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Analysis of anthem by ayn rand
Analysis of anthem by ayn rand
Analysis of anthem by ayn rand
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In this society, one of the major rules in this book made by the council is you are not allowed to go anywhere unless told to by the society. Equality finds a subway tunnel from the unmentionable times this is a crime in their society. He comes to this tunnel daily for 3 hours. “Sitting in the tunnel for three hours each night and studying.” (Rand 35) If he is caught going to this tunnel every night for three hours he will be sent to prison.
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.
Ayn Rand’s Anthem starts by Equality 7-2521 saying “It is a sin to write this.” Throughout the story, Equality’s views and mindset changes, he realizes that he is different from his brothers and its ok to be different. He discovers that if something is legal it is not certainly right. His eager for knowledge taught him the word “I” abandoning the word “We”.
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.
Chapter two: genesis I woke up three days later, in my house. Jones had told me that he carried me though the gunfire back into the house. “What happened?” my friend Alex asked. I told him all I could remember, and he was satisfied.
How would you feel if you woke up to a world where you had been forced to live a life that you didn’t choose. In the book “Anthem” by Ayn Rand, There was a man named Equality , and since birth he had been forced to live in a dystopian society with limited freedom and rights. Ever since The Great Rebirth Anthem society has changed drastically. The citizens of their society have lost most of their freedom, are taught not to love, in fact it is considered a sin to make eye contact or to love a woman. Citizens have no knowledge of what technology is because they have a dystopian society ruled by the government with very strict rulings.
I, Prometheus the father of all this society hereby leave another chapter of the anthem. We live a peaceful life on the outskirts of the other civilization. Others of this previous society have found our people, Therefore leaving them no choice but to be a new member of community. We had to take a vote and all came up with the same idea: if someone is punished, the punishment should be equal to the crime. If someone steals then something equal in value will be taken from them.
As in The Giver, there is a specific and uniform upbringing that everyone must go through. However, in Anthem, part of this upbringing includes everyone being stripped of any sense of self or individuality. Instead of anyone having names, every person is given a noun and a number by which they are identified and are required to wear on their left wrists. All citizens start out in the Home of Infants with those born in their year until the fifth year; they are then transferred to the Home of the Students, where they stay and learn for ten years. Once they are fifteen, the Council of Vocations gives each child his or her “life Mandates”(24).
Well-known American author Ayn Rand in her short novel, Anthem, describes a post-apocalyptic world where individualism has vanished. Rand’s purpose is to inspire non-conformity and boldness while educating her readers about the dangers and horrific effects of communism. Rand describes the people she considers ideal in this society and those who are considered anything but idolized. Rand’s tone towards the people who do not fit the mold described is that she feels pity for most of them, but has the utmost respect towards the two main characters, Equality-7521 (Prometheus) and The Golden One (Gaea), the two that have the courage to think differently. Rand wrote this novel in English to emphasize to her probably American audience the reality of communism and why it causes more harm than it could ever help.
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.
“Rules are made to be broken”, is an influential quote, well known in our society. It symbolizes rebellion and breaking free from authority. Ayn Rand’s dystopian novel, Anthem, is an anthem for that phrase. Anthem explores the dangers of conformity and subjectivism, and urges readers to follow the beat of their own drum, to be their own leader. She uses Equality 7-2521 to showcase the idea of the natural human tendency that people have to be selfish.
Have you ever looked up to someone for motivation like a family member/loved one and wondered what qualities make them who they are? These are qualities like Dedication is what makes a person who they are. For example, like in “Anthem,” a story written by Ayn Rand, shows a lifelong struggle of a character to learn more about his world and the constraints to prevent him from doing so. Equality no matter what the society has on him, he let his individualistic views into effect like learning even when it was forbidden. Everyone in his society has been bred to only say specific words and Equality longs to know more than what's on the top of the barrel.
As the story progresses the closing chapters of the writing reveal his pivotal judgments against the leaders of his society, attacking their weak morals. The main character condemns the word in which the society revolves around,” We”, as “the word of serfdom, of plunder, of misery, of falsehood and shame” (Anthem 97). The character is vindicated in doing so, for the society was an evil prison that had restricted his personal freedoms for his entire existence. It was Equality 7-2521’s duty to point out the society’s ultimate flaws. Practicing moral-tolerance in this case and not attempting to combat the evil he had been subjected to would only result in him being a victim to conforming society’s views once again.
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.
"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.