The Role Of Ego In Ayn Rand's Anthem

During Equality’s first days in the Uncharted Forest, he starts to realize that perhaps there is more to life than the beliefs of the collective. The simple act of going into the Uncharted Forest was forbidden; however, Equality feels as though the forest is the place he is meant to be. While exploring the forest, Equality notes that “the trees parted before [him], calling [him] forward. The forest seemed to welcome [him]” (Rand 79). In this important part of the novella, Rand utilizes personification of trees to convey the idea that the forest is not as scary as the Council made it out to be. It is, in fact, quite the opposite as the trees welcomed Equality with open arms like a human would do when embracing a newcomer to a community.

It is the future, and society has been ruined. The word “I” has been erased from society; the only replacement being the word “we”. Ayn Rand’s novel Anthem explores the effects of a horrific, totalitarian society. Children are separated from their parents at birth, careers are assigned, not chosen, and free will is the ultimate crime. Living within this structure, Equality 7-2521 finds himself lost in contradiction; collectivity should lead to happiness, but for him, individuality seems to be the key. Through vivid setting, a provoking major character, and symbolic details, Ayn Rand’s writing is focused on one thing: to show “the meaning of man’s ego.”

Character development is vitally important in Anthem. As we watch Equality 7-2521 change from a state of guilt and unhappiness to a state of pride and self-worthiness, the process creates the bulk of the story elements. One of the most important instances that show how much Equality has changed occurs in Chapter 8. At the end of this chapter, Equality bursts into laughter after thinking about what has happened. Equality laughs when he remembers that he is the damned because he feels liberated, not ruined.

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.

You are your own human being. But in Anthem by Ayn Rand, you have no individuality. In the nightmarish society Equality 7-2521 is born into, individuality is a crime. “We were born with a curse. It has always driven us to thoughts which are forbidden. It has always given us wishes which men may not wish. We know that we are evil, but there is no power or will in us to stop it” (Rand-18). Equality 7-2521 refers to himself using the first person plural "we" and not the first person singular "I." The use of language like this was often confusing to me, but must be understood if the book's meaning is to be clear. The use of the plural rather than the singular self-reference, goes to the heart of the book's meaning.

There is a power to individual thinking that forges new pathways that were not there before. Equality’s individual motivations lead him continuously in new paths and allowed him, to discover things that were about himself and in the

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.

“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”.

Ayn Rand's Anthem shows us her view of our world united under what seems to be communist rule. For example their view of right and wrong; which Anthem portrays is a system of very strict rules which mainly make sure that everyone is involved in a collective role within the society in this system no one is considered an individual or that they can even think as an individual.

brought them for a civilization where the word ?I? did not exist to a world

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?

Would you like it if the government had complete control of you? For example, the government might tell you who you aloud to interact with, or they could tell you what job that you have to go to every single day, and where you are allowed to live. The government should not have the right to control an individual because a person knows what's best for them, such as who they from relationships with, what they do for a living and what their lifestyle looks like.

In Ayn Rand’s Novel Anthem she displays an orwellian type of dystopian society with the thoughts of the protagonist, Equality 7-2521, guiding the way of the anecdote. Throughout the book many discrepancies arise between modern day societies and the one depicted within Anthem. Such as how the word “ego” is recognized in these contrasting societies. To Prometheus the word “ego” is held to a holy standard, while on the other hand to be a self-centered person, in today’s modern societies, it is usually seen as erroneous and as an act of folly. When referencing Ayn Rand’s novel Anthem and the passage “The Soul of an Individualist” from her alternative novel The Fountainhead one can conspicuously certify that Equality 7-2521 is an unrepentant egoist. Being the egoist he is holds a

Society to this day is very dependent on many things, to be exact the government. Some people would call and find this to be a normal and fine thing as it is common, yet there are also those ethical egoism believers who in contrast to ethical altruism are in any way possible against someone who is dependent on the government. In Ayn Rand’s book, Anthem, she creates a dystopian story in which she tells of what a government in full control can lead to. Ayn Rand a woman seen with a sense of “apparition,” whose thoughts were greatly influenced throughout her life, who believed in ethical egoism and used her dystopian story as a way to alert the population was indeed a women with knowledge and mind.

Vision a lifestyle where one perceives it as a sin to comprehend data more efficiently than of one’s peers; a felony to long for things that others do not wish upon. Where floods of white tunics and austere minds obliterate the Earth. A colony built upon leaders who asphyxiate anyone from infatuation of any object or significant being; moreover, a world suffocating in collectivism. Through exasperated transcription, Anthem brings about such a community; nevertheless, a world of black and white. Ayn Rand does not overemphasize the effects of totalitarianism, but amplifies it so that it is more effortless for one to enlighten he or she’s notion on the particular proposal. First, by analyzation of “Equality 7-2521”, and