society. Now he is alone in the forest, alone with his thoughts. He decides where he goes, when he sleeps, what he eats. However, he is still not fully

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"We are one in all and all in one. There are no men but only the great WE, One, indivisible and forever’”(Rand 19). In Ayn Rand’s dystopian novel, Anthem, the citizens are trained from birth to think only in the plural, to the point where they cannot even conceive of individuals, but only see each other as part of the whole group. Rand’s protagonist, Equality 72521, begins the novel as a street-sweeper who is devoted to the group, but begins to move towards individuality as he progresses towards pure selfishness, as Rand believes we all should. Rand uses the words “we” and “I” to represent Equality’s journey from being dependent on the group, to being utterly independent of everyone.

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Equality has changed from a collective to an individual having the knowledge of realizing what he can do to change himself in the environment. Anthem has shown how the society works. The main character Equality has proven the allegory when he realizes there's more than just a collectivism society. From start of the novel Equality has been able to grow from a part of a collectivism to learning about individualism to becoming an individual. Equality conquers the battle of collectivism and individualism for

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Symbolism has a big impact on how we view and understand things, it helps us open up and expand the story in our head. Many times authors use symbolism as a way to bring in other well known stories, most of the time they end up being biblical. In the book “Frankenstein” By Mary Shelley light and fire are the main symbols used throughout the whole story. Normally light can be seen as a good with expressions like “ seeing the light at the end of the tunnel” makes for a positive thing.

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