Individualism In Ayn Rand's Anthem

Words: 1011
Pages: 5
Open Document
By the time 1938 rolled around, Ayn Rand was well at work with her newest production of the well-known novel Anthem. Through its dark and realistic view of mankind entering a new world of individualism, the story still catches the attention of readers today. Anthem, solely based on a young man seeking curiosity, shows how a strict society that is close minded about changing its ways can take an effect on those who live within it. Equality 7-2521, the young man himself never failed to follow the rules of his community, but sought great interest in breaking through the borders that this nation has built. Throughout the adventures Equality and his community go through, as well as his personal attributes, ideas, and findings, the reader is shown …show more content…
In Anthem, there is an obvious message that the people there don’t know anything else but what society has taught them. Each and every day, people are given a routine of things to do, and these activities never change. For example, jobs. When the Council assigns you to a job, your life task is to work in that field every day of your life until you die and nothing will ever be changed. “Now if the Council has said “Carpenter” or “Cook,” the Students so assigned go to work and they do not study and further.” (25) Through this quote from Equality 7-2521, it is shown that he and all around him know exactly what their daily schedule will look like. The topic of individualism is not something that is mentioned often in the book, but Equality seek to find it. You will find that within their society, people like Equality 7-2125, Liberty 5-3000, International 4-8818, and Union 5-3992 refer to themselves in the first person; i.e. “we” and “us.” The reason for this is because the nation they live in is only based on the point that everyone is the same. “We are six feet tall, and …show more content…
He bears a jealous attitude, but is curious and mildly independent. Towards the beginning of Anthem, Equality was unsure of what society had offered to him. In this I mean he wasn’t too accepting of the rules and schedule each person must follow. Living in a world of collectivism, he never felt as if he was given the same opportunities as others. “We were born with a curse. It has always driven us to thoughts which are forbidden. It has always given us wishes which men many not wish. We know that we are evil, but there is no will in us and no power to resist it.” (18) Because Equality is 6 feet tall, he is placed in an area with those of equal traits as him, whether he agrees to it or not. Equality also portrays a curious personality. He is interested in mostly everything he comes across, such as places, vocations, and the opposite gender. One day Equality comes across Liberty 5-3000, a young lady who he seeks interest in. Curiously examining her as he often tends to do, he names her the Golden One. “Yet we call them the Golden One, for they are not like the others. The Golden One are not like the others.” (41) Equality’s curiosity is what drives him into the world of individualism. If it weren’t for his analytical demeanor, he would have never broken the walls of collectivism from his society. This leads to him being
Show More

Related Documents: Individualism In Ayn Rand's Anthem

Individualism In Ayn Rand's Anthem

fictional world that encompasses the novel Anthem, written by Ayn Rand in 1937, is written about a communist world where the government controls everyone and everything. The communist government that Ayn wrote about was due to her knowing first-hand how terrible communism can be; she wanted to show the horrendous events that could transpire if our country adapted to communist ideas. Ayn Rand’s ideas of communism are directly articulated in her novel. Ayn and her family lived under a communist government…

Words 687 - Pages 3

Individualism In Ayn Rand's Anthem

Everyone changes either if they are forced to or it just happens, but it is never allowed in the society of the book Anthem. If nobody thinks the same as you it is not true, and you are a disgrace if you think otherwise, at least that’s how it is in the novel Anthem. These changes when Equality 7-2521 takes a stand and finds the true meaning of individualism with the help of a few people along the way. Assuming the Transgressor of the unspeakable word never looked at him, he would had never thought…

Words 806 - Pages 4

Individualism In Ayn Rand's Anthem

controlled : what your job is, what you can and cannot say, whom you have children with, how smart you can be, everything is controlled. That world is the world Ayn Rand portrays in Anthem. The society in Anthem, compared to our society is very different from ours. In our society individualism can be seen everywhere, in the novella Anthem individualism is frowned upon. Everything is controlled and that needs to change. This is when Equality 7-2521 plays the biggest role. He envisions a society where individuality…

Words 569 - Pages 3

Individualism In Ayn Rand's Anthem '

Title: Anthem essay (not choosing a prompt) The society depicted in "Anthem" thrives on conformity and uniformity, suppressing the uniqueness of individuals in the pursuit of an idealized collective identity. Equality, designated with a number instead of a name, reflects the dehumanizing effects of such a system. Struggling against the constraints of collectivism, Equality begins to question the purpose of sacrificing individual potential for the sake of societal unity. The story starts to unfold…

Words 312 - Pages 2

Individualism In Ayn Rand's Anthem

“Anthem” was written by Ayn Rand (Alisa Zinov'yevna Rosenbaum), who was born in Saint Petersburg, Russia the year of 1905. During this time period, the Russians were under the strict rule of communism. Although Ayn Rand had relocated to the United States years later, she had understood the severe desperation that came with wanting to have individual freedom. As Ayn Rand wrote in “Anthem”, Equality 7-2521 is the envisionment of her real-life desperation to obtain true individualism during those difficult…

Words 602 - Pages 3

Selfishness And Individualism In Ayn Rand's Anthem

Anthem is a fictional work written by the célèbre philosopher and author, Ayn Rand. In the story, the protagonist, a boy named Equality 7-2521, begins to question the utopian community built around him, an action triggered by the accidental discovery of knowledge kept from him. Rand is characteristic for her depiction of communism through her writing, considering she reflects her own negative personal experiences with that particular governing system. The proposition or focal point of Anthem is interrelated…

Words 1089 - Pages 5

The Role Of Individualism In Ayn Rand's Anthem

new sacred idea, all individuality was lost. The civilization in Ayn Rand’s novella, Anthem, otherwise known as The World Council, believes that any action performed that symbolizes individualism is thought of as a sin. If someone were to grow up with this belief etched into their minds, could they commit a sin and still be thought of as an honorable man? If so, would this man think anything less of himself? In the novella, Anthem, Ayn Rand proves Equality 7-2521’s eventual moral assessment…

Words 904 - Pages 4

Collectivism Vs. Individualism In Ayn Rand's Anthem

Anthem "We are one in all and all in one. There are no men but only the great WE, One, indivisible and forever” (19). This shows the ideal case of collectivism; thinking and acting as one mind, instead of individually. Ayn Rand’s book Anthem showcases the differences between collectivism and individualism. It starts off displaying an extreme case of collectivism and shows how nobody has their own name and cannot use words such as “I” or “me”, but only “we” and “them”. Throughout the book, the main…

Words 1001 - Pages 5

'Change And Individualism In Ayn Rand's Anthem'

remarkable being that the change gradually increased as people began to stop conforming to traditional views. Other people have seen the change such as Ayn Rand who wrote the fiction novel “Anthem” and Mike Rich who wrote the fiction screenplay Finding Forrestor with the main motif in both being change and individualism. As the protagonist in “Anthem” being Equality starts to discover his true meaning he realizes that there must be more to life than just following rules and having freedom. While Finding…

Words 172 - Pages 1

Morality And Individualism In Ayn Rand's Anthem

The thought process of collectivism attempts to navigate the grey areas as a group, thinking only of each other and not themselves. The thought process of individualism, however, attempts to navigate the grey areas alone, seeking their own path. In Anthem, Equality must choose his path to navigate through his society. In the novella, Anthem, Ayn Rand uses morality and rationalism to show Equality’s…

Words 331 - Pages 2