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Ayn Rand's Anthem-The Virtue Of Mortality

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The Virtue of Mortality Ayn Rand’s story of Anthem takes place in an oppressive, Communist-like society of the future, where there is no individual - only the great “WE.” Subjects of this dreary civilization have no rights - existing solely to serve the state for a lifetime in their assigned position. The protagonist of the story, Equality 7-2521, is a gifted young man who is different from his fellow brothers. Equality desires to be a scientist, but instead, the government commands him to be a Street Sweeper out of fear of his mind and curiosity. Equality’s view of mortality at the end of the novel versus his society’s view on it is polar opposites; his society’s institutions, practices, and officials reveal this difference. The struggle of this brilliant young man to live, think, and love on his own shows just how difficult it is to flourish in a Communist society - a society the world must never …show more content…

The society’s institutions, practices, and officials reveal these differences. Equality, the gifted, brilliant-minded protagonist of the story, struggles to live in his society because of the contrasting views on morality he has compared to his society. Even his society realizes something unique about him, and are afraid of him. The Council assigns him the job of Street Sweeper, even though Equality longed to be a scientist and a Scholar. Equality finally gets to escape his miserable society and all the institutions, practices, and officials that are a part of it. He comes to the realization that there is more to life than serving other people, and that he owes nothing to his brothers or his society. Equality, after struggling and fighting for his freedom, finally knows why he lives and what has been missing in his life. “The moral purpose of a man’s life is the achievement of his own happiness.” (The Ethics of

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How Does One Lead a Rational Life in the Great Rebirth Ayn Rand is an illustrious writer, known for many of her works including the short novella Anthem and her short essay How Does One Lead a Rational Life in an Irrational Society. In Anthem, she speaks of a dystopian world set in the future with primitive technology. The Council expects everybody to look, act, and generally be the same as one another; however, Equality, the main character of Anthem, does not conform to the social norm. He rebels from the cookie-cutter system and learns to see the deep err in the way of the Council and finally realises the effects that the abusive treatment of the citizens creates.

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Equality-72521. With an inquisitive nature, an innovative mind, and latent desire, Equality withholds the traits of a visionary who advocates for individuality. Every step Equality takes, is one away from the public-spirited system. Another towards personal identity. Each step is an internal struggle, due to the communist machine’s brainwash and eloquent reprogram of Equality’s instinctive mind.

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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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To start, Equality feels it is important to be true to himself. He grew up in a strict community

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Equality also talks about the Home of the Infants and the Home of the Students. He talks about how much he loves the Science of Things and yearns to learn more about how things are made. He asks so many questions that the Teachers restrains how many he may asked, “We asked so many questions that the Teachers forbid it,” (23). Equality was determined to learn about everything around him and how everything worked, he asked questions after questions that no more questions where allowed. Equality eventually finds out his life job as a Street Sweeper, he meets a woman named Liberty 5-300 working in the fields.

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Equality 7-2521 wants to be in the Council of Scholars so he can pursue his interest in science. However, the Council of Vocations gives him the job of Street Sweeper. During the novel Anthem, the Council of Vocations assigns the profession of Street Sweeper

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There's so much emphasis on putting others before oneself that people often forget to look out for their own needs, as shown in this book. Ayn Rand successfully captures the negatives of an overrated ideology and presents an unorthodox perspective on the matter. In conclusion, Equality's true motives behind his work are much more selfish than they first appear to be. Equality strives to fulfil his own personal desire rather than contribute everything to society, and this isn't necessarily a negative thing.

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The society regulates names, work, and even friendships. Here, originality is brought to shame, as no one can be better than the other. At first, Equality is seen writing, which is against the rules, and yet, he does not feel guilty. Rand highlights humanity’s innate propensity to rebel and to fall into their own desire. The society that Rand has created in Anthem is a clear reflection of what she thinks is a destruction to humanity.

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Later in the novella, Equality does not care what laws he breaks because he knows that he is different and he is starting to realize that being different is not something to shelter and be ashamed of. “We have stolen candles from the Home of the Street Sweepers, we have stolen flints and knives and paper, and we have brought them to this place” (Rand 35). This shows that for Equality to fulfill his curiosity, he will go against his society and do what he feels is right. “We lunged against the door and it gave way. We stole through the dark passages, and through dark streets, and down our tunnel” (67).

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In response to the choice of Street Sweeper, Equality thinks, “We knew we had been guilty, but now we had a way to atone for it” (26). With his intelligence and curiosity, Equality would do much better as a Scholar. The government punishes him for being different, and as a result, they can’t see him become advantageous. They are blinded by their beliefs on

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And to earn my love,my brothers must do more than to have been born. ”(96)As you can see towards the end Equality totally becomes independent from the society and starts to have his own opinions. I think this is a big part of information for Aye Rans message on how you should just care about yourself. In the end of the book,Equality and The Golden One realize how they don 't need society anymore and go to live up in a house in the woods where they can become independent.

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However, since the council fails to recognize this idea, Equality has two options: either face imminent execution or flee. By choosing the latter and fleeing into the Uncharted Forest, Equality finally is, in a physical sense, free from the rule of collectivist society. Now he is alone in the forest, alone with his thoughts. He decides where he goes, when he sleeps, what he eats. However, he is still not fully

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With all of his experience that nobody has known in at least a century he is extremely capable of deciding whether of his choices are right. His personality keeps him from giving up hope and giving up on his society and his companion but keeps him curious enough to keep searching for something better in life. Equality has aged to the point where he thinks he needs to change the world and will try to do so. Most would believe that Equality’s actions were righteous and could not contemplate that his actions were

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This can open up a topic for discussion in the classroom on how one should treat another even if they are different from oneself. This lesson will also help readers better understand the meaning of equality and what good it does for the world when we treat one another with the same amount of respect. While the ultimate life lesson of equality can be learned from this novel alone, may people are willing to risk not

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In Kate Chopin 's novel The Awakening and the short story “The Story of An Hour” feminist beliefs overshadow the value in moral and societal expectations during the turn of the century. Due to Louise Mallard and Edna Pontellier Victorian life style they both see separating from their husband as the beginning of their freedom. Being free from that culture allows them to invest in their personal interest instead of being limited to what 's expected of them. Chopin 's sacrifices her own dignity for the ideal of society’s expectations. Chopin 's sad, mysterious tone seems to support how in their era, there was a significant lack of women 's rights and freedom of expression.

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