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Examples Of Individualism In Anthem

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Bradley Forcier, Ms. Cooper, Intro to Western Language and Literature, May 21, 2024. Individualism, Collectivism, and the Nobility of Equality 7-2521 What is nobility? This is a question that could have many answers depending on the person. Many different things can be noble to many different people. This is apparent in the book Anthem, by Ayn Rand. In the story, you witness somebody struggle to escape their ultra-collectivist society while, at the same time, trying to discern their own individual identity that they have lacked for so long. The protagonist of Anthem definitely begins the story with a very agreeably noble goal, but his goals become significantly more questionable as the story continues on, this is due to the change of situations he finds himself …show more content…

Everybody refers to themselves as “we” or “us”. Rather than living for themselves, everybody lives for the collective as a whole. This is even exemplified by one of the first pages of the book, which says that the following message is carved into the World Council’s Palice: “’WE ARE ONE IN ALL AND ALL IN ONE. THERE ARE NO MEN BUT ONLY THE GREAT [WE], ONE, INDIVISIBLE AND FOREVER. (6)’” However, even though he lives in this world and this is all he knows, he still has a sliver of individuality, as he still follows through on his own wants and desires sometimes, such as when he finds a train tunnel and uses it as a hiding place from the shackles of society. He seems to do this for no apparent reason other than just being born differently than everybody else, at least at the beginning of the story. The conclusion to be drawn here is that, although he was still sheltered during the commencement of the story, he had a great sense of individuality and self that both made him an enemy of society and the one to save it. Although he starts out as another brick in the wall of society, by the end of the story he develops an almost

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For my collage, I chose individualism as the big idea for “Anthem,”by Ayn Rand. The reason I chose individualism is because throughout the story Equality expresses individualism in everything he does. Some of the pictures I chose would single out one particular thing, making the one that was different an individual. I also chose a zebra to represent individualism, because not one zebra has the same pattern, though they may not be trying to be unique, they are. Individualism does not have to be represented with only pictures, but it can also be represented through many quotes.

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Individuality allows every person to be themselves and be different from each other. However, In Ayn Rand’s novella Anthem, Rand describes a society where the people were not allowed to openly be themselves, or else they would be punished for being different. The main character, Equality, notices he is different slowly throughout the novella, but kept continuing to be like everyone else for awhile. These rules exist in this society to strip human individuality in order to achieve total equality.

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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.

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How could losing individuality affect a society? The novel Anthem by Ayn Rand is about a guy named Equality 7-2521 who is trying to find himself in a society where everything is controlled and different. Later, he finds himself even though he will have to go through many obstacles to get there. The process behind losing individuality in an Anthem’s society are in forcing strict laws, brain washing of their citizens, and removing of family. The Anthem society in forcing of strict laws made it easy for everyone to lose their individuality.

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Individuality Is Not a Sin Equality 7-2521 thought individuality was a sin, but later on knew it was not a sin. This is correct; not everything people do affects others in a way. In the book Anthem, by Ayn Rand, in a story where everyone is the same and no one is allowed to be different, there was one person named Equality 7-2521 who dared to be different. Equality discovered that is is okay to be an individual.

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Anthem’s society is dystopian world where all human advancements and technology are absent. Individualism is seen as a sin and is shunned by the citizens. The citizens have been stripped of any solitary rights and only live to serve their brothers around them. Equality was a City Street Sweepers that had always been told that he was different from his brothers; both mentally and physically. Nevertheless, he still worshiped the principles of his world like the people around him.

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A New World Order, In An Old World You are not important, you are alive only to serve your fellow brothers, you must not be different. In Anthem, Equality 7-2521 lives in a collectivist society with these rules, these boundaries and others like them. ”We are one in all and all in one. There are no men but only the great WE, Once, indivisible, and forever,”(19). Individualism is a forgotten concept, hidden from the people.

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Throughout the novella Anthem by Ayn Rand it can be seen that the lack of individualism in the society affects the people living in it. The characters in Anthem lack the individuality that is needed for a society to advance quickly. One example can be seen in the main character Equality. He learns very quickly compared to the other students in his class giving him an advantage which he cannot control. The lack of individualism and it’s issues can also be seen when Equality takes the light bulb to the council leaving them in awe and fear.

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Everything in the world is unique, no two things are the same no matter what. Whether it be mass-produced clothing, snowflakes, twins, or handmade jewelry none of it is the same as another. Yet it is expected for them to be different, after all, it’s impossible to have an exact copy of something. Imagine though if people did expect things to be the same. No not something but people, imagine if everyone was to be the same, and if not you would suffer for it.

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Placing “Me” before “We” in Anthem During the 20th Century, communism was the main source of government in Russia. Ayn Rand opposed everything that Communists stood for. She believed in individualism and wanted to express her own thoughts. She based her book, Anthem, on her life in Russia and the struggles she endured.

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The society Equality/Prometheus envisions will have a different set of rules and control. The way Equality envisions a new society in which Altruism is replaced with Individualism, the #1 rule of Equality’s envision. His envision of a society different from the current one in the book is where everybody can say the word “I” for they are their own and not as a whole meaning that they will have rules and control over themselves. What Equality envision is everyone can be what they want for it is their own ego.

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Within his core, the essence of a man’s being remains encapsulated, serving as “a first cause, a fount of energy, a life force, [and] a Prime Mover” (“The Soul of an Individualist”). When the substance that constructs him is subdued, however, the flow of liquid creation that gushes from the fountain of innovation that empowers mankind dries up. In Ayn Rand’s novella Anthem, the quintessential society of the modern day is reversed, inevitably leading to the emergence of a darkened futuristic civilization where humans are forced to become masked shadows behind the cloak of an altruistic society. From the perspective of Equality 7-2521, the grapple between surrendering to conformity or rising to freedom takes place within himself, while he navigates through the lifeless state of his world. As he ventures beyond the boundaries of the incessant precepts implemented by his society, the elements that allow Equality to triumph over its standards are the development of his individual spirit and mind, which guide him toward the ideals of truth.

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Should a society be individualistic or collectivistic? Anthem is a novella written in 1983 by Ayn Rand that focuses on a dystopian society that had regressed. This dystopian society is surely a collectivist society, where an individual is part of a group that works towards a common goal, but have to make sacrifices in order to do so. Individualism is the opposite of this type of society; it is when a person has his own rights and decisions that impact themselves. Craig Biddle’s article “Individualism vs. Collectivism: Our Future, Our Choices” provides an argument for both collectivist societies and individualistic societies.

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