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Detail about character essay
Essay on character
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Imagine a world that has lacked in society and acted as if no one should be given freedom or opportunities. Placed in the future, is a community full of people who have been beaten by the word “we”, has been taught as if freedom does not exist, and has been stuck in the ways of the past. The place with such limited amount of imagination is Anthem. Anthem has many rules to follow and to obey, such as to not favor one person over another, and those who dare to disobey any of the rules will be beaten or sent to Palace of Corrective Detention. The people are to wear a bracelet that has their name carved on it and are to call themselves we instead of I.
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.
Individuality “I am. I think. I will. (Rand pg. 94)”
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.
Ayn Rand, the self-proclaimed objectivist is a hypocrite. Rand’s philosophy is that every man has the right to free thought or else he is a slave…. but it seems that only applies as long as it is a man. Her idealistic views are demonstrated throughout Anthem, but fail to stay consistent as her heroin becomes a mindless puppet. Liberty, in Ayn Rand’s Anthem, starts the story as a strong, defiant, courageous woman, slowly devolves into compliant, stereotypical girl obsessed with jewels, scents and her looks, driven by emotion and obsession over Equality.
“A creative man is motivated by the desire to achieve, not by the desire to beat others.” - Ayn Rand. Ayn Rand, a women who created her own philosophy, wrote many stories, and founded her own institution can be compared to no other modern writer with such intelligence and sagaciousness. Ayn Rand, born Alisa Rosenbaum, was a Russian-born American novelist, philosopher, playwright, and screenwriter. After she finished her degree, she studied screenwriting, and at this point Rand knew that her philosophy did not fit with the Communist agenda, and realized she needed to leave Russia.
Collectivism and Selfishness in Anthem Imagine living in a world where everybody's lives are completely mapped out by the government. Where every decision is made without the input of the citizens it affects. In the novella Anthem, Ayn Rand depicts a completely collectivist society, where every idea, action, and invention is purely for the benefit of society as a whole. Everything is done with the entire population in mind, and individuality is extremely frowned upon.
Objectivism in Ayn Rand’s Anthem Ayn Rand established her philosophy of objectivism in order to eliminate the traditions she experienced while she was growing up under collective governments, and to emphasize the importance of the individual over the collective group. It can be defined as a philosophy for living stating that man himself is the greatest power, and man must decide what is best for himself based on reason. The four basic tenets of objectivism are reality exists as an objective absolute, reason is man’s only method of interpreting his surroundings, man must exist as an individual in order to pursue his own interests, with the ultimate goal being happiness, and the economy of an objectivist society should be laissez-faire capitalism,
Ayn Rand’s 1938 novella Anthem tells the story of a dystopian civilization overcome by a dramatic rendition of egalitarianism. The story centers around a rebellious protagonist who comes to be known as “Equality”, who breaks free from the clutches of a balanced yet highly oppressive society. Rand uses her novella to promote her ideology of objectivism, as well as make a statement about freedom of sexuality and criticize the politics of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, the land she was raised in. Ayn Rand uses Anthem to promote her beliefs of objectivism, a self-centered ideology that puts a person’s personal freedoms, wants, and needs over others.
The basic premise of objectivism is that existence exist, which means that an objective reality exist independently of consciousness. This implies that consciousness perceives reality, but does not rely reality. Ayn Rand promoted the deprivation of morality from this view of metaphysics. She believes that man (sic) is a rational animal. Man is the only form of being in that must actually think in order to survive.
Ayn Rand once wrote that “Man is a being with free will; therefore, each man is potentially good or evil, and it is up to him and only him to decide which he wants to be”(Rand). This quote is the central idea of objectivism, that everyone is entitled to their own free will. Objectivism is a philosophy developed in the 20th century by Ayn Rand. Rand is a novelist who would often share her beliefs through the novels she wrote. She rose to fame with her popular book Fountainhead.
Judging the morals in life regarding different societies expectations quickly became the focus of Equality’s thoughts, exactly as Ayn Rand had made it the importance of her own efforts. Objectivism is different from what many people live by, but it worked for Equality by the end of Anthem. It is important to realize everybody needs different things, which leads to thinking diversely. Some need self-respect to be able to give respect, and others live their life following instead of leading. It is impossible however, to say objectivism needs to vanish when it never has before, more so, the world would be unbalanced with only equal thoughts from all; there would be no innovation if all thoughts were for the same narrow concept.
Howard Roark is the ultimate embodiment of Ayn Rand’s philosophy of objectivism. Objectivism advocates for the rejection of altruism and the pursuit of self-happiness, which is precisely how Roark lives his life. According to Rand, Roark “struggles for the integrity of his creative work against every form of social opposition.” Roark is Rand’s depiction of the ideal human being due to his indefectible pursuance of rational self-interest. Rand regards as ideal for a human being because he is the epitome of a freethinker.
Considered to be Ayn Rand’s “philosophical and artistic capstone,” Atlas Shrugged proves to be her most fictionally expressive piece on her philosophy known as objectivism. In his piece, Edward Younkins, aiming for a broader audience, delves into several levels of Rand’s “Bible of Objectivism” and its present importance. Being published around the same time as Atlas Shrugged’s semi-centennial anniversary, the recent restoration of appeal in the novel and flood of copies sold throughout the current economic crisis brands this illumination of Rand’s thoughts and beliefs applicable to the never-ending discussions about Rand’s part in the anti-communist movement in the United States. Those reading this collection to attain a new-or-improved understanding
Ayn Rand’s main philosophy, objectivism, begins by embracing the basic concept that existence exists. That, reality is, and in the quest to live fully we must discover reality’s nature and learn to successfully act in it. To exist is to be, to possess a specific identity. The law is: A is for A. Facts are facts, independent of any consciousness. No amount of praying, desperate longing for, or hopeful pleading can change the facts.