The Role Of Prometheus In Ayn Rand's Anthem

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The word ego is defined as “A person’s self-esteem or self-importance”. Everybody in the world has a different level of ego. Some have very high self worth, while others have very low self worth. This means an ego sets us all apart and makes us different. An egoist is defined as “A doctrine that individual self-interest is the valid end of all actions.” So somebody who has a really big ego, is often very selfish. The society within the book Anthem by Ayn Rand forbids anyone to have an ego. Meaning everybody has to be the same. Prometheus, the main character, discovers what it means to have an ego. This makes him different from the rest. It also raises many questions. Does this make prometheus an egoist? What does this mean? Is it good or bad? …show more content…

The answer to this can be very complex. Remember, an egoist is one who has a lot of self- worth. Prometheus does not have this until the end of the book. So he does eventually gain self- worth, but there is a catch. An egoist also tends to be selfish. Prometheus is anything but selfish. He does what is in the best interest for him and gaea. Also, he talks about how he plans on making a new mankind so people in the future won't go what he went through. This is very benevolent and unselfish of prometheus. So, going back to the questions. Is Prometheus an egoist? Keeping the evidence in mind the answer is clear as daylight. No, Prometheus is not what you would call an