Ayn Rand in her novel Anthem exhibits a society where people only purpose is to serve and better the community. Rand was writing Anthem, while World War 2 was emerging and she was watching countries change their views on society and the citizens in it. Some of these countries started to force their citizens into a mold. Thinking that society would be benefit if everyone was like-minded. Rand wanted to show these views in an extreme situation to demonstrate what could happen in the future if countries continued to do this. In her book Rand created Equality 7-2521 which is a 22-year-old male who dares to break away from the mold his society has created and be himself. He has the potential for so much and yet his society keeps him from it. Rand uses Equality 7-2521 and his society to illustrate that if society tries to push
In Ayn Rand’s novella, Anthem, mankind is a philanthropic machine. To achieve a common goal, the brotherhood disregards personal ambitions and nobly collaborates. Each decision of the mechanized society is compelled by spurious collective thought, and their so called advancements, by joint action. However, one man in this machine malfunctions: Equality-72521. With an inquisitive nature, an innovative mind, and latent desire, Equality possesses the traits of a visionary. Every step Equality takes, is one away from the public-spirited system; another towards personal identity. Each step is an internal struggle, due to the computerized brainwash and eloquent reprogram of Equality’s instinctive mind. But nature tells Equality that his DNA
In Ayn Rand’s novella, Anthem, mankind is a philanthropic machine. The brotherhood nobly works together to achieve a common goal. In doing so, each man is asked to disregard his own personal means and goals. For every decision must be a collective thought and every advancement, a joint action. However, one man in this machine malfunctions. Equality-72521. With an inquisitive nature, an innovative mind, and latent desire, Equality withholds the traits of a visionary who advocates for individuality. Every step Equality takes, is one away from the public-spirited system. Another towards personal identity. Each step is an internal struggle, due to the communist machine’s brainwash and eloquent reprogram of Equality’s instinctive mind. But nature tells Equality that his DNA is nothing save himself. Nature tells Equality that individuality is man’s birthright. Man’s one true victory. It
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.
Have you ever been in such a bad situation that all you can do is laugh? After reading Ayn Rand Anthem Equality laughed when he remembered he is the damned. In the story when Equality finally became free in the forest he forgot about how he used to live and forgot about being damned. Equality felt that he did not need anyone and that he can be his own person and that’s what took his mind off being the damned.
Ayn Rand’s Anthem starts by Equality 7-2521 saying “It is a sin to write this.”
During the novel, Anthem by Ayn Rand, the author includes many examples of communism which can relate to communist Russia. “It was not that the learning was to hard for us. It was that the learning was too easy. It is a great sin, to be born with a head which is too quick. It is not good to be different from our brothers, but it is evil to be superior to them.” (Rand, 1961, pg. 21) This quote shows that the society is a communist society. This shows because during communist Russia the people were not allowed to be different. In the book Anthem it is exactly the same. No one in Anthem and Communist Russia was allowed to be creative or different. Another quote would be “They called the students’ names, and when the students stepped before them, one after another, the council said: ‘Carpenter’ or ‘Doctor’ or ‘Cook’ or ‘Leader’ Then each Student raised their right arm and said: ‘The will of our brothers be done.’” (Rand, 1961, pg.25) This also directly relates to Communist Russia because during that time people didn’t have a say in what they wanted, or what they felt was right, or what they
Equality is such an important thing in our everyday lives. Every person is born to be different. No one is exactly like another human on this planet. Our society thrives off of each person being unique from everyone else, but still being treated equally. In Ayn Rand’s novella Anthem, we are introduced to this society that has fallen back into the times of the Great Rebirth. In this society we meet Equality 7-2521 who is cursed with being different from his brothers and sisters. The World Council is in control of making of the rules of all of the societies. These rules were created to restrain individuality, to ensure an equal society.
Dystopia Government taking control over society for good. In the book Anthem by Ayn Rand the society is limiting everyone on what they can say and do, but there is one person named Equality that can change all of that. The Government made everyone equal by having everyone learn one thing if one person couldn’t learn it, they would stop teaching it. Ayn Rand made her book a dystopian society by using the literary element man vs. world.
When one is confined to society and held captive against their ego, it is imperative that they learn to eulogize their own individuality, and learn to improve themselves. In Ayn Rand’s novella, Anthem, Rand uses Equality 7-2521 to communicate the importance of the individual. Equality has always had his own sense of individuality that causes him to stand out and defy the social norms. His individuality allows him to persevere and diverge from collectivist society.
In the book Anthem by Ayn Rand, there is a dystopian society where Equality 7-2521 and everyone else were taught to live and think for one another. Everyone has an equal identity and no one is allowed to be independent. In this world the word “I” is nonexistent, they are forced to act as one and refer to themselves as “we.” Teachers and Council scold and punish the ones who are “different” and “better” than another. This society is ensures that no one can stand as an individual, this represents enslavement.
Edison invented the lightbulb in 1879, and today it powers more than 20 million appliances(LED). In Ayn Rand’s Anthem, the government enforces “fairness” forbidding any distinct skills keeping their citizens dull. Equality 7-2521 the main protagonist, wants to escape from this norm even if the government forbids it; leading to the discovery of remnants from the unmentionable times, and then fully betraying the government as a whole. Equality throughout the book starts to slowly develop an understand about individuality, during his work with the box, representing Rand's beliefs of individuality being ultimate power when compared to a group.
"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.
Living in a world with complete fairness among people sounds perfect, but not when everyone in your society is forced to be completely the same. In the story Anthem, Equality is a character that is different from the others in his society of forced sameness. Equality longs to learn and expand his knowledge, however, there are rules that halt Equality from following his own will, but also push him to learn more. No one is allowed to read, write, experiment, or explore. These rules allow the community to be easily controlled, and forces them to stay similar to one another.
Rules and Subjectivity Society is fundamentally built upon rigid structure and control using rules to attempt to maintain order amongst a society comprised of many individuals. Inherently rules put at expense the freedom of individuals to achieve personal happiness in order to build a society comprised of more equally achieving individuals. Ayn Rand’s novella Anthem builds a society in which rules restrict all individual freedoms and force a more collective ideal. The rules put in place by the society are meant to make everybody collectively more happy and prevent inherent human subjectivity; however, inherent to human nature, rules can be subjectively interpreted. In contrast to the pre-existing society presented by Rand, Equality 7-2521 seeks