Lack Of Education In Ayn Rand's Anthem

Ayn Rand’s Anthem starts by Equality 7-2521 saying “It is a sin to write this.”

The book Anthem by Ayn Rand is a very interesting book. At first it is confusing to the reader because of the use of the words we and us instead of I. The main character, Equality 7-2521 introduces himself in the plural form. The reader takes a while to figure this out. The era that Equality is in, is after the Great Rebirth. Their leaders, Council of Vocations, enforced these rules, and the people that over-rule they are the World Council. They strictly made everyone follow certain rules and they made the people to use the word “we’’ instead of I. They wanted everyone to be equal instead of different. The people in this story had numbers instead of names, well some did. After the Great Rebirth technology was destroyed. They had no electricity,

“If there is a way to do it better…Find it” (Thomas A. Edison). Certain humans in the world are born with the trait of resilience, a trait seen in Anthem’s main Equality 7-2521 and Thomas Edison, the talent to leap back after an obstacle falls in the way. Thomas Edison failed thousands of times trying to create the modern day light bulb. During his creation people scrutinized him, and when he failed told him that he was uneducated. “This was the only thing which moved, for the lips of the oldest did not move as they said: “Street Sweeper.”(1.29). In the novella Anthem the main character receives his job or calling that he will do for the rest of his life (till he’s old). He receives the job of street sweeper because of a punishment for stealing

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

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.

Are you currently bombarded by rules set by your parents or boss’? Imagine all the rules you currently have and then times them by ten! It might seem like it’s hard to imagine but the book Anthem by Ayn Rand takes place in a very controlling city. In the city of Anthem, they have a numerous amount of rules and controls set on the city and the people. Anthem has put multiple rules into action so that everyone is “equal” and there are “less” problems. What the society doesn’t know is that there are problems in Anthem. Equality sees these problems and will not implement them in the world that he envisions.

Imagine living in a world where everybody's lives are completely mapped out by the government. Where every decision is made without the input of the citizens it affects. In the novella Anthem, Ayn Rand depicts a completely collectivist society, where every idea, action, and invention is purely for the benefit of society as a whole. Everything is done with the entire population in mind, and individuality is extremely frowned upon. However, when the story's protagonist, Equality, makes a huge scientific discovery, his intentions are more selfish than that.

Equality is something people want till people actually have it. Equality often limits a person’s abilities and disables to do something for themselves or inspire themselves. Equality's, the main character in the book Anthem, the primary motivation is proving that he is smart enough to become a scholar. Equality has a right to be motivated in this way since he believes that he can help the society so he is giving into the collectivism. I think that if everyone was motivated in this way, there would be a more progressive society where people sought to improve themselves and society at the same time.

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

Unlike during the Unmentionable Times, when men created “towers [that] rose to the sky,” it is an

The book takes place during a future date that is unspecified and has entered a dark age. Advancements in technology has been planned out carefully and individuality is completely eliminated. Themes that occur in the novel are individuality, martyrdom value, collective impotence, and component of identity of the original creation. Freedom is for everyone. In the Declaration of Independence everyone is given equal rights and this is showed in the novel because everyone does not have more or less. Equality is so important because it makes people of all cultures and races comfortable. Race should not be a reason why a person is judged differently. Acceptance is a major part to this, respect yourself, ideas, and beliefs, but also everyone else. Others have to tolerated by everyone. The book tells everyone is equal by saying “No matter what you do you will always stay the same” (Rand 18). The society in Anthem is based off equality and it is the reason for equal rights. The authors expressed the importance of this by saying “Entire life is based around the existence of their brothers and the council, making not time for themselves. For men may wish nothing for themselves” (24). Everyone needs time for themself in life to find their passion and who they really are. When everyone is blending or focused on fitting in they lose that. The law says that “Men may not think of women, save at the time of mating. Children

Throughout their lives, the residents of the society described in Anthem, written by Ayn Rand, would be separated and meticulously moved according to their ages, gender, and jobs. The most prevalent example of this is the separation of the ages. The collective society in Anthem chose to meet the demands that came with the issue of aging by creating a very controlled and organized environment for the citizens to live in. “We remember the Home of Infants where we lived till we were five years old, together with all the children of the City who had been born in the same year,” Equality reminisces about his first childhood home (20). Once a child reaches the age of five, they move to the Home of the Students, where

The differences between Equality, a hero of individuality and freedom, and Crowley, a demon straight from Hell, are as antonymic as one would suspect. Equality, from Anthem by Ayn Rand, is a heroic protagonist facing off against forces that wish to crush his individuality, forcing him towards a collective “We”. Crowley, a major protagonist in Good Omens, written by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett, is about as similar to Equality as fast is to slow, only sharing the least tangential of connections. Equality constantly grows as a hero for individuality throughout Anthem, with Anthem ending as he starts to spread this “new” way of thinking to others. Crowley’s main goal in Good Omens is to halt the incoming apocalypse, constantly growing as a person while doing so. While Equality and Crowley have many contrasting qualities, and few concurrent qualities, only one of each has been debated below.

Council of Elders. even if they were to be good or bad at the job they must work at the assigned job. Equality got the street sweeper job assigned to him because he stood out, and he got a job that was very low because the Council of Elders didn’t like that he was smarter (25-26). In the Anthem society citizens do not know who their parents are and they cannot see them because they'll be placed in the Home of Infants where they will be raised, and taught the rules of the society. Lastly, citizens in the Anthem society who were to sin, and say the word “I” are to be executed for breaking the rules of the society. This shows how much the society has changed since the Great