In life, you are born into societies where various ideas or things are thought to be normal and the customs are already established. The novel Anthem by Ayn Rand has many themes, but what I believe the theme of the novel is, to think for yourself. To think for yourself means to make your own decisions and opinions, without depending on other people. I also think that if you are going to think for yourself you can’t worry about what other people will think of what you believe in. Whether you believe that you should only have school a few days a week or you believe in a certain god, no person should feel ashamed for what they believe in. In today’s society and in the society of Anthem, people don’t think for themselves and they just follow people blindly. In the media, today we see what celebrities are saying, who they like, who they dislike, what they use, what they endorse, and we follow them because we want to be like them. Sometimes you don’t realize that you’re not thinking for yourself, but not being able to think for yourself can make you miserable and that is what Equality 7-2521 realized in Anthem. Every single day for more than 2 years equality would escape society for 3 hours a day and he would get to think, study, learn, and write what he has held in for so long. Equality’s brothers didn’t have a strong self-connection. All of Equality’s “brothers” had no energy, happiness, nor creativity (Rand). Unlike Equality they didn’t know who they were as a person, they
“Anthem” – one of writing authors Ayn Rand, shows her at her most vicious, hungry, and ambitious reading personality not only as a writer, but as a storyteller as well. The classic hit novel “Anthem” is the predecessor to Ayn Rands later books and storytelling works such as “The Fountainhead” and “Atlas Shrugged”, often tackles controversial themes that are still prevalent within modern America today, such as Family & Love. The grandeur novel “Anthem” is a reflection of such topics, all whilst being told with almost an aura of mystery within the novels plotline / storyline. “Anthem’s” take on things such as individuality and self discovery along with universal, self serving terms such as “I” & the word “We” are the key factors in helping differinciate this author Ayn Rand from other authors that write and compse the same genre of literature as Ayn Rand. Anyways, please allow for me to introduce you to the under the surface, deeper themes expressed in the classic debut novel, Ayn Rands “Anthem”
“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
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.
There has always been a slight apprehension towards being alone or standing alone. Students rarely want to admit to having an answer different from the rest of their classmates; some people do not want to go somewhere and do something by themselves. Notably, with more shy or anxious people, they will often stick around someone they know, so they will not be alone in the crowd. Although that company might help them make it through those nerve-wracking moments, when is the right time for them to walk alone? Should a person ever walk alone? In Ayn Rand’s Anthem, Equality’s internal conflict of conformity versus individuality plays a role that Equality needs to overcome in order to complete their quest for freedom which helps create their outcast archetype and gives significance to the final word of the novel.
Anthem is a short dystopian fiction novel written by Ayn Rand. It was published 79 years in 1938 in England. The setting of the novel starts off in a dark tunnel. As we get further in the book we learn that the story takes place in an undetermined point in the future in a City that’s not specified. The main character, Equality 7-2521, narrates his thoughts to the reader throughout the whole book. He feels guilty because he’s breaking the laws by writing down his thoughts but feels it is necessary. It is forbidden for the people to have their own thoughts or do anything by themselves. A long time ago, there was something called the Great Rebirth. After that happened, society started to refer to themselves as “we” and lost the word “I”,
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
“My happiness is not the means to any end. It is the end. It is its own goal. It is its own purpose” (Rand, 95). Anthem is written by American author Ayn Rand about Equality 7-2521 on his quest for happiness. The novel is set in an unspecified time and place in the future. Years after human civilization has gone through a deconstruction in which all knowledge was lost and a new society established with no concept of the individual. “The novel describes the efforts of the main character, Equality 7-2521, to reestablish a sense of personal identity and restore the knowledge of the past by objective scientific inquiry. In doing so, he must face many dangers and privations” (Anthem). Anthem is a dairy of the Equality
Imagine a government so powerful or so fearful that its citizen consider the government as a God. In Anthem by Ayn Rand, the main character, Equality- 72521, lives in a society where everyone was part of the group and the main character was starting to defy this society. In the end of chapter two, the main character was talking about the “Unforgivable” word and how someone among the group, who Equality named the Saint of the Pyre, was publicly executed by fire. When the Saint of the Pyre was burned at the end of Chapter two, this referenced to when Jesus Christ was Crucified and with this allusion, Ayn Rand spread the message that a government can be so powerful that, to the citizens of that government, it is consider to be
Ayn Rand’s novel puts Equality in a great position to start his new life with his new family. Ayn Rand’s story gives hope to all who want not to be conquered by their government and to have a say in what they believe in. If your government or society doesn’t like what you have to say, then it shows you can also walk right out the door if you don’t like what is happening. When you become a collectivist, you lose your individuality and almost become a slave and or a robot to the government and society. You lose your creativity and
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
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.
While reading this book I was deeply concerned with the totalitarian government they had in place. It reminded me a lot of the book Anthem by Ayn Rand where they also lived in a very oppressive government but to the point that they were not allowed to say the word I and they were all given their job in society. Throughout the whole novel, I questioned how Mae was okay with working for The Circle. I would never be okay with wearing anything that made me fully transparent to anyone and let them see what I was doing at all times. I would not really care if there were SeeChange cameras up around Auburn because I think they could maybe make campus even safer. We already have traffic cameras in place that you can view on the internet whenever you
Ayn Rand's 1938 book "Anthem" emphasizes the importance of individuality and how this concept is threatened by society's tendency to promote values that are damaging for people in general. The novella's protagonist, Equality 7-2521, has been discriminated ever since he was a little boy, as his teachers were determined to differentiate between individuals on account of their particularities. From society's perspective, everyone needed to be equal in the respective community and it was essential for people to refrain from standing out. This was very difficult for Equality, as his stature practically made it impossible for him to be considered an equal. This makes it possible for one to understand that Equality felt discriminated from the first years of his adolescent life and that this played an important role in making him want to live life differently from the rest of the world.
Have you ever considered what it would be like to have every single freedom taken away from you? In the book Anthem by Ayn Rand, a boy named Equality 7-2521 begins to write by stating that what you are currently reading is a sin. Writing anything without your “brothers” knowing is a sin, working on something without your brothers is a sin, having your own hobbies is a sin, you get the point. Honestly, breathing and eating are about the only free things you have. Living in this city where Equality lives is a true futuristic dystopia. This book takes place many years after a time frame, which by the way they cannot talk about at all, and these people are living in fear of the government’s control.