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. Laws and rules are crafted to prevent advancement and preserve elentless uniformity under the guise of moral righteousness. Here we find Equality 7-2521 on the path to self-discovery, struggling to understand the internal conflict he faces—his desire to learn and create against government indoctrination to force stagnation and conformity. Equality possesses gifts despised by the government: intellectual and psychological strength. He aspires to work at the Home of Scholars, where there is some perceived semblance of education and discovery (9). However, knowing Equality possesses talent, the Council of …show more content…
It is no coincidence that nations which rank among the highest in standards of living are also those that have produced by wide margins the most Nobel Laureates and have the most individual freedoms (X). Most of the greatest inventions in modern history have come from free countries and not from tyrannies. For example, the United States, one of the freest nations in history, has produced more Nobel Prize winners than all other nations combined, and those nations run by communist and collectivist societies, such as China and the Middle East, have won just a small fraction
The book “Anthem” by Ayn Rand is revealed as an equal society where individuality has been isolated. It introduces the community and the power the World Council has over everyone. They seem to think that they were born with a curse. They thought this because Equality 7-2521 had been thinking forbidden thoughts for most of his life and he can’t resist them. This is bad because the World Council must strive to keep everyone in the community alike.
This is also represented in Ayn Rand’s book with Equality 7-2521. Equality has the attribute of being born with a great wonder. This causes society to form an outcast of them and lead Equality to discover the substantial and significant power of light. The government is Anthem acts as a Beatty in the way that they try to convince Equality that the light is bad. For example on page 73, the Council of Scholars states “Should it be what they claim of it... by the whim of one."
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.
Through the novel Anthem, Ayn Rand portrays a dystopian world similar to that of George Orwell’s 1984 or Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451. There is an aspect that is prevalent in each of the books and it is the brainwashing of the general population and a government’s absolute power. Each realm uses its own unique way of controlling their citizens, and all of the people either live in fear or ignorance and apathy of the government’s unbridled control. The society in Anthem show no opposition to their captors because of the laws set by the leaders and the dreaded consequences followed by those who stand against it. To start off, the chapter begins with Equality 7-2521 writing and knowing that “It is a sin to think words no others think” (17).
While Equality and Crowley have many contrasting qualities, and few concurrent qualities, only one of each has been debated below. One of the many contrasting qualities of Equality and Crowley is how thoughtful they are of others against how thoughtful they are of themselves. Throughout Anthem, Equality wishes to spread his knowledge to others without
In Anthem, a book, written by Russian author, Ayn Rand, everyone has one rule, to be the same: To be one, as a whole. If they choose to disobey that rule, they are punished, and our main character, Equality 7-2521 did just that. Throughout the book, Equality 7-2521 discovers new things, which others do not know about, such as electricity. Equality 7-2521 also works on a new invention of his that no one has ever done, because it is forbidden.
Upon this realization, Equality denounces the leaders of his society, the Council, on moral terms. “I” believe that his decision to do so is correct as the people in Equality’s society are stripped of their right, and intellectuals are responsible for furthering their society. Equality’s actions parallels
Like when Equality shows his discover the council states “And without the plans of the World Council the sun cannot rise” (74). With that in mind, there is a class system in Anthem making the government being a truly equal society farse told many times by creating higher ups the hold all the power over others. Along with that the council controls the advancements of the world shown with the statement “Many men in the Homes of the Scholars have had strange new ideas in the past,” said Solidarity 8-1164, “but when the majority of their brother Scholars voted against them they abandoned their ideas, as all men must” (73). In light of that quote the council creates a dictatorship of one party rule further planting a sham of an equal society. Finally the council puts themselves above the rest by saying “How dared you.
Anthem provides the ultimate collectivist group possible, the book mainly focuses upon a young main character Equality who only interacts with the societies leaders once. On this occasion it is clear that the ruling leaders prefer to
Sir Francis Bacon declared “Knowledge is power.” Technology and the scientific process allow for knowledge of self, causing an individual to gain personal power. In Ayn Rand’s Anthem, Equality lives in a totalitarian world that has no concept of the individual. The government does not allow for many technological advancements, taking the power of knowledge from the people. By keeping technology from the people and themselves, the government has complete control over the power.
Equality 7-2521 tries to persuade them to listen to him, telling them that he gives them "the power of the sky" and the "key to the earth." The scholars respond, saying, "What is not done collectively cannot be good” (Rand 73). Ayn Rands anthem shows opposition to collectivism through the topics, selflessness, family, and invention One way Ayn Rand shows opposition to collectivism is with selflessness, for example “Men never see their own faces and never ask their brothers about it, for it is evil to have concern for their own faces or bodies” (rand 61). Individuals in the dark ages are not allowed to see their face or bodies because that would reinforce sense of individual self.
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.
The critical flaw in the collective state that Equality capitalizes on to escape lies within its very foundation. Anthem best exemplifies this flaw through Equality’s escape from the Palace of Corrective Detention, as he describes “It was easy to escape the Palace of Corrective Detention. The locks are old on the doors and there are no guards about. There is no reason to have guards, for men have never defied the Councils so far as to escape from whatever place they were ordered to be” (66-67). The Council believes the fallacies it espouses, making it easy for Equality to escape.
The infamous founder of all Apple products once said, “Innovation distinguishes between a leader and a follower.’ In the restrictive cutthroat world shown in the novella, Anthem, citizens are forced from birth to obey every rule no matter the consequence. However, one individual decided to betray the norm. His name is Equality 7-2521. This character has a motivational drive and mindset like no other in his community without a doubt.
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.