

Communist Society In Ayn Rand’s Book, Anthem

1017 words - 5 pages

Final Draft

In Ayn Rand’s book, Anthem displays the struggle of the individual against a government that refuses to recognize the individual’s value, a communist culture. Equality 7-2521 is an intelligent and determined innovator who challenges to violate the rules of his strangling society and discover the forbidden word, the word that changes everything: “Ego”. By discovering this lost word, Equality rediscovers the idea of the individual, and the worth of the individual outside of the collective group of “we”. Ayn Rand names Equality and Liberty, Prometheus and Gaea because they are very similar to those gods. In recognition of his discovery, Equality renames himself after Prometheus and his love, Liberty 5-3000, Gaea, after the epic Greek myths that the two characters so strongly imitate.
Equality has several understandable comparisons to Prometheus. According to Greek mythology, Prometheus brought fire to mankind, which brightened their path and showed man the way toward civilization. “He took the light of the gods and he brought it to all men, and he taught men to be gods.”(Rand, Anthem pg.99). Also, Equality created a light bulb meant to alter his society’s light and power. Equality’s gift of light was created to illuminate mankind’s path and launch a period of invention and discovery, if it was accepted by the Council. “At first, man was enslaved by the gods.”(Rand, Anthem pg.101). Another comparable thing between Equality and Prometheus was their amazing sacrifices made for their values. Before revolutionizing human technology with the gift of fire, Prometheus knew he would suffer, and still he refused to sacrifice his ideals in the face of authority, for his actions, Prometheus was punished by Zeus for all eternity. Equality also knew over his months of research and experimenting that he would be punished severely if discovered, and still he could not stop his quest for knowledge. Even when he brought his invention to the Council and was received with demands for his execution. Equality’s only concern was whether the knowledge it of his invention would be shared and survive. The punishments of Equality and Prometheus show the suffering innovators seeking knowledge and progression must suffer in the face of domination and irrationality. More importantly, Equality 7-2521 is the reasonable equivalent of the great Prometheus from Greek mythology. In the same way that Prometheus brought fire to man, a revolutionary tool that led mankind out of prehistory and toward civilization, Equality brought “ego” back to mankind. In a world where the idea of the individual, and even the word “I”, had been wiped out, Equality’s gift to mankind was just as greatly needed as fire had once been. “Ego” would be the beginning for the new society that Equality planned on building with Liberty and all their friends. A society that celebrates the worth of the individual and man’s entire right to live freely. After the period of scientific failure...

Find Another Essay On Communist Society in Ayn Rand’s book, Anthem

Ayn Rand’s Dystopian Novella Anthem and Its Relevance to Us Today

1151 words - 5 pages The values at risk in Anthem are not merely those of the central luminary; they are the ostensible values of an entire civilization—our own. Our society is founded upon the notion of individual rights; its existence, as Ayn Rand depicts, cannot be conceived on any other grounds. Anthem, Rand’s dystopian novella, is about us, and about what will happen if we do not follow alongside Equality 7-2521 and Liberty 5-3000 in their discovery of the

Aspects of Society in Ayn Rand's "Anthem." Three paragraphs about emotion, recreation, and education

544 words - 2 pages The society in Anthem has chosen to address education by forming houses for children and then sending them off to jobs that their administrators choose for them. The House of the Students is place to which children are sent to at the age of five for learning. In this structure, children learn that, "'We are nothing. Mankind is all'" (21). After the House of Learning, at fifteen years old, the Council of Vocations assigns each child to a specific

Capitalism in Ayn Rand’s Atlas Shrugged

656 words - 3 pages supports capitalistic society. Rand’s central theme suggests unrestrained government economic control threatens society, eventually causing internal destruction. Atlas Shrugged society cannot function due to excessive government economic control. The reasoning for control remains “public good.” Ayn Rand continually reiterates her point economic society can only remain successful in a purely capitalistic society. Rand views the “public good

Objectivism in Ayn Rand's Anthem

1334 words - 6 pages In Ayn Rand’s famous, or in some circles, infamous, story Anthem, the differing ideologies of objectivism and collectivism are pit against each other. With objectivism being so tight knit and different from the society in the book, it seems that it would be almost impossible to truly follow in its entirety. However, Anthem, as a whole, doesn’t violate the ideals of Rand’s philosophy of objectivism. In the beginning of the novella, the reader is

Themes in Ayn Rand's Anthem

2171 words - 9 pages Anthem Themes “My happiness is not the means to any end. It is the end. It is its own goal. It is its own purpose” (Rand, 95). Anthem is written by American author Ayn Rand about Equality 7-2521 on his quest for happiness. The novel is set in an unspecified time and place in the future. Years after human civilization has gone through a deconstruction in which all knowledge was lost and a new society established with no concept of the

Community Identity in Ayn Rand's "Anthem"

1060 words - 4 pages The author of this text is (Ayn Rand) and she has written the book called: “Anthem,” it describes what it is like in a society when all People are not “free” to control themselves. No love or friendship is ever shared between any of the groups of people- no feelings whatsoever. Doing what ever you like as long as it is legal and no one gets hurt makes freedom from living in a

Control in Anthem by Ayn Rand

845 words - 4 pages Throughout history dictators such as Hitler, Mussolini and Kim Jong-Iland have used fear to manipulate thousands, if not millions, of people. Anthem by Ayn Rand explores a dystopian world where man is completely controlled. He complies to every order and demand without hesitation and is wholly satisfied with the way life is because it is all he knows. It is said to fully dominate a man, dictators must not only enslave his body but also destroy

Equality's Role as a Hero in Ayn Rand's Anthem - Essay

809 words - 4 pages For Better or For Worse In Ayn Rand’s Anthem, despite the courageous actions that may depict Equality as a hero-like character, ultimately Equality is motivated by purely selfish reasons and lacks the moral component to being a literary hero. His goal of creating a society that revolves around the individual, his relationship with Liberty, and his abrupt personality change after discovering electricity all illustrate the immoral characteristics

Analysis of Child Raising in Anthem by by Ayn Rand

680 words - 3 pages the opposite of what the dictator wants. If they are left with their parents, they will be taught based on their parents' knowledge. When they learn these things, it will be harder for the dictator to exercise control over the people. Individualism is a doctrine stating that the belief and the needs of each person are more important than the needs of the whole society of the group. Ayn Rand expresses this concept arduously in Anthem

Placing Me Before We in Ayn Rand's Anthem

1133 words - 5 pages Placing Me Before We in Ayn Rand's Anthem   Ayn Rand's classic story of one man's desire to become an individual in a nameless society presents a compelling refutation of collectivism in all forms. The hero, labeled "Equality 7-2521" by the State, chooses to challenge conventional authority as he learns the joys of experimentation and discovery, the ecstasy of human love, the challenge and fairness of liberty, and the happiness of

Ayn Rand´s Anthem: Failure in the Implementation of Marxist Ideals

787 words - 3 pages Ayn Rand, in Anthem, illustrates a futuristic, socialist society. In the novel, Rand destroys any sense of individuality and describes the social setbacks endured after living ‘only for the brotherhood’. The individual person fails to exist and is but a ‘we’ and recognized by a word and a series of numbers rather than a name. Additionally, she describes the horrors encountered within this different system of life: from reproduction methods

Similar Essays

Communist Society In Ayn Rand’s Book, Anthem

1107 words - 5 pages Hr. 1 The book we read in class was called Anthem by Ayn Rand. This book is about a society that is corrupt in many ways. A couple of ways it’s corrupt is because there is no individualism and they are a very slowly moving society. It took them a long time just to make candles, nowadays candles are made very fast and simple. The government has made it so that the progress of technology is slow and not progressing. None of the people in

Collectivism And Children In Ayn Rand’s Anthem

675 words - 3 pages In Ayn Rand’s novella, Anthem, children are often seen living apart from their families. Unfortunately, it’s not their choice, but society is set up such that they are made to live apart. Children are forced to live like this because dictatorial leaders are committed to collectivism. Collectivism is an emphasis on collective rather than individual action or identity. Leaders enforce the separation between parents and children in order to

Collectivism Vs Individualism In Ayn Rand’s Anthem

3140 words - 13 pages 　　Ayn Rand’s Anthem is a politically satirical novel is set in a future society that is so highly collectivized that the word “I” has been banned. The world is governed by various councils who believe that man’s sole reason for existence is to enforce the Great Truth “that all men are one and that there is no will save the will of all men together” (Rand, 20). Any indication of an individual’s independent spirit is swiftly and brutally put down

Book Report Of Anthem By Ayn Rand

780 words - 3 pages Book Report of Anthem by Ayn Rand The book Anthem was written by Ayn Rand and was first published by Signet in 1961. The book was about a boy and a girl trying to find themselves. They do not follow the rules. They do the opposite of what they are supposed to do. Eventually they discover the word I, and live happily ever after. Anthem takes place in a city that is moving backwards instead of forwards. Everybody is born in the Home