The Condescending Tone Of The Unknown Citizen

The collectivist society in which Equality 7-2521 lives is similar to the Nazi and Communist states of the twentieth century. It is controlled like the society in “The Giver.” The rulers of this society do not permit any individual to think freely. They must think they are nothing. “We are nothing. Mankind is all. By the grace of our brothers are we allowed our lives. We exist through, by and for our brothers who are the state. Amen.”(21).

The situation in Anthem is closely related to how Ayn Rand lived through the early years of the Soviet Union’s rise to power. The people of Russia were expected to everything for the state, and were expected to put their needs and wants on the back burner with no if ands or buts about it, and this is very much what was going on in Anthem.

Personal rights for the citizens of our country are guaranteed by the Constitution of The United States of America, and this poem illustrates direct disregard for those rights. “You are not presumed to be innocent if the police have reason to suspect you are carrying a concealed wallet” (lines 13 – 15) shows the disregard for personal rights. Nearly everyone carries a wallet and that statement says the personal right to be innocent until proven guilty doesn’t apply to certain people as the government sees fit. In lines 16 – 17, “It’s not our obligation to inform you of your rights” contradicts to the law of having Miranda Rights read to an individual upon arrest. Further showing they can disregard a person’s rights as they feel necessary, the poem

Essentially, the person of this poem is asking why should the world get the right to know why they are truly upset, and potentially use it against them; instead, have pride, hold your head up high, and put on your “mask.” In doing so, the literary term paradox comes into play. This poem is about the true feelings of blacks being hidden behind masks, when also the poem itself hides the fundamental issue of racism from even being mentioned – that alone is a paradox because the poem has a mask on as well. This poem can also be seen as a paradox because this so called “we” is supposed to be wearing a mask when in fact they are expressing their feelings and becoming vulnerable, aka – no more mask.

Ultimately, since Dunbar avoids specifically mentioning blacks and their suffering, with the history of this poem in mind, this poem could stand as a lament on behalf of all of the individuals who were forcefully made to wear a “mask” just as a girl who tries to hide her pregnancy from her parents, or as a boy who

Citizens are expected to know that individuality is extremely bad. This individuality is taken away from the citizens the moment they are born. The citizens are grown up to only do work that betters the group. The people are separated from the other gender and only get to experience feelings with the other gender when they are appointed someone for the “job.” The citizens don’t even get an opportunity to realize that individuality is bad, they don’t realize that anything is wrong. “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(Anthem).” The citizens are given names which are disguised by a different number. The citizens are considered worthless unless they are doing something to better the

Once a society elects the government they classify as “ideal,” the government that establishes authority will have the ability to set harsh restrictions against the citizens who supported them without any knowledge on their plans. To demonstrate how sinful he has been, Equality describes the kind of life people conform

It is clear that there is a resistant and rebellious theme of the poem, that tells the truth about human problems. This is made clear by the writer saying, “but who do you see in the mirror when there’s only yourself and you. Who really knows the truth of the fascist, that lives inside of you.” So, majority, if not all of the poem does not relate to the traditional stereotype and forces the readers to look beyond the

In a society where fabrications and the eradication of individuality ran rampant, Equality 7-2521 chose to defy the norm and stand up to leaders who created numerous, inequitable falsehoods about life, love, and the power of the self. Through small acts of defiance, our heroic character overcame the totalitarian state and ultimately started a small but legitimate revolution against the system of collectivism and compliance. However, the young rebel could not have possibly respected the leaders of the oppressive society. As Rand said in her short essay, “But since men have to act, so long as they live, such a society is willing to be taken over by anyone willing to set its direction.” Equality 7-2521 had every right to denounce those in charge of an empire that deliberately withheld information from citizens.

Many people blame their hardships, poverty, or unhappiness on external conditions. These conditions can be comprised of one’s family, class, race, society, or culture in which one is born. However, Equality 7-2521 from the book titled, “Anthem” by Ayn Rand is a prime example of one who is against this settled view of man. Unlike the others of that totalitarian society, Equality 7-2521 is very contrasting. This extraordinary man makes wishes - which is a sin in their society - and also keeps secrets. No man and no woman should take notice of each other, but this rule doesn’t conflict with Equality 7-2521’s beliefs along with another character called Liberty 5-3000. In Anthem, Equality 7-2521 gets into trouble, and is taken to

The novel Anthem by Ayn Rand is set in a totalitarian, collectivist society in which individuality, as well as many other things, is viewed as a crime. Throughout the story, Equality 7-2521’s views on these laws change. He begins with the feeling of guilt for going against the leaders, but by the end of the story, Equality feels no regret or shame for his transgressions. The shift in Equality’s appraisal of his actions is equitable because the leaders of the society deliberately took away his individuality and withheld significant informations from him.

In the novella, Anthem, author Ayn Rand depicts a futuristic journey of rediscovery by the protagonist, Equality 7-2521, and his struggles against the totalitarian government rule of his society. Throughout the novella, the government shows full manipulation on the life of the people, revealing their moral views and standards. In fact, everyone within the society is compelled to forget significant aspects of humanity. However, when Equality 7-2521 escapes from the oppressive government, he undergoes a series of events that creates contradictions regarding various principles and views he has been taught to follow since childhood.

Similar to Marx, Ginsberg is against the idea of a small fraction of the people having significant control and power. Even though the poem is harsh on America, the goal of the author is not to shun or shame the country but try to better it. He is an extremely critical patriot trying to correct America’s flaws.

The short stanzas containing powerful imagery overwhelm the readers forcing them to imagine the oppression that the speaker went through in

Several conflicts are dramatized in The Unknown Citizen, the most prominent being: conformity of the middle class, government manipulation, and the loss of individualism to the standards of an average citizen. The speaker of this poem is non-traditional as the poem is, in fact, an inscription on a “marble monument erected by the State.” The inscription is dedicated to a “JS/07 M 378”—presumably, “The Unknown Citizen,” although this term only appears in the title. The Unknown Citizen is essentially an elegy, a lament for the dead, written by either a government official or a strong believer in the government. This becomes clear