Social Class In Anthem By Ayn Rand

In Ayn Rand’s novel Anthem, social class was shown to be destructive. In the novel, there was a time period called “ The Unmentionable Times” where men had social classes and they took advantage it. This ruined the community and destroyed it. However Ayn Rand wrote this novel to showcase that it is important to have social class because if we were all equal then our government would take away from a people’s individual rights. In the novel, the council was shown to have all the power by enforcing fear in their people. They created harsh punishments and was lacking security for the thought that their people would never disobey them.The council also made sure that everyone was equal. They did this by making sure they understood that they exist

Since thinking for oneself was a transgression, a crime. On page 17, the main character introduced himself as “we” and explained what he is doing is not allowed and called for an unspeakable punishment, “We have committed a greater crime, and for this crime there is no name. What punishment awaits us if it be discovered we know not, for no such crime has come in the memory of men and there are no laws to provide for it.”( Rand 17). This showed how it was a sin for the people to write for themselves and that Equality was scared that if he were to be found out by the council that there would have been a punishment that was never been called for or seen.The council had all the power because they were able to create harsh punishment which made their people obey the council all the time. They were scared to go against the council because it was so powerful and the council was allowed to do whatever they wanted to

On page 21, Equality 7-2521 explained a memory he had when he was five years old and the teachers told the students that mankind is important and not to think of themselves. “ ‘We are nothing. Mankind is all. By the grace of our brothers are we allowed our lives. we exist through, by and for our brothers who are the state.Amen’”(Rand 21).The teacher explained that they cannot think about themselves and that the whole as a group is more important and has more value. This shows that the council has power because when the kids are young they are taught that mankind was more important which would have most likely followed them into adulthood. On page 22-23, Equality 7-2521 explained how he always wanted to question thing deeper and find a better meaning. However, he was not allowed to find the answers because his teacher did not allow him since it was against the law to be have a higher intelligence than someone else. “ We did not listen well to the history of all the councils elected since the great rebirth. But we loved the science of things. We wished to know. We wished to know about all the things which makes the earth around us. We asked so many questions that the teachers forbade it.”(Rand 23). Equality wanted to know more however, he was not allowed. He couldn’t know more because it would not be