Individualism In Ayn Rand's Anthem

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.

In Anthem, everyday people wake up in order to repeat the same thing. After the Great Rebirth things have not been the same, humans have to stabilize their moods now because you can not be too happy nor sad. This is the final category in Ayn Rand’s mood/tone break down, Equality has made it to the forest and Liberty has followed. They come upon a house that was left in the Unmentionable Times. Equality reads all the books in the house because there was a library in there and Liberty is expecting a child. Equality has discovered the Unspeakable Word that is forbidden in their time, and that word is “I”. In Anthem’s time period nobody is considered their own person, so people used the word “we” as referring to themselves but not as one individual. Discovering this word changed the tone of the book and made it have a better ending with a satisfying feeling. Equality’s mood was joyous because he wanted to spread the information about the Unmentionable Times to his

Ceaseless collectivism is not something that can be forced upon a community. Ayn Rand’s novel Anthem conveys this through the writings of Equality 7-2125, a man willing to stand up to the collectivism of the society he is confined to. Anthem not only shows how dull and lifeless a society can be with a lack of individuality in its people, but also reveals how one person can significantly impact a community. This novel displays the importance of individualism through Equality’s thoughts and actions. This includes when he reinvents electricity in the tunnel, falls in love with Liberty, and when he completely separates himself from society.

“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

How would you describe the word ego? What about egoist, or egoism? These words are all related, but do they mean what you think? In Anthem, Prometheus believes the term “ego” is holy, but today many people think differently. Ego is a person’s sense of self-esteem or self-importance. An egoist is a self-centered, selfish, and arrogantly conceited person. The term egoism is defined to be the theory that one’s self is, or should be, the motivation and the goal of one’s own actions.

Set in a dystopian society in the future, the novella Anthem written by Ayn Rand is all about being a collective society which doesn’t believe in individualism. Ayn Rand constructs a society in which individualism is a transgression. The government enforces the idea of collectivism to the society. They believe that in the human race each person is not single. The protagonist, Equality 7-2521 wants to be an independent person. He wants to be free. As stated in the novel, “To be free, a man must be free of his brothers.” This statement means that in order to be successful, he has to be his own person. As the novel goes on Equality 7-2521 learns to be an independent man and frees himself from the society which forces collectivism.

All success starts with inner motivation. The most talented people that are living have an inner motivation that started their success story. The book “Anthem,” by Ayn Rand portrays the character  Equality's  main motivation which is individuality. Through his fearless discoveries he finally realizes the truth and that truth will set him free.

“Anthem” was written by Ayn Rand, and she was born on February 2, 1905 in Russia. Russia at the time was heavily focused on collectivism, which is the idea that people should prioritize the good of society over the welfare of the individual, and was highly influential on Rand’s life. When she was introduced to American history, her ideas of what a free nation should be was America. When she left Russia, she decided to never go back to Russia and 13 years later, wrote Anthem. Anthem is set in the future and is based in a city that has collapsed from modern day society and accepts collectivism. “Anthem” is a novella about a man named Equality 7-2521 and throughout his life, he struggles to find self-identification in a society that has no sense of individualism. Throughout the story of “Anthem” the main themes are the importance of the individual and the value of martyrdom. Ayn Rand wrote “Anthem” as a warning to us westerners about the horrors of collectivism regardless of how it was put in use. She experienced most of the horrors first hand and this was also another reason for writing “Anthem”. Some of the horrors of what she experienced was the Kerensky Revolution and the Bolshevik Revolution which ended in her father’s pharmacy being confiscated and leading to periods of near-starvation. So, based on Rand’s past experiences and her ideas, she wrote “Anthem”.

Individuality, a thing we all take for granted, but in a collectivist society, individuality is banned in all forms and is enforced with torture and execution in the name of “brotherly love”. In the novella Anthem, written by Ayn Rand, all men are bound to the society and held captive by the government’s beliefs. The Home of Scholars is responsible for all scientific discoveries. A new act is preventing them from releasing their findings into the society. Equality also dabbles in science, and he knows that this is a transgression. Equality wishes only to study the clockwork of the world, and to be accepted into The Home of Scholars. He brings his invention of a light to the council, but is turned down because his technological advancement

Basic summary: The novel Anthem by Ayn Rand is a dystopian science fiction novel that is set in the future where there are no rights or freedom there is no such thing as “I”. Everyone is equal to each other; they work and live in collective groups everyone is thought as one. The narrator, Equality 7-2521 has always stood out from everyone else, he was much smarter, later on, he vows to use his new knowledge to build a society based on individual freedom.

Individuality is non-existent and is known as one of the most sinful things they want. They aren't allowed to express their thoughts freely. “The laws say that men may not write unless the Council of the Vocations bid them so” (17). “We strive to be like all men, for all men must be alike” (19). “We are one in all and all in one. There are no men but the great WE, indivisible and forever” (19). Anthem’s society has none to minimal amounts of technology. “All the great modern inventions come from the Home of the Scholars, such as the newest one, which was found only a hundred years ago, of how to make candles from wax and string; also how to make glass, which is put on windows, to protect us from the rain” (24). “They whisper many strange things, of the towers which rose to the sky in those Unmentionable Times, and the wagon moved without forces, and lights which burned without flame”. “We pulled the heavy curtains from the windows and we saw that not more than twelve men could have lived here” (90). In Anthem’s society, education is not important nor needed for future jobs. “Men must learn until they reach their fifteenth year. Then they go to work” (20). “Dare not to choose in your minds the work you would like to do when you leave” (22). “We asked so many questions that the teachers forbade it” (23). Anthem’s society was created to be in the future which we imagine as a

In Ayn Rand’s book Anthem, The character Equality 7-2521 also known as Prometheus ran into the uncharted forest after being told that his box of light was a sin to create because he now knew more than his brother’s in the uncharted forest he found out that the golden one had followed him. Then the two uncovered homes from the unmentionable times. In the uncharted forest he discovered the unspeakable word “Ego”. Throughout the book he expressed traits of an Egoist. But in the book because prometheus had been in a dystopian society where they had to think of themselves and their brothers as a whole they were not allowed to think of themselves. So was Prometheus really a egoist? Or was it just his little bit of selfish coming out after not ever being allowed to think about himself?

The future as we imagine it, is to be filled with hi-tech gadgets and gear. Yet we consistently forget about the past and how the past always catches up, where light is gone and equality is a must were no sight of uniqueness is allowed. If that were the case we wouldn’t not be human. “Anthem” by Ayn Rand explains this world where everyone is the same and everyone is told exactly what to do. Equality 7-2521 is the main character of this story and tries to fix this problem. In this story, there is a dystopian protagonist, and a dystopian protagonist is a character that feels trapped and is struggling to escape his/her society. Equality, the dystopian protagonist in “Anthem”, questions the society he lives in by figuring out that being

Losing Individuality in Anthem is an everyday thing that the society people must deal with. Anthem is different, because in its society where a person has no voice, the town’s government expects the people to have no free rights. Losing individuality comes from strict laws, loss of family, and control of education.

This novel depicts a future society run by a collectivist dictatorship where individuality has vanished. No one is allowed to distinguish themselves from their brothers, resulting in only the use of the word ‘We’. No one knows the real value of having a distinguished name with freedom you are born with. This society also prevents the people from having individual thoughts, forcing them to think the way everyone