Council's Oppressive Society Essay

“We cannot resist it. It whispers to us that there are great things on this earth of ours, and that we must know them. We ask, why we must know, but it has no answer to give us.” (Rand 24) he then goes on talking about how he loves “the Science of Things” (Rand 23) and how he could ask questions in the House of Scholars, “for they do not forbid questions.” (Rand 23) However, at the near end of Anthem, Equality states that the Scholars are “blind” and are being “cowardice” (Rand 19) even though he had once looked up to these same Scholars when growing up, “We strive to be like all our brother men, for all men must be alike.” (Rand

Equality is what a society wants in order to not have competition. For instance, “They were equal every which way. Nobody was smarter than anybody else. Nobody was better looking than anybody else. Nobody was stronger or quicker than anybody else” (Vonnegut 22). People not competing with one another shows how living in harmony amongst one another to avoid conflicts is what the government wants for the people. However, people always will think against what the government wants for instance, “George was toying with the vague notion that maybe dancers shouldn't be handicapped” (Vonnegut 22). This shows how even when made equal to everyone people still have these thoughts that contradict with that the

Equality is motivated by himself. He wants to invent things. He’s not doing it for fame or to try to impress the council, but for himself. He’s eager to discover and he’s curious about things and how they work. He is very passionate about his experiments and puts a lot of pride and work into them. Equality is much smarter than the rest of his society as it states “It was that the learning was too easy”(21). He dreamed of being a scholar where he can put his talents to a good use;

There are many examples in the book anthem where individuality is lost. The Council controls everything from the day they are born. They are all given a name by the Council, which is like the rest of them, which cuts the creativeness of life around them. At school, they were all brainwashed to make everyone, including Equality to know “There are no men, but only the great WE, One, indivisible and forever.”(Pg.19) The teachers were demanded by the Council to teach that philosophy. The teachers didn’t allow questions being asked because it’s expanding their minds and want an answer for it. “ “We asked so many questions that the teachers forbade it.” (pg.23). Equality always had questions because he wanted to expand his mind and knows he is smarter than

Although Equality 7-2521 acknowledges that his great re-discovery of electricity will benefit all of mankind, that wasn’t his primary motivation for making it. In Chapter V, Equality says, “We can give our brothers a new light, cleaner and brighter, than any they have ever known.” (60). He recognizes that this discovery will completely alter the way his society is set up, presumable for the better. But, as he states later in Chapter VII: “We have lied to ourselves. We have not built this box for the good of our brothers. We built it for its own sake.” (76). Thus, Equality’s primary motivation for conducting his experiments is not to help others, but to help himself. It’s his own curiosity to find the extent of his abilities and power that drives

Equality initially had a superior intellect,preferred lessons over work, and was curious about the Unmentionable Times.He wished to learn, and he asked too many questions.With his discovery of the tunnel ,he broke many rules,and regulations just to satisfy his inquiry. With the hope of finding his purpose in life ,his moral compass began to change its direction completely . He began to feel less guilty for pursuing new things,things such as the tunnel,speaking to a female, as well as the finding of electricity.Equality no longer had remorse for simply recognizing he was different from everyone else around him.He began discovering himself ,and eventually became comfortable with how he dealt with society’s practices and institutions.In a way he went from one end if the spectrum to the

Equality develops an invention that could assist humankind greatly and he knows it. Nonetheless, Equality also has other motives. Equality thinks that his vocation should have been a scholar, not a street sweeper, so when he discovers electricity in the frog’s leg he knows he could invent something impressive that would astonish the scholars. Equality knows this invention would further the world’s advancement but he just saw it as a feature to allow him to achieve his dream. “Tomorrow you will take us back into your fold and we shall be an outcast no longer. Tomorrow we shall be one of you again” (pg. 67). He went to the Council to show his invention with pride, but when the council would not accept it, he went on to say how it would help humankind. “Let us throw away our candles and our torches. Let us flood our cities with light” (pg. 71). This was obviously not his prime motive for inventing it, so he used this excuse as a

He can be himself in the tunnel, and experiment, without being caught and punished. Equality invents a new way of light, instead of a candle. The light he creates is symbolic to him the light can help brighten the city not only literally but figurately too.

The society believes that they are living in a utopian community. Their morals are based on a collectivist mind, in which there should be no one greater than another. In “The Fountainhead”, Howard Roark states, “The great creators—the thinkers, the artists, the scientists, the inventors—stood alone against the men of their time. Every great new thought was opposed. Every great new invention was denounced.” Equality’s society deprives the community from even thinking in that way. The laws and ideas for the society are very straightforward and detailed. Even the language is cut down to eradicate individualism to where the word “I” is forbidden. It is a sin to commit any act that falls under being an individual. It is a sin to think or act for self, instead of his “brothers” or “sisters”. Equality had a gift of

Equality becomes brave and confident when he discovers electricity and successfully invents the light box because this invention gave him hope in this dark society. Equality was feeling lost in this society and felt as if he did not belong. However, when he invents the light box, something changes. When the light box successfully creates light, Equality thinks to himself, “There was nothing left around us, nothing save night and a thin thread of flame in it, as a crack in the wall of a prison. We stretched out hands to the wire, and we saw our fingers in the red glow. We could not see out boy nor feel it, and in that moment nothing existed save out two hands over a wire glowing in a black abyss” (Rand 59-60). Equality’s identity is impacted dramatically by this simple and pure invention. This light box, that gives off a minimal amount of light, represents something higher than a new

He believed in the society until the Council of Scholars rejected his invention of the light bulb. The rejection led him to run away into the Uncharted Forests where he began to build his own view of morality along with the Golden One. As time progressed, Equality began to see how much the collectivist society was wrong about a variety of things. Shortly after Equality runs away he realizes that he did not build the light bulb for his brothers but indeed for himself, which demonstrates his change in belief from the brotherhood to the individual. Through Equality’s discoveries he realizes that his purpose is not to fulfill the accomplishments, needs, and sacrifices of his brothers but to fulfill his own accomplishments, needs, and sacrifices.

The Council is against personal identity. Therefore, since Equality came up with the idea on his own, the Council rejects it. If they had accepted it, their power may have been lost and people may begin to see themselves as individuals.

Equality’s society is unjust because everyone strives for the same moral idea of equality. In the real world, there is absolutely no such thing as absolute equality, therefore when a slight difference occurs, there will be unjust. Equality stated,“This is a great sin, to be born with a head which is too quick. It is not good to be different from our brothers, but it is evil to be superior to them. The Teachers told us so, and they frowned when they looked upon us.”(21) Even a small difference such as intelligence still made Equality suffer. Motivation can also change one’s morality. The society’s morality changed when all everyone push for is equality. Equality’s journal claimed, “ ‘What is not thought by all men cannot be true,’ said Collective 0-0009. ‘You have worked on this alone?’ asked International 1-5537. ‘Yes,’ we answered. ‘What is not done collectively cannot be good,’ said International 1-5537.”(69) In this society, no matter how beneficial to mankind the aftermath could be, if it’s not achieving equality then is automatically morally

Equality learns during his new life alone, that he doesn’t need to fit in, in order to thrive. When pushed to run away, Equality finds a house in the forest that he quickly calls his home, “For they were not white tunics, nor white togas; they were of all colors, no two of them alike… We found a room with walls made of shelves, which held rows of manuscripts, from the floor to the ceiling. Never had we seen such a number of them, nor of such strange shape” (Rand). Equality not only survived in the forest, but lived. He ends up much better off than he would have back home because of the “rows of manuscripts” which allow him to gain much more knowledge than the Council. The large house he has all to himself is much different than what he is used to, and provides more luxury as well. By living in this house away from society, it shows his ability to provide for himself, an idea completely unaware to the citizens back “home”. This brings him closer to realize that he is capable of living away from his society. Equality lived alone in the forest, but he was alone in the sense that the entire population

Equality 7-2521 lives in a society with a government much like communism. The government, called the World Council; controls everything and anything. They limit thoughts of every person, everyone must be the same. No man or woman is allowed to think for themselves because there is no such thing as themselves. The word “I” does not exist in their civilization. Everyone is “brothers” and must all think the same. Equality is different though; he thinks as an individual person. In the beginning of the novel Anthem written by Ayn Rand; Equality believes all the laws he’s breaking are terrible sins against the Council and his fellow brothers. Equality’s eventual assessment for his sins are correct. He comes to the conclusion that he is allowed to think for his own and do what he wants in life. Equality is very intelligent; he cares for others, and strives to be a better person.