ipl-logo

The Pressure Of Conformity In Ayn Rand's Anthem: Equality

520 Words3 Pages

The heroes, leaders, doctors, writers, teachers, inventors and everyone virtuous in our world exist with an ego allowing for their creation and achievement. Yet, those who are vain and take pride in themselves are shunned in modern day society. To be fully humble and willing to serve others at the drop of a dime is nearly impossible, nor desirable. So why does society have the tendency to teach selfless behaviours, when everything good on earth has come out of pride? Thomas Edison created the light bulb with dignity, knowing his invention would better mankind, exactly as Equality from Anthem did. Furthermore, Ray Land creates all of her characters this way, portraying her bias towards the greatness of objectivism. Her novels indicate how vital self-centered people are to our world for their own success and everyone else’s. The pressures of conformity in …show more content…

The extreme collectivist community potrayed shows the polar opposite of egoism. Equality immediately gets set appart by his intellectual abilities leading to his substantial discoveries. Evidently his ideas are rejected and he’s shunned for his intelligence and creativity. Nevertheless, this is for the better, for it is then that he perhaps has his greatest thought: “To be free a man must be free of his brothers. That is freedom. This is nothing else.” (Rand, 101) All along he knew his happiness came from being alone, yet it wasn’t till now he realized the great burden of constantly serving others. His great epiphany derived the question, “What is my life, if I am but to bow, to agree and obey?” (Rand, 97) At this point he realizes his curse of exising as inquisive is actually his “greatest virtue.” (Rand) The thought of existing for others becomes repelling and Equality instead makes his goal to fight for the freedom on man and for the welfare that comes from

Show More
Related

  • Analysis Of Ayn Rand's Anthem

    234 Words  | 1 Pages

    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

    Read More

  • Comparing Ayn Rand's Anthem And Their Society

    204 Words  | 1 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • Equality And Ambition In Ayn Rand's Anthem

    1196 Words  | 5 Pages

    Unlike during the Unmentionable Times, when men created “towers [that] rose to the sky,” it is an affliction to be born with powerful intellectual capacity and ambition in Ayn Rand’s apocalyptic, nameless society in Anthem. Collectivism is ostensibly the moral guidepost for humanity, and any perceived threat to the inflexible, authoritarian regime is met with severe punishment. The attack on mankind’s free will and reason is most evident in the cold marble engraving in the Palace of the World Council: “We are one in all and all in one. There are no men but only the great WE, One, indivisible and forever” (6). Societal norms force homogeneity and sacrifice among all people.

    Read More

  • The Theme Of Equality 7-2521 In Ayn Rand's Anthem

    1200 Words  | 5 Pages

    In Anthem by Ayn Rand we follow Equality 7-2521 as he goes against social customs to rediscover electricity. He knows that this is a sin because he is merely a street sweeper and isn’t worthy of being a scholar. Equality 7-2521 commits other sins as well, he shows favor towards International 4-8818 and Liberty 5-3000 even naming her the Golden One. After showing his rediscover to the World Council, Equality 7-2521 is disregarded for only the scholars are worthy of innovation. Before he can be fatally punished Equality 7-2521 flees into the Uncharted Forest, and is saddened because he knows that he will never see the Golden One again but also thankful for she deserves better than the Damned.

    Read More

  • Equality In Ayn Rand's Anthem

    198 Words  | 1 Pages

    Equality finds a tunnel that he thinks is from the “unmentionable times” is his society while he was street sweeping. He goes down in it and finds smooth hard surfaces which I inferred to be glass, in Anthem all objects are raw materials so it is not possible for there to be glass unless the council was hiding the tunnel so no one could find it. He returns to the house of street sweepers late and the council asks where he has been. He refuses to tell them so he gets taken somewhere by the council and they try to whip the information out of him. “ A grill, a grill, a grill” Equality says.

    Read More

  • Summary Of Individuality In Ayn Rand's Anthem

    1128 Words  | 5 Pages

    For Liberty is so beautiful and “glowing” that she cannot be ignored. It, however, is against the commandments of Equality’s brotherhood to peruse her, as it would unbalance the mutual emotion between all men by creating preference. In a wretched battle of nature vs nurture, Equality finds that despite these regulations, he cannot stop himself from yearning for Liberty, whom serves as “blade of iron” cutting through to the undeniable truth that Equality is a selfish being, generally motivated by his own personal

    Read More

  • Equality In Ayn Rand's 'Anthem'

    913 Words  | 4 Pages

    There was one time a teenage boy with the name of juan , juan ever since he was young he would the right thing but once the got to college he got really scared and he started to think if he should go or not . At the end he decided not to go and started to work with his father in the family business. But at time people would ask him why he decided not to go to college and he would say because i was scared. His cousins one day tell him that being scared of new things is normal but at least try and fail but at least you try , you will just need to get better for next time.

    Read More

  • The Theme Of Equality In Ayn Rand's Anthem

    569 Words  | 3 Pages

    Imagine living in a world where you are treated differently because of your born traits and personal preference, and you want freedom and justice but have no power or voice in the world to speak your mind. Equality from Anthem by Ayn Rand, it is a dystopian society told from point of view of Equality. Equality knows there is much more to life than just living and serving for his government and he goes into a journey to find it. Anthem establishes a theme of freedom and confinement and Equality reaches it with his traits of determination and curiosity. Equality 7-2521 keeps on going against his government and breaking the rules even though he knows the consequences are awful he continues with his positive state of mind for him and his people of the dystopian society.

    Read More

  • Theme Of Equality In Ayn Rand's Anthem

    1094 Words  | 5 Pages

    Since 1848 when The Communist Manifesto by Karl Marx was published growing questions about whether a communist or globalist society could work were asked. With many theories and attempts to make a perfect society, it has never been done ,but in fiction it has worked out such as in the television series Star Trek. Likewise communism does not always work well in fiction leaving the people poor or mistreated. Such as in the novel Anthem by Ayn Rand which tells the tale of an oppressive communist society that uses its government to keep everyone equal. The society in Anthem has all its rules and controls for the purpose of keeping an artificial sense of true equality ,and by the end of the story Equality would go the opposite route in not having

    Read More

  • Theme Of Equality In Ayn Rand's Anthem

    977 Words  | 4 Pages

    In society today, the meaning of equality is much different than it is depicted in Ayn Rand’s novel Anthem. Today, the word ‘equality’ means to treat everyone the exact same way to keep the fairness between all individuals. In Anthem, equality means everyone is one, no one is placed above the other. Everyone’s needs are cared for as a group, not individually. With that vision of equality in a collectivist society, words that demonstrate ‘selfishness’ have vanished, like ‘I’.

    Read More

  • Influence Of Equality On The Path Of Freedom In Anthem By Ayn Rand

    940 Words  | 4 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • Individual Rights And Freedom In Ayn Rand's Anthem

    749 Words  | 3 Pages

    We alone. Our hands. Our mind. Ours alone and only ours” (59) In this statement Equality takes all the credit for his new invention and says that the invention was made alone.

    Read More

  • Equality 7-2521: An Epic Hero In Ayn Rand's Anthem

    529 Words  | 3 Pages

    “We are one in all and all in one. There are no men but only the great WE, One, indivisible and forever” (Rand 19). How can an individual be a hero in a collectivist society? In The Anthem, a novella by Ayn Rand, the protagonist, Equality 7-2521 is portrayed as an archetypal epic hero. Equality 7-2521 exhibits the characteristics of an epic hero because he is capable of great deeds, he has a nemesis, and he experiences an event that leads to a quest.

    Read More

  • Losing Individuality In Ayn Rand's Anthem

    530 Words  | 3 Pages

    How could losing individuality affect a society? The novel Anthem by Ayn Rand is about a guy named Equality 7-2521 who is trying to find himself in a society where everything is controlled and different. Later, he finds himself even though he will have to go through many obstacles to get there. The process behind losing individuality in an Anthem’s society are in forcing strict laws, brain washing of their citizens, and removing of family. The Anthem society in forcing of strict laws made it easy for everyone to lose their individuality.

    Read More

  • Collectivism And Selfishness In Ayn Rand's Anthem

    594 Words  | 3 Pages

    But while Equality's outlooks aren't necessarily bad, there still needs to be balance. If everyone thought only about themselves, society would crumble. People have to rely on each other to an extent, and total selfishness would prevent this. That being said, someone can have selfish moments while still being a good person and caring for others. There doesn't have to be polar opposites when it comes to selfishness versus selflessness.

    Read More

More about The Pressure Of Conformity In Ayn Rand's Anthem: Equality

Open Document