Anthem Analysis

As he moves forward in his measures in the underground tunnel, Equality 7-2521 uncovers light in the glass box. For the first time, he is not afraid of his misbehavior against society, the box of light mattered, his findings is critical; he is important, and for the first time, Equality 7-2521 feels happiness. Nevertheless, the World Council of Scholars does not feel the same, “How dared you, Gutter Cleaner to hold yourself as one alone and with thoughts of the one and not of the many?” (Rand 72). As Equality 7-2521 perceives these words, he makes his most valuable discovery, successful community is not one of collectivism, but individuality. As he makes this analysis, Equality 7-2521 discontinues from the allegiance and is frightened as he runs to the Uncharted Forest, but as the days go on he turns into being unfearful, for he can do as he chooses when he wants. Soon Liberty 5-3000 meets him and the two go on to getting a house together. When Equality 7-2521 and Liberty 5-3000 find their house, and the books, he starts to interpret about Prometheus, who brings light when there is

“It is a sin to write this. It is a sin to think words no others think and to put them down upon a paper no others are to see. It is base and evil… We have broken the laws” (17). Thus begins Anthem by Ayn Rand, a novella about a future collectivist society and a man named Equality 7-2521. Though the story takes place in the future, all technology that came after candles and glass has been taken away. The word “I” has ceased to exist in anyone’s vocabulary. Every person must agree on everything and feel like everyone else. To accomplish ‘cleansing’ the evils of mankind, society lead its people to believe that nothing can be done independently. The story is told through the eyes of Equality as he purposely defies the laws

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.

•Anthem’s society uses propaganda to control the citizens. A form of propaganda is when one man was executed on the pyre in front of everyone which teaches the citizens not to break the law and use pronouns.

Every citizen believes the way they are living is correct and that there is no problem with the society. “This was the only thing which moved, for the lips of the oldest did not move as they said: ‘Street Sweeper’(Anthem)”. Equality 7- 2521 feels differently when he knows that he is extremely smart and is given the job to be a street sweeper. Throughout the story, Equality 7-2521 learns to realize that the society is brain washing every single citizen. “The locks are old on the doors and there are no guards about. There is no reason to have guards, for men have never defied the Councils so far as to escape from whatever place they were ordered to be (Anthem).” Any citizens who were supposed to be locked up would never to attempt to even escape because they knew they would be put to death, however, escaping was easy for Equality

“It is a sin to write this. It is a sin to think words no others think and to put them down upon a paper no others are to see. It is base and evil” (17). Equality 7-2521 was born into a society that portrays a totalitarian rule. The people living in the controlled environment have been taught and brainwashed to know only one thing: the priority of the group over the individual person. Equality 7-2521 is one of the few people raised in the world of collectivism that is born different – filled with curiosity, gifted with intelligence; the difference leads him to believe he is cursed and evil. He was ashamed of his unique qualities and believed that he was a flaw. It is this divergence that makes him believe there is an initial

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.

The one in which appears similar to today's society. Everyone thought Equality was cursed, but many people think and sometimes act the exact same way that Equality acted throughout the novel. When faced with being outcasted, people tend to be depressed. But, Equality persevered and was able to do great things for the better of his fellow man, even when they treated him like he was nothing but a peasant; a street sweeper. Just because society treats others who do not follow their trends like people who are weird and outdated does not mean that they can make a difference. It is because of innovators like Equality that the world even has a society to begin

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).

Equality 7-2521 is the protagonist of the story he is twenty-one years old, scientific research is what gives meaning and joy to his life. He will not abandon it though he knows the severity of the punishment that awaits him if he's caught. He refuses to surrender the electric light to the authorities when he realizes that they will destroy it. Liberty 5-3000 is Equality’s long lost lover, and she looks up to him. Her spirit is shown in her actions as well as in her appearance. Liberty 5-3000 breaks the laws of her society to pursue her dreams. She sees Equality 7-2521 and often thinks of him even though the state bans a woman to become interested in another man except when it's time for marriage. One night Equality stayed out too late in in his tunnel, he refused to tell the authorities his whereabouts, and he was sent to prison. Equality finally escaped prison to show his invention to the Council. When he and his invention was turned down they threatened him so he ran into the woods to live by his own rules. He soon realized the “Golden One” was falling him.

The classroom was full of children, and they were all the same except for their age and gender. They didn’t have a choice for anything that they did, it was the government that was forcing them to be what they were. They weren’t allowed to know anything more than what they were taught. There was one little girl who was a touch different. She was starting to realize that life could be different than what she had always known. She had decided to make a change for herself and not be the same anymore. Just like this little girl, Equality 7-2521 was longing for a change. He realized that there was another way of living, and that was what he wanted. Equality went about doing everything differently from what he had learned from the beginning. He took a stand and ended up being a different person overall, he wasn’t going to let anyone else control him anymore. The characterization and setting techniques employed in Ayn Rand’s dystopian novel Anthem and Kurt Vonnegut’s short story “Harrison Bergeron” illustrate the theme of how those who are under authority do not change who they are on the inside just because they are controlled, resulting in rebellion and dishonesty toward those who are in charge.

The first tactic that the government uses to hinder individualism in both novels is by moderating or banning certain literature. Literature is an important form of expressing individuality because, those who read it develop educated thoughts and opinions. These educated thoughts and opinions are feared by those in power because, they are the backbone of activism, change, and freedom in a society. In today’s world we often hear the phrase “don’t burn the books”, when referring to the importance and freedoms of political and religious literature in our society. In Anthem, the government moderates literature by burning books that came from “The Unmentionable Times”. This is of course, is the time in which individuality and

A society where a man’s precedence is to serve only for his brothers. Laws and rules are crafted to prevent promotion of individualism and preserve cruel uniformity under the form of moral virtue. Anthem is a clear depiction of a repressive society in which the word “I” is unheard of, and men belong to the collective word “We”. The norms in the society force agreement and sacrifice among all the people in the society. 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”(Rand 8), has been pushed into the average mindset of the society. The people’s lives are fully controlled by a group that maintains a powerful dictatorship by conquering the public from the beginning of their lives called the “Council of Vocations”. This explicates the objectionable consequences of collectivism that the society has suffered. One of the most obvious features of Anthem is it’s use of language, especially the nonexistence of the word "I”. The use of the language is confusing, but it must be understood if the book's meaning is to be clear. Characters refer to themselves using the first person plural "we" and not the first person singular "I". The use of the plural rather than the singular self-reference, goes to the core of Anthem’s meaning. It is found that Equality 7-2521 is on the path to

This has been one of the hardest papers I actually had to write for there are so many songs and events. Most would say I have a somewhat normal life during this last decade. With the War on Terror started in 2003, I was in high school at Goose Creek High School. During this time I was careless, childish, prideful, stubborn, and somewhat idiotic. I dropped out of high school and became a bum.

Freedom of thought is the ability to freely express oneself from independent of others’ viewpoint. In Anthem the society finds that the freedom to express one’s thought is not acceptable. The society in Anthem is called collectivism, it has gained complete control of the society and freedom to express oneself no longer exist. Individuals are not allowed to do anything without the consent from society. The main character of Anthem, Equality 7-2521 explains the society he lives in, new ideas are not welcome because they bring in human expression and individuality. Equality 7-2521 said early in the book," It is a sin to write this. It is a sin to think words no others think and to put them down on paper no others are allowed to see...There is no transgression blacker than to do or think alone." (Rand 17). The theme of freedom to think from Anthem is similar to Inherit The Wind, for the reason of fighting for the ability to think. For Anthem it is a sin for an individual, such as Equality 7-2525 to have freedom of thought and convey one’s identity (individuality).