Summary Of Anthem By Ayn Rand

Ayn Rands take on Personal and inner self are truly amazing, especially the ideologies that she applies to her dystopian society, wiring the books plotline, such as giving multiple people within the dysopian society the same name to prevent the awakening individuality that rises and resides within us. “Anthems” take on topics like family are both incredibly complex but also very nimble & minimalistic. Their take on family goes a little something like this: Being given the experience

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

The novel of Anthem, written by Ayn Rand, contributes to controversial subjects in society that are still relevant today. Some issues addressed by Rand in her novel include: equality, social hierarchy, individuality, and government. Throughout the duration of reading Anthem the issues in which Rand makes relevant are not obvious, but more so discussed through conflicts and situations that the main character, Equality 7-2521, encounters. Although many of the altercations that present social issues are provided by either other characters singlehandedly or by a group of the characters in alliance, some of the main issues that arise in this novel are presented within the main character himself.

Equality contemplates, “I wonder, for it is hard for me to conceive how men who knew the word “I”, could give it up and not know what they lost” (103). This quote narrates the discovery of one of the most essential words used to identify as a single, original person, I. Equality realizes the tragedy of the loss that his previous society created before his lifetime and really ponders why and how this could happen in a very separate world. Equality readies himself to be an individual person as a result of feeling strongly against the beliefs of his previous society. Equality excitedly states, “We made a fire, we cooked the bird, and we ate it, and no meal had ever tasted better to us. And we thought suddenly that there was a great satisfaction to be found in the food which we need and obtain by our own hand” (79). In the past, Equality had never done anything to express his originality because of the law stating otherwise, so when given the opportunity to finally understand his own strengths and weaknesses, he takes it. He disregards the law and excitedly grasps the concept that he isn’t supposed to be a follower like his peers were, he was meant to be a leader. Disagreeing with the law was a main point of Rand’s novella, promoting personal

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.

He also attains the meaning of “Ego”. “Prometheus” and “Gaea” were both the names of ancient Greek god, who created the human race and helped it flourish. The names also suggest that Equality and Liberty are completely individual people and in a new stage of life. “Prometheus” reflects his recognize of ego. After reading boos left in the house, Prometheus refers to himself as “I” instead of “we”. The word “I” is “this god, this one word” as stated in page 37. Now Prometheus realizes that he is an individual separated from all others, and that self-recognize is very valuable. Also, the love between them is in a new stage. Now they can love freely and have a happy family. As well, Prometheus has a greater pursue of life just like the god Prometheus. He tries to “build a new land and fort” of “freedom of Man” in page 40. This time, Prometheus’ dream is to reveal his full potential and bring liberty to the human race. The final name “Prometheus” stands for objectivism and a completely new stage of

Throughout the book, Equality goes against the government because he is searching for freedom. In the book, Equality talks about wanting to see himself but that is against the law, when he runs away, he finally seems himself. Equality wants to see his own image because, his entire life he has never seen it, and he has only seen the faces of his brothers. Equality sees his own face for the first time and says, “We sat still and we held our breath. For our face and our body were beautiful. Our face was not like the faces of our brothers, for we felt no pity when looking upon it. Our body was not like the bodies of our brothers, for our limbs were straight and thin and hard and strong. And we thought that we could trust this being who looked upon us from the stream, and that we had nothing to fear with this being.” (Rand, 80) Now that he is thinking for himself he wants to know more about himself. He never received the chance to find out what kind of person he was when he was young, so now that he is older he wants to know more about himself. He falls in love with Liberty the first time he sees her, and in their society they’re not supposed to take notice of the opposite gender. Equality whispers, “For men are forbidden to take notice of women, and women are forbidden to take notice of men. But we think of one among women, they whose name is Liberty, and we think of no others.” (Rand, 38) When

Social conformity becomes dangerous in this society that Ayn Rand shows. First this is shown when men and women are forbidden to talk to each other. In the beginning, Equality met Liberty 5-3000, a young woman who works in the fields and lives in the Home of the Peasants. Equality 7-2521 explains, “And each day thereafter we knew the illness of waiting for our hour on the northern road. And there we looked at Liberty 5-3000 each day” (39). This shows that Equality wants to talk to her, but doesn’t want to be caught by fellow brothers. This is important because if he gets caught breaking the rules of the society he lives in, he will be lashed to death. If he wants to see Liberty, he must not talk or notice her or he will be showing preference which is not allowed. Secondly, this is shown when men and women do talk to each other. Now, throughout the story while Equality is going through the tunnel to see Liberty he decides to break the

Equality 7-2521 is unable to express creativity, which minimized the number of freedoms and individuality throughout the society. Rand indicates how the pronoun affects Equality 7-2521’s society. “The word "We" is as lime poured over men, which sets and hardens to stone, and crushes all beneath it, and that which is white and that which is black are lost equally in the grey of it” (Rand 97). The pronoun “we,” deteriorates the society from being able to be an individual and from basic freedoms. Equality 7-2521 wasn’t assigned a name, but assigned a label that society forced to abide with. Being assigned a name acts as principal as well as “we.” In addition, individuals have no identity of their own“...we repeat to ourselves whenever we are tempted: “we are one in all and all in one. There are no men but only the great WE, One, indivisible and forever” (Rand 19). Freedoms such as freedom of speech and the right to equal justice, are nonexistent

The ways in which the society forces its citizens to refer to themselves as “we” and their similar natured names cause the individuals to view themselves as a group. The first official introduction to the main character is in chapter one when he says, “Our name is Equality 7-2521…”( Rand 18). From the beginning, when Equality says, “Our,” while referring to himself, it is clear that the citizens of the society cannot refer themselves as ‘I’. Excluding personal pronouns, engraves in the people’s minds that they are not individuals. In addition, if citizens were to refer to themselves as ‘I’ they would regard and value themselves as individual people opposed to living for others. As a result, this would defy the basis of collectivist principles. Throughout the story, various characters names are words pertaining to synonyms of brotherhood and togetherness. For instance, while Equality is standing in the great hall watching his brothers while they

Throughout the book a literary device Rand used was setting. In the novel Rand talked about the “unmentionable times”to show how in this society it was a new beginning for them. For example in the text it states “such as the newest one which was found only a hundred years ago, of how to make candles from wax and string” (Rand 8). This shows that the society Equality 7-2521 lives in is not advance in technology. The words “only a hundred years ago” shows they haven’t advanced in technology. The literary device, setting shows how Equality 7-2521 lives in his society.

Later in chapter 2, Equality describes only other character as tall (Rand 50). This could mean that Equality is taller than his brothers. Also Liberty says, “your eyes… are not like the eyes of any among men” (Rand 44). However knowing Liberty’s character, this may or may not be literal as in eye color or shape, but still shows how Equality stands out. In conclusion, Rand uses Equality’s rebelliousness, curiosity, height, and eyes to distinguish him from his

The novella, Anthem by Ayn Rand, Is written in the first person point of view. Although the reader may be tricked due to the fact that the author commonly uses words such as, we, were, and our. In the first chapter of the novel, Equality 7-2521, the main character, says “Our name is Equality 7-2521, as it is written on the iron bracelet which all men wear on their left wrists with their names upon it” (6). Equality 7-2521 is not talking about a group of people when he says “our name”, he is only talking about himself. Yet, the society which he lives in (a post, Dark Age version of the world) does not allow him to use the word “I” along with the word “ego”, unless he wants to be punished by death. This becomes clearer to the reader at the end

Rand starts the mood of very dark and foreboding. Equality starts if the book talking about sins we as humans have made. He expresses himself saying the world is a dark place (Rand 17). On page 17 paragraph one to three all he speaks about is we have broken laws. A direct quote of this is, “We have broken the laws”. Rand shows how unhappy Equality is in the house of students. During paragraph four line 1 page twenty one Equality says, “We Equality 7-2521, were not happy in those years in the Home of the Students. Equality later states it was not that learning was too hard for

Ayn Rand, the author of Anthem, states, “The mind is an attribute of an individual. There is no such thing as a collective brain.” This statement means Ayn believes highly in individualism. Individualism is a belief in the freedom of action of individuals. Ayn Rand’s theme of individualism is not a sin is developed and supported in many of her works such as Anthem through the characters, Equality 7-2521 and Liberty 5-3000, and their actions.