The Theme Of Ego In Ayn Rand's Anthem

In the reading “Anthem” author Ayn Rand protests objectivism and individualism from a world based off of collectivism. The story is based in the future, however the society in the novella goes back to the old ways of living due to the Unmentionable times. The fictional yet a psychological view of Communist Russia, which the author is from, tell a story about a character Equality 7-2521 quest in finding his individuality in a world of Dystopia. During his quest the main character finds love, the villain prevails, and helps the innocent youth. Equality 7-2521 is the hero of the novel because of his differences in the society and his quest in the novel.

In Ayn Rand’s book Anthem, the main character Equality finally learns the word “I.” He finally begins to think for himself after years of living in a society where the word “I” was banned. The people in the society that Equality lived in could never think of themselves, but could only think of what would benefit everyone. In an excerpt of a novel titled The Fountainhead by Ayn Rand, she talks about individualism versus collectivism. Anthem deals with this topic as well.

Throughout Ayn Rand’s novel Anthem, numerous objects and occurrences symbolize much more than what they are presented as. Of the more obvious symbols, light has the largest impact on the course of the story. The most important instance of light centers around Equality 7-2521’s re-invention of the light bulb. Rand uses light to provide a religious, mythic feeling to the acts of Equality 7-2521 and how he symbolizes light himself. In a society where all men and women are one equal and single minded being; Equality 7-2521 becomes the lone source of individuality and a beacon of light to the people of this oppressed civilization.

Anthem is a battle between a man’s longing for independence and the controlling society he lives in. In Ayn Rand’s 1937 novel Anthem, we are introduced to a dystopian society based in the future in a city in an undefined location. Ayn Rand wrote this novel after living in Russia during the communist era during the 1920s. She escaped this society in 1926 and became a writer in America. Her battle against communism affected her as an author and inspired her writing in Anthem.

The Paragon of Freedom Equality is something strived for by society, to liberate ourselves of oppression and be ourselves unconditionally. But, equality cannot be achieved by the oppression of others, it will only cause others to retaliate or resist. This can be seen in Ayn Rand’s novella Anthem, where she depicts this exactly, the protagonist, Equality, is a young man who has been assigned the job of a street sweeper by his society. Equality has grown up being wrongly taught that the individual is subordinate to the whole society, therefore being oppressed by a collectivist society; due to his inquisitive nature, sense of self, and desire for self-improvement, he is able to break free and practice individualism rather than the oppression he faced during his time in collectivist society.

Knowledge can be a lot of things in life and these two books happen to have the exact same meanings of it and almost the exact type of a situation that they are in is the same in each book. In Anthem knowledge happens when Equality is alone and creates something and in Fahrenheit 451 Montag is alone with his mother and rediscovering himself when the power went out. They are also the same when they are away from society and away from all the vibes that come off of the people in those society, so knowledge can come out. In the end, I never thought that these two books would have the same symbol, but I learned that they do and I learned more about how knowledge come to

Such is the nature of achievement.” Egoism and individualism go hand and hand, individualism helps egoism by helping the individual gain independence and egoism helps individualism by helping the individual gain self-interest. By gaining independence, Prometheus or Equality, created his first invention which was electricity and by gaining self-interest he was able to conduct it and finish it. After he admired his finished project, his immediate thought was to show it to the World Council at the Home Of the Scholars at their annual meeting. To help his brotherhood

This mistake removed the thoughts and actions of individuals, which is what allows a society to flourish. While the city in Ayn Rand’s novella uses a complex system of laws and government controls in hope of suppressing ego, they ultimately fail due to the fact that there will always be someone whose ego cannot be suppressed, which is why the society that Equality 7-2521’s has envisioned creating would include none of these rules. Anthem’s community removes individuality and in its place instates a sense of togetherness and collectivism in an attempt to eradicate ego. First, the assault on the individualistic nature of mankind is overwhelming evident in the moss-strewn marble engraving above 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" (19).

As soon as he discovers electric lighting, he writes in his journal, “We can light our tunnel, and the City, and all the Cities of the world with nothing save metal and wires. We can give our brothers a new light, cleaner and brighter, than any they have ever known.” (Rand 60). Equality’s selflessness is exemplified when he wishes to share his light, one he believes he’s created and tamed by himself, for the betterment of the world. Throughout Anthem, Equality helps others and wishes to share his knowledge to others.

Utopias converting into Dystopias Rules are going to exist no matter what world you live in, Dystopian worlds have their own laws which doesn't make them good but utopian worlds. A world without rules, a dystopian or utopian world? Does having rules make a society an equitable place to live? having order in your society only makes the place more organized In the book “Anthem” by Ayn Rand , the narrator named Equality 7-2521 describes the place where “they” live in a very strict place. The narrator as you may see doesn't have a proper name and only uses the pronouns, they , we, and them.

In fact, despite living in this regimented society, he seeks individuality, suffers for his idealism, and comes of age despite disillusionment. Equality possesses an inner quality that causes him to seek individuality. To begin, seeking individuality is forbidden in his society, so he is forced

Intelligence. Something that Equality 7-2521 has a great deal of. Ayn Rand, the author of Anthem, suggests that Equality 7-2521 knows that he is too intelligent to be a street sweeper, and he tries to prove his intelligence through his experiments so he can be “willed” into the Home of the Scholars. She shows this through his time in the Home of the Students when Equality is punished for his quick head, his love for learning, and the idea of learning, and when he escapes to the tunnel to work on his invention. Equality knows he is intelligent when he is punished in the Home of the Students because of his quick head.

There are many examples of irony in Anthem that the author uses to carry the plot and deepen the story and an example of irony that some people don't get until later in the book is the idea of "we". Therefore it is ironic that a person wouldn't know the word for one's self. The definition of irony is "the expression of one's meaning by using language that normally signifies the opposite, typically for humorous or emphatic effect. " The use of we is to really push the idea that Equality 7-2521 only thinks as a group. This example is dramatic irony because the readers of Anthem know that Equality 7-2521 is an individual yet still calls himself "we".

“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).

Anthem by Ayn Rand is about a young boy named Equality 7-2521, age 21. Who had recreated electricity, and wanted to show the council to get himself into the home of the scholars. He terrified them all and ran off into the uncharted forest. Where he sees a house full of books. It all finally leads him to believe that you are not free, if you’re not free of your brothers.