In this paper, I will be talking about the book called Anthem by Ayn Rand. I will be talking about characters such as protagonists and antagonists and how some characters impacted the story. I will talk about the setting, conflicts, and the plot of the story. I will also talk about literary devices such as point of view, symbolism, mood, tone, and theme.
In Anthem, there are a couple of characters and some are only mentioned and some only have a few lines of dialogue. The protagonist of Anthem is Equality 7-2521 or Prometheus and the antagonists are the Council of Scholars. The council of scholars would be the antagonists because they told the society, how to think and that made Prometheus think that he had a curse and was committing a
…show more content…
The Protagonist, Equality 7-2521 or Prometheus, is not like the other children in his generation and starts thinking and doing things more selfishly such as pick men among other men that he thinks as friends, noticing one female than all the females and talking to that female when he is supposed to be working, and preferring to have one specific job rather than not giving it much thought to the type of job he gets to work and just do the job he was assigned which are considered crimes. Prometheus accepted to work as a street sweeper to atone for his sins and later finds a tunnel where he experimented and made discoveries that the Council of Scholars hasn 't been able to discover and he believes that the Council of Scholars would accept him as one of them if he demonstrated one of his discoveries which was a light bulb. The climax is when Prometheus demonstrates the light bulb to the Scholars and they respond by scolding him and saying that since not all men believe in his discovery that it is worthless and must be destroyed. After calling the Council of Scholars fools, Prometheus jumps out the window with the light bulb and runs into the Uncharted forest and decides to stay because he knows no one is going to follow him into the forest. Åfter a day he realizes how good it feels to do things with his own hands and later meets the female that he spoke to and decides to take her with him to wherever he will go. They later find a house with things
“Anthem” – one of writing authors Ayn Rand, shows her at her most vicious, hungry, and ambitious reading personality not only as a writer, but as a storyteller as well. The classic hit novel “Anthem” is the predecessor to Ayn Rands later books and storytelling works such as “The Fountainhead” and “Atlas Shrugged”, often tackles controversial themes that are still prevalent within modern America today, such as Family & Love. The grandeur novel “Anthem” is a reflection of such topics, all whilst being told with almost an aura of mystery within the novels plotline / storyline. “Anthem’s” take on things such as individuality and self discovery along with universal, self serving terms such as “I” & the word “We” are the key factors in helping differinciate this author Ayn Rand from other authors that write and compse the same genre of literature as Ayn Rand. Anyways, please allow for me to introduce you to the under the surface, deeper themes expressed in the classic debut novel, Ayn Rands “Anthem”
The story “Anthem” by Ayn Rand is written in the form of a journal owning to a boy living in the future named Equality 7-2521. In this future that he lives in people have lost all knowledge of what it is to be an individual; one with his own perspective. Everyone in this time lives and works in groups, with facets of life dictated by the Councils. Among these councils there are the Council of Vocations, council of Scholars, and a few others. On the day that each person is a assigned a job, Equality 7-2521 is assigned to menial job cleaning the streets. As time goes by he rebels against socialism by conducting secret scientific research. Through time and research Equality 7-2521 was able to recreate electric light; electricity. He then goes
“Anthem” is an engrossing novel by Ayn Rand focusing on the character Equality 7-2521’s descent into rebellion against the new socialistic government that has taken all previous scientific advancement out of life, only to leave the ideology of collectivism. His quest to discover, learn, and invent is problematic to those that oversee the progress of the civilization, and from roughly around the age of five, he is punished for his nature. Soon enough, the twenty-one year old is on a journey to learn, not only about nature’s mysteries, but also about what sets him apart from his dead-eyed peers. Equality 7-2521 has many distinctive characteristics that others in the restricted city do not, some of which are relatable, and others that are indeed
The main character of Anthem, Equality 7-2521, lives in a society that abides by the rules of collectivism. As in “we” never “I”, Equality had to think as a collective group, the greater good for all men. Yet Equality 7-2521 was always different. He had higher intelligence and a better understanding of how things were and how things should be. Throughout Anthem as the story builds, Equality realized that there was something not right in the world. The author, Ayn Rand, writes about Equality’s struggles against the collective as he learns the importance of individualism.
“Anthem” is an engrossing novel by Ayn Rand focusing on the character Equality 7-2521’s descent into rebellion against the new socialistic government that has taken all previous scientific advancement out of life, only to leave the ideology of collectivism. His quest to discover, learn, and invent is problematic to those that oversee the progress of the civilization, and from roughly around the age of five, he is punished for his nature. Soon enough, the twenty-one year old is on a journey to learn, not only about nature’s mysteries, but also about what sets him apart from his dead-eyed peers. Equality 7-2521 has many distinctive characteristics that others in the restricted city do not, some of which are relatable, and others that are indeed unique.
“Anthem” is an engrossing novel by Ayn Rand focusing on the character Equality 7-2521’s descent into rebellion against the new socialistic government that has taken all previous scientific advancement out of life, only to leave the ideology of collectivism. His quest to discover, learn, and invent is problematic for those that oversee the progress of the civilization, and from roughly around the age of five, he is punished for his nature. Soon enough, the twenty-one year old is on a journey to learn, not only about nature’s mysteries, but also about what sets him apart from his dead-eyed peers. Equality 7-2521 has many distinctive characteristics that others in the restricted city do not, some of which are relatable, and others that are indeed unique.
In the book, Anthem, there's a constant theme of choice making. The author, Ayn Rand, writes the book through the eyes of Equality 7-2521 and the readers see all the choices he makes against his society.
After a couple of weeks, he has successfully built a light bulb by using the materials he had found in the tunnel. He decides that he wants to share his invention with the World Council of Scholars when they meet in his city. During that time, Equality 7-2521 meets Liberty 5-3000 or as he likes to say the “Golden One.” He speaks with her even though its completely wrong and they end up falling in love. What he’s doing is so dangerous, but he can’t stop himself from falling in love with her. One night Equality 7-2521 comes home late to the Home of the Street Sweepers, where he lives. When he refuses to cooperate and tell his Home Council, where he has been, he is thrown into the Palace of Corrective Detention. Even though he gets tortured, he still refuses to cooperate, because he wants to keep the light bulb a secret until he gets to show it. He remains in detention until he decided to break out and go to the World Council of Scholars. Equality 7-2521 arrives and tells them about his invention, but they reject his invention out of fear. Their whole lives they’ve been using candle lights and now he comes to show them his idea and they're scared. They want to destroy the light bulb and Equality 7-2521. He escapes with his invention into the Uncharted Forest. The major conflict in the story is Equality 7-2521 against the rest of his society. He struggles to identify himself and be free in a society which rejects the complete thought of individualism. The
Although the storyline of Anthem may be slightly different compared to V for Vendetta as Equality 7-2521 rebels by breaking laws the Council created such as dating and escaping the city and V rebels by conducting illegal terroristic harmful actions such as killing and blowing up government buildings. In both narratives, the protagonists rebel against a cruel government that takes advantage of having a higher strength than anyone else in the city.
Anthem, by Ayn Rand, is a very unique novel. It encircles individualism and makes the reader think of how people can conform to society and do as they are told without knowing the consequences and results of their decisions. Also, it teaches the importance of self expression and the freedom that comes along with being your own person and having the power to choose what path to take in life. Figurative language is used often in this book and in a variety of quotes that have great importance to the theme, plot, and conflict of the novel.
“My happiness is not the means to any end. It is the end. It is its own goal. It is its own purpose” (Rand, 95). Anthem is written by American author Ayn Rand about Equality 7-2521 on his quest for happiness. The novel is set in an unspecified time and place in the future. Years after human civilization has gone through a deconstruction in which all knowledge was lost and a new society established with no concept of the individual. “The novel describes the efforts of the main character, Equality 7-2521, to reestablish a sense of personal identity and restore the knowledge of the past by objective scientific inquiry. In doing so, he must face many dangers and privations” (Anthem). Anthem is a dairy of the Equality
The world in Anthem is ideal and it’s a sin for anyone to think that they are more or less than “WE”(Rand, 20). However, in Anthem there is a character that knows there is more to be discovered that his brothers does not know about yet. When Equality goes to the scholars, to inform them on the spectacular stuff he has recently learned, he is chased out of his community and into a forest that no one dares to enter (Rand, 75).
Vision a lifestyle where one perceives it as a sin to comprehend data more efficiently than of one’s peers; a felony to long for things that others do not wish upon. Where floods of white tunics and austere minds obliterate the Earth. A colony built upon leaders who asphyxiate anyone from infatuation of any object or significant being; moreover, a world suffocating in collectivism. Through exasperated transcription, Anthem brings about such a community; nevertheless, a world of black and white. Ayn Rand does not overemphasize the effects of totalitarianism, but amplifies it so that it is more effortless for one to enlighten he or she’s notion on the particular proposal. First, by analyzation of “Equality 7-2521”, and
To begin, Equality 7-2521’s actions develop the theme that individualism is not a sin. He does this in multiple ways. However, most of the characters in Anthem believe that individualism is a sin. That is why Equality 7-2521’s actions are significant to the development of the theme. In the beginning
The story of Anthem takes place in dystopian future in which freedom and human rights have been obliterated. Equality 7-2521, the protagonist, is a street sweeper who finds a tunnel where he conducts his science experiments which are considered a sin. Throughout the book we see him change and discover how capable he is through a multitude of literary devices. In the novella , Anthem, Ayn Rand utilizes vivid imagery and a profusion of diction to frenetically emphasize the idea of love.