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Symbolism In Ayn Rand's Anthem

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In Anthem by Ayn Rand, there are many uses of symbolism throughout the entire novel. Specifically, the quote (found on page 52) “The secrets of this earth are not for all men to see, but for those who will seek them.” is a great example of this. Equality 7-2521, a street curious street sweeper discovers a new way to create light and control electricity while working underground late at night. Equality then returns several times, experimenting and improving this newfound power. This quote, is in direct correlation with this part of the story, as Equality 7-2521 goes “under the earth” in order to run tests on his creation. The part “are not for all men to see, but for those who (seek) them,” is describing how this knowledge is right below the entire Society’s feet, however they; Equality 7-2521’s “brothers,” do not wish to meddle with things that could potentially change their way of life. For example In the Visual Quote, the fact that everyone else in the Equality 7-2521’s society does not wish to change or be enlightened has been glorified and obviously shown in several different …show more content…

If an effort to learn from their surroundings rather than just exist in them is made, this person could learn an exponential amount just from their own backyard. However this can only be achieved if there is a noticeable attempt to explore the areas in which they live. (Page 52) “The secrets of this earth are not for all men to see, but only for those who will seek them.” There are hidden meanings and discoveries that can be made if the effort to find them is made. Only those who stick with a project as well as Equality 7-2521 have a chance of enlightening themselves; or becoming more knowledgeable than when they started. Because Equality7-2521 took his time to strengthen his own mind, he rose above Society, high and bright, as bright as the early morning

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In the novel Anthem by Ayn Rand, she characterizes Equality 7-2521 as a brother living in a Dystopian society. Equality shares his traits and his belief on the transgression that he holds. Collectivism makes him portray a different way towards the rest of the society. He exhibits curiosity, intelligence and loneliness so the reader can identify Equality as a symbolic figure in the novel. This is what outcasts him from the rest of his brothers mentally and physically.

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Escaping Communism Ayn Rand depicts a communist world in her book Anthem, where the citizens live day to day identical to the one before. Equality 7-2521, a struggling man in the society, is set apart for his strive of wanting more than what the society gives him. Rand shows that in a world carried on in such a communistic matter, it leaves some struggling and at a loss to make do with what they have and to fit in. The book, Anthem gives a grand example of how others react to one’s differences, shunning them or giving a punishment. Equality 7-2521 has a compelling ambition to learn things which then helps him escape the society.

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As a result this quote exemplifies the fact that Equality 7-2521 is burgeoning as a person, and starting to show his humanity and how he would have come about if not coerced by this despotic society. This aforementioned desire to defend and protect the place even at the cost of his own life is a major transmutation from the beginning of the story where he was willing to ask for forgiveness contrasted to now where he would rather die. Moreover, Equality 7-2521 developed even further after his discovery of the tunnel. Soon afterward Equality’s discovery of the tunnel, he magnified his already knowledgeable mind additionally and committed more and more transgressions as time progressed “We are defying the will of our councils. We alone, of the thousands who walk this earth, we alone in this hour are doing a work which has no purpose save that we wish to do

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1193 Words | 5 Pages

Equality 7-2521 and Liberty 5-3000 find their freedom in the Uncharted Forest. They came onto a house in the middle of the forest from the Unmentionable Times where they are able to live their lives the way that they want to without anyone criticizing them. Equality is denouncing the leaders of his society when he says, “But I am done with this creed of corruption. I am done with the monster of ‘We,’ the word of serfdom, of plunder, of misery, falsehood and shame. And now I see the face of god, and I raise this god over the earth, this god whom men have sought since men came into being, this god who will grant them joy and peace and pride.

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Intelligence. Something that Equality 7-2521 has a great deal of. Ayn Rand, the author of Anthem, suggests that Equality 7-2521 knows that he is too intelligent to be a street sweeper, and he tries to prove his intelligence through his experiments so he can be “willed” into the Home of the Scholars. She shows this through his time in the Home of the Students when Equality is punished for his quick head, his love for learning, and the idea of learning, and when he escapes to the tunnel to work on his invention. Equality knows he is intelligent when he is punished in the Home of the Students because of his quick head.

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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 made Equality find out who he is and gave him the chance to be an individual. Equality’s views and mindset changes through out the book. He was born in a society where people are named by numbers. A world where people are used as machines. In this world the word “I” is out of existence.

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He now begins to work on his creation more. When Equality 7-2521 is finally confident with his creation, he decides to bring it to the scholars to show them what he has done. At this point he gets in much more trouble and they immediately shut down his idea. He decides to run away to the Uncharted Forest where he finds his own happiness with his loved one, the Golden One. Equality 7-2521 is seen as an egoist in the story because his only goal is to pursue his own happiness, and not to serve others and make them happy as well.

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Equality’s greatest strengths and personal qualities were intended to be restricted and abhorred. Indeed, Equality and his gifts were abhorred, but he found a way to circumvent each restriction, consciously or not. And, though he maintained use of his strengths and kept a strong spirit, Equality was never able to permanently influence the society because, as a Street Sweeper, he was no longer part of the great WE. The Council of Vocations mandated Equality to life as a Street Sweeper in order to limit his intellectual opportunities.

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733 Words | 3 Pages

Throughout the book Equality 7-2521 challenges the idea that everyone is and must be the same. Instead he acts on his own. In the book everyone is supposed to be equal alongside their brothers. That means that no one is more important, intelligent, and so on than their brothers and by being so it is an evil in the world.

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“It is a sin to write this,” begins Anthem, and the digression of the society around him slowly falls. The argument asks if I reason about the Equality’s sins being evil or marvelous. The outtake of his decision decides his fate on the community around him, lifeless slaves being controlled by the government. So, I believe his sins are for the greater good. It shows that he is not a enslaved monkey in a science lab, but the arrogant monkey who refuses to do the tests.

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Equality lives in a collectivist society, which is a society that believes, “that man must be chained to collective action and collective thought for the sake of what is called “the common good.” Therefore, Equality being the person he is, struggles with being an individual. He knows it is against the law but he enjoys knowledge so much, it confuses him. He states, “And in our heart-strange are the ways of evil! - and in our heart there is the first peace we have known in 20 years.”

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519 Words | 3 Pages

Equality 7-2521 declares, “We, Equality 7-2521, were not happy in those years in the Home of the Students. It wasn’t that the learning was too hard for us. It was that the learning was too easy… We wished to know. We wished to know about all the things which makes the world around us.

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So long a road lies before us, and what care if we must travel it alone!” (54) In this statement all Equality cares about is his invention and he is still trying to expand his

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1001 Words | 5 Pages

From the very beginning, Equality had known that he was different, he had an inimitable mentality from his brothers. As long as he could have remembered, Equality was shunned for being unequal from his brothers, when asking questions or wanting to discover new things. “Your eyes are as a flame, but our brothers neither hope not fire. Your mouth is cut out of granite, but out brothers are soft and humble. Your head is high, but our brothers cringe.

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