Arian Memari
Ms. Duong
AP English Lang
16 August 2015
Solitude Is Fate’s Determiner He who is free does not consent to the “norms” of society—but however takes the path that illustrates the significance of the individual. Ralph Waldo Emerson’s Self-Reliance exhibits that the pathway to individualism, creativity, and righteousness is “to believe your own thought, to believe that what is true for you in your private heart is true for all men…” (Emerson 1) Freedom is the water in the desert—only available to those who know how to find it—the Emersonian genius, present in Ayn Rand’s Anthem, is by far more prone to salvation than that of the coexisting counterpart who will reach an inevitable self-damnation, found in Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby and Morrison’s The Bluest Eye. Those who focus not on the method of acceptance into society but rather upon the idealism of the importance of solitude are capable of invention—“for only the individual can produce new ideas” (Isaacson 33). Prometheus, from Ayn Rand’s Anthem, is a prime example of an individual who seeks personal gratification and achievement over societal equality. Prometheus is originally very frustrated with his “abnormalities” in that he is aware of his differentiation and uniqueness from his “brothers” within society and tries to transforms into conformity—until he finally had a taste of solitude which marked the instance for his acceptance of being that of the “other.” Prometheus’s world focuses upon the forced
The 1920s in America, known as the "Roaring Twenties", was a time of celebration after a destructive war. It was a period of time in America characterised by prosperity and optimism. There was a general feeling of disruption associated with modernity and a break with traditions.The Roaring Twenties was a time of great economic prosperity and many people became rich and wealthy. Some people inherited "old money" and some obtained "new money". However, there was the other side of prosperity and many people also suffered the nightmare of being poor. In the novel,The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, Jay Gatsby is portrayed as a wealthy character
“I am neither foe nor friend to my brothers, but such as each of them shall deserve of me” (Rand 36). This excerpt provides insight to Equality’s personal view on the ethics surrounding morality. Morality is a complex and unique concept of the perceived difference between right and wrong. Within each environment and each new set of standards comes different ideas of morality, whether they are forced by a society or thought of individually as guiding principles for oneself. Ayn Rand’s Anthem presents an ideological war between Equality’s society and Prometheus’s views: a war fought between collectivism and individualism. Within the idea of collectivism and the contrasting belief in individualism, one finds different concepts of morality.
A captivating novelette in which a man’s priority is to serve only for his brothers, Ayn Rand’s Anthem illustrates a society that has suffered the ghastly consequences of collectivism. She depicts an oppressive culture in which the word “I” is unheard of and men belong to the collective “We.” Men’s lives are determined through the Council of Vocations, a group that maintains a powerful dictatorship by subjugating the public from the beginning of their lives. The idea that “If you are not needed by your brother men, there is no reason for you to burden the earth with your bodies” (Chapter 1) has been forced into average mindset of the vehemently maintained society. In contrast, Rand mocks the totalitarian civilization through the main
It is the future, and society has been ruined. The word “I” has been erased from society; the only replacement being the word “we”. Ayn Rand’s novel Anthem explores the effects of a horrific, totalitarian society. Children are separated from their parents at birth, careers are assigned, not chosen, and free will is the ultimate crime. Living within this structure, Equality 7-2521 finds himself lost in contradiction; collectivity should lead to happiness, but for him, individuality seems to be the key. Through vivid setting, a provoking major character, and symbolic details, Ayn Rand’s writing is focused on one thing: to show “the meaning of man’s ego.”
The poem “Invictus” by William E. Henley, and the novel Anthem by Ayn Rand, both have common themes that discuss the importance of individuality. Each of the themes that these works have to offer will be discussed throughout the paragraphs of this essay.
Dreams are a compelling force in people’s lives. They are what propel them forward each and every day in an effort to reach something better. The American Dream has been sought after by millions all over the world for hundreds of years. This country was founded on the belief that anyone could achieve their dreams. However, in the 1920s these hopes and aspirations began to splinter until they ultimately shattered. In the novel, The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald uses symbolism, setting, and theme to depict the unattainability of the American Dream.
There has always been a slight apprehension towards being alone or standing alone. Students rarely want to admit to having an answer different from the rest of their classmates; some people do not want to go somewhere and do something by themselves. Notably, with more shy or anxious people, they will often stick around someone they know, so they will not be alone in the crowd. Although that company might help them make it through those nerve-wracking moments, when is the right time for them to walk alone? Should a person ever walk alone? In Ayn Rand’s Anthem, Equality’s internal conflict of conformity versus individuality plays a role that Equality needs to overcome in order to complete their quest for freedom which helps create their outcast archetype and gives significance to the final word of the novel.
Amidst the dense and desolate forests of the Stampede Trail, located in Alaska, lies an abandoned bus. In this decaying automobile lies a blue sleeping bag, containing much greater than what initially appears to be simply an unshaven beard and a pair of dark, sleep-deprived eyes, shaded temporarily by resting lids and a tangled mess of lashes. Instead, here lies an adventurous mind that would no longer have the capability to wander, a mere twenty-four year old life stolen from a brother, a son, a friend, a bundle of ideas that would never be given the opportunity to seep their way into the minds of others. Here lies: Christopher McCandless. Alongside these remains lie plenty
Nowadays, individuality is perched on top of the highest pedestal. There's nothing that compares with the ability to stand apart from each other and no one dares take that away. But in Ayn Rand’s novella called Anthem, it is the complete opposite; there are numerous Councils who are in charge of everything for the people. Some of the things include, what jobs and what future people have and also they regulate intelligence and inventions. Equality 7-2521, later renamed Prometheus, is a member of this dystopian society; he isn't at all similar to his brothers. This, leads to his urge to break away from them. The Council and the society damn him because of his actions and brain, but after his escape, he realizes this damnation is hilarious because they are the damned, not him.
Imagine a world where everyone is equal; living a life that feels almost programmed. Humans may not realize the impact freedom, technology, and independence has on our daily lives; however, Anthem by Ayn Rand demonstrates the importance of these rights. The story portrays the life of a young man, Equality 7-2521, living in a society that is built on severe rules and laws. These laws are designed to eliminate individuality, resulting in an extremely controlled environment. Due to the laws, Equality 7-2521 rebels against the society. For example, Equality 7-2521 was given the job as a Street Sweeper but realized life was unchallenging for him, and was punished for going beyond his limitations. Equality 7-2521 understands that solitude is
Trying times always push society to its limits and with that, show society’s true nature. This is displayed best in Ayn Rand’s Anthem and John Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men; one set in a post-apocalyptic age where man struggles to rebuild and the other set during the Great-Depression. By comparing Ayn Rand’s message concerning the individual in society in Anthem to John Steinbeck’s in Of Mice and Men it is clear that one has a main message that society is a burden to the individual, while the other’s message is that society helps out the individual.
“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.” Page 97, Anthem. The novel written by Ayn Rand is set in a dystopia; a place in which the condition of life is extremely bad, as a result of a society where expression of emotion and individuality is believed to be a sin. The theme that contributes most to the dystopia of Anthem is religion/ beliefs, however, as time progresses the character’s viewpoints of the religion/ beliefs are altered throughout the novel. The purpose of this essay is to explain Rand’s use of religion/ beliefs with the use of examples from her novel, Anthem.
The extensive amount of rules and controls of the society Prometheus lives in has lead him to insanity. Prometheus of Ayn Rand’s Anthem society’s amount of control over the community and has restricted the human capacity to a slave like being due to having no choice over what you do with your life. Contrary to the superior’s belief, Prometheus’s vision of his society would make humans able to reach their highest ability and prosperity.
When individuals’ hold hatred in their minds, they will be more aggressive to others, especially to the higher level authority. In James Baldwin’s story, he is not happy with the white people’s power. He is full of the hatred. When he purposely went to the “non-colour” restaurant, he tries to challenge the higher levels. Baldwin writes, “I pretended not to have understood her, hoping to draw her closer … I realized that she would never come any closer and that I would have to strike from a distance.” He wants to know why the whites are the stronger group, why the whites can destroy his hopes. However, when he found out the whites are weaker than him but still having more powers, he turns his hatred into violence. Baldwin writes, “I picked this up and hurled it with all my strength at her. She ducked and it missed her and shattered against the mirror behind the bar.” He is angry and being violence, and those violence comes out from his hates. When people looking down on him, his despairs bitterness and hatred make him want to get the respects from the higher authority. He was waiting for “the higher authority” to throw him out, but the reality makes him even more upset. Relating to the cops in the Freddie Gray, the reason of their aggressiveness is also about getting respects. The policemen who worked at inner city will afraid of local community. Those policemen has despair and bitterness inside of them, because they can be in dangerous by just going to the work. They work at
“Words - so innocent and powerless as they are, as standing in a dictionary, how potent for good and evil they become in the hands of one who knows how to combine them.” A quote said by Nathaniel Hawthorne himself, which employs to anyone and everyone who has the knowledge of combining words to create literature. Hawthorne, born in 1804, in the town of Salem, Massachusetts, the Dark Romanticism author lived with some injuries, such as the death of his father. Yet, the wealth of his uncles helped him follow the dreams of becoming a writer. Hawthorne originally had no “w” in his name, yet he wanted to separate himself with the connection of one of his ancestors, John Hathorne, who was accused of using witchcraft. Edgar Allan Poe, born in the year 1809, in Boston, Massachusetts, was also a writer in Dark Romanticism. An orphan at a young age, Poe was going through a tough childhood. He took in gambling in his college years, and enlisted in the army. Struggling through poverty, he managed to win a contest with his short story, and he started devoting his life to writing. He married his young cousin, Virginia, who was 13 years old in the year 1836. Dark Romanticism is a genre branched off of Romanticism, whereas Dark Romanticism is a genre where insanity, crime and dark elements were combined into literature. Both authors have some form of abnormalities in their bloodlines, which may have led to their bizarre stories. Nathaniel Hawthorne and Edgar Allan Poe have some stylistic