“To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment.” The theme is what makes a book, but can two books have the same or similar theme? After completing Anthem by Ayn Rand and A Scarlet Letter by Nathanial Hawthorne it is apparent that the two books have similar theme and storylines. The theme that transfers over from both books is individuality. To understand these great works of literature we have to first know what theme is. The theme is the idea or thought being amplified throughout a piece of work. Both Hawthorne and Rand use theme to portray their ideas without saying the theme is individuality. These books show that theme can be used in different stories but people in completely
Anthem begins by introducing what is immoral in the dystopian society written before the reader. This type of world the main character resides in is intricate and far too uniformed for modern life. Equality 7-2521 is the turning point for this civilization -he is the outlier of the painstakingly ordered community that was made. However, before this, he was just another ordered and uniformed pawn in the eyes of the Council. He exists in a world where everyone is raised in collectivism- Equality maneuvers his will to contrast the rules of which he has always lived by and toils against his own mind with feelings that he has against his own society, Ayn Rand creates a character that carries a prominent personality to advance the unchanging world
The word contentious means tending to argue or strife; quarrelsome. This connects to what the chapter is portrayed in many ways. In this chapter, Equality 7-2521/ Prometheus go to the council to discuss the light box and all of their discretions. I think that this chapter title is exactly what is going on in this chapter because they spend most of the chapter arguing with Equality. On the second page, Equality tells the council that they are street sweepers.
In Anthem by Ayn Rand International 4-8818 agrees to keep Equality 7-2521’s secret of the tunnel under the ground because much like Equality 7-2521, International 4-8818 is different than the rest of the people in the place they live in. This is because while Equality 7-2521 explains how he found the hole that led to the tunnel he talks about International 4-8818 and explains that, “they are a tall, strong youth and their eyes are like fireflies, for there is laughter in their eyes. We cannot look upon International 4-8818 and not smile in answer. For this they were not liked in the Home of the Students, as it is not proper to smile without reason. And also they were not liked because they took pieces of coal and they drew pictures upon the
In this society, one of the major rules in this book made by the council is you are not allowed to go anywhere unless told to by the society. Equality finds a subway tunnel from the unmentionable times this is a crime in their society. He comes to this tunnel daily for 3 hours. “Sitting in the tunnel for three hours each night and studying.” (Rand 35) If he is caught going to this tunnel every night for three hours he will be sent to prison.
In the book Anthem their society is way different from ours. They are not allowed to be individual or say the word “I”. They can’t have names, instead they are in groups and have group names. They all have a part in society like their jobs and things they do. For example the equality group belong to the street sweepers.
According to Ayn Rand, she is one of the few that thinks being independent in a society is better than being subservient. Anthem is not just a forceful indictment of collectivism. It is, first and foremost, a festivity of individualism — a “hymn to man’s individuality.” This is a quote by Ayn Rand. In this quote, you can understand that by this quote, she feels that being independent is much better than being dependent.
Collectivism: Comparing Anthem and Eye of the beholder Collectivism is the idea of putting the wants and needs of a group over a single person's. Collectivism is the basis of two societies in two separate pieces of work, Anthem by Ayn Rand and Twilight Zone episode Eye of the Beholder, written by Rod Serling. The leaders of these societies call upon similar rhetoric devices and radical ways to maintain a submissive and oppressed society.
The Road to Individualism Every great heroin will face a plethora of conflict in their journey. For Equality, it is not any less. Equality faces internal and external conflict in his path to heroism, faces conflict with others, but also himself. As his desire for a new life grows, more problems arise.
In our society, people are motivated in lots of different ways. This can create both positives, such as putting a man on the moon, and negatives, such as war and starving people. Anthem is a story about a man who is going against his collectivist society in his search for individuality. Equality’s main motivation is to discover new things and new ideas in the world around him, as well as to try to figure out who he is as an individual. His motivation is correct because he enables the thought of free will, and the world could become a better place if everyone was motivated like Equality.
Equality was a creator his mind had driven him to science he had his own mind, his own strength, and his own courage he was independent, he was brighter than the rest. Standing alone in a modern world ruled by the suppressed government he faced the world alone. In a world where being intellectual was a severe sin he possessed gifts unlike no other that were despised by the government: intellectual and psychological strength. In a world where free will was not allowed and any form of diversity was punished by the authorities. Here we find Equality on a path of self-discovery and independence.
"We are one in all and all in one. There are no men but only the great WE, One, indivisible and forever’”(Rand 19). In Ayn Rand’s dystopian novel, Anthem, the citizens are trained from birth to think only in the plural, to the point where they cannot even conceive of individuals, but only see each other as part of the whole group. Rand’s protagonist, Equality 72521, begins the novel as a street-sweeper who is devoted to the group, but begins to move towards individuality as he progresses towards pure selfishness, as Rand believes we all should. Rand uses the words “we” and “I” to represent Equality’s journey from being dependent on the group, to being utterly independent of everyone.
Individuality allows every person to be themselves and be different from each other. However, In Ayn Rand’s novella Anthem, Rand describes a society where the people were not allowed to openly be themselves, or else they would be punished for being different. The main character, Equality, notices he is different slowly throughout the novella, but kept continuing to be like everyone else for awhile. These rules exist in this society to strip human individuality in order to achieve total equality.
At the beginning of Anthem Equality has changed his mind about a lot of things in the beginning of the story. Equality got picked to be a street sweeper by the government, but he really wanted to be a scholar but couldn’t because of the government. Equality had a rough life. Well he was a street sweeper but he was smart enough to be a scholar the government did not think he was. In the book anthem by ayn rand Equality was not good for any body or anything at the beginning he had a rough start to his life.
Why was this book controversial? Which themes or ideas were challenging to society? Controversial material in Anthem, by Ayn Rand, includes brief use of profanity, issues of morality, and exploitation of women. Also, controversy surrounding Ayn Rand’s work is the over-emphasizing of individualistic ideas she displays, as well as the adoration of egotism.
Ayn Rand’s Anthem starts by Equality 7-2521 saying “It is a sin to write this.” Throughout the story, Equality’s views and mindset changes, he realizes that he is different from his brothers and its ok to be different. He discovers that if something is legal it is not certainly right. His eager for knowledge taught him the word “I” abandoning the word “We”.