Oppression The oppression used in the novel “ ANTHEM”, Ayn Rand demonstrates that you should always follow your goals no matter the obstacles along the way. The main character “Equality 7-2521” decides to do a sequence of events even if the actions taken are against the government. The decisions taken by Equality 7-2521 at the beginning of the novel affects his life at the end of the novel in a positive way. The main character went through many obstacles to achieve happiness. Rand uses imagery and diction to convey the oppression of her novel “ANTHEMS” setting, which conveys to the reader the theme that “Speaking your mind and following your true desires bring happiness.”
Ayn Rand uses imagery to describe the repressive society and explains
“Anthem” – one of writing authors Ayn Rand, shows her at her most vicious, hungry, and ambitious reading personality not only as a writer, but as a storyteller as well. The classic hit novel “Anthem” is the predecessor to Ayn Rands later books and storytelling works such as “The Fountainhead” and “Atlas Shrugged”, often tackles controversial themes that are still prevalent within modern America today, such as Family & Love. The grandeur novel “Anthem” is a reflection of such topics, all whilst being told with almost an aura of mystery within the novels plotline / storyline. “Anthem’s” take on things such as individuality and self discovery along with universal, self serving terms such as “I” & the word “We” are the key factors in helping differinciate this author Ayn Rand from other authors that write and compse the same genre of literature as Ayn Rand. Anyways, please allow for me to introduce you to the under the surface, deeper themes expressed in the classic debut novel, Ayn Rands “Anthem”
The novel of Anthem, written by Ayn Rand, contributes to controversial subjects in society that are still relevant today. Some issues addressed by Rand in her novel include: equality, social hierarchy, individuality, and government. Throughout the duration of reading Anthem the issues in which Rand makes relevant are not obvious, but more so discussed through conflicts and situations that the main character, Equality 7-2521, encounters. Although many of the altercations that present social issues are provided by either other characters singlehandedly or by a group of the characters in alliance, some of the main issues that arise in this novel are presented within the main character himself.
In Equality’s society of Anthem by Ayn Rand, they have many rules and controls, or regulations. They have the rules in place so everyone is the same. The Council doesn’t want anyone to be different, or to have different thoughts. Equality’s new society may have no rules from the old society because he encourages differences, he hated the old society’s rules, and he knows what it means to be an outcast.
In this paper, I will be talking about the book called Anthem by Ayn Rand. I will be talking about characters such as protagonists and antagonists and how some characters impacted the story. I will talk about the setting, conflicts, and the plot of the story. I will also talk about literary devices such as point of view, symbolism, mood, tone, and theme.
In the novel Anthem, by Ayn Rand, the theme of female inferiority is shown throughout the novel. Rand has been known to portray women as obedient and submissive to men in most of her novels. In Anthem Rand shows how women are inferior to men by; showing that a woman’s highest priority is to follow a man, that men can eliminate and redetermine a woman’s identity, and that women are only there to fit the needs of a man.
In the book Anthem by Ayn Rand, nature is portrayed as a safe haven, and it is something that Equality can experience without thinking twice. Nature is an escape, a place to be you, a place to be unique. Everything in the society is sheltered and unknown, Equality describes nature in a different way than he described anything else in the book. There is a sense of relief, and it is like Equality lets his guard down and is free to be himself for a short amount of time as he describes nature. Equality describes the sky with great detail. He explains the three different colors of the sky at three different times of the day. “The sky is green and cold in our windows to the east” (Rand 27). He pays great attention to detail and the vivid colors and the way the sky looks at various times. Equality feels a sense of relief throughout the book through nature. Individuality is
Set in a dystopian society in the future, the novella Anthem written by Ayn Rand is all about being a collective society which doesn’t believe in individualism. Ayn Rand constructs a society in which individualism is a transgression. The government enforces the idea of collectivism to the society. They believe that in the human race each person is not single. The protagonist, Equality 7-2521 wants to be an independent person. He wants to be free. As stated in the novel, “To be free, a man must be free of his brothers.” This statement means that in order to be successful, he has to be his own person. As the novel goes on Equality 7-2521 learns to be an independent man and frees himself from the society which forces collectivism.
Anthem is a short dystopian fiction novel written by Ayn Rand. It was published 79 years in 1938 in England. The setting of the novel starts off in a dark tunnel. As we get further in the book we learn that the story takes place in an undetermined point in the future in a City that’s not specified. The main character, Equality 7-2521, narrates his thoughts to the reader throughout the whole book. He feels guilty because he’s breaking the laws by writing down his thoughts but feels it is necessary. It is forbidden for the people to have their own thoughts or do anything by themselves. A long time ago, there was something called the Great Rebirth. After that happened, society started to refer to themselves as “we” and lost the word “I”,
Ayn Rand's Anthem shows us her view of our world united under what seems to be communist rule. For example their view of right and wrong; which Anthem portrays is a system of very strict rules which mainly make sure that everyone is involved in a collective role within the society in this system no one is considered an individual or that they can even think as an individual.
brought them for a civilization where the word ?I? did not exist to a world
“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 individual. “The novel describes the efforts of the main character, Equality 7-2521, to reestablish a sense of personal identity and restore the knowledge of the past by objective scientific inquiry. In doing so, he must face many dangers and privations” (Anthem). Anthem is a dairy of the Equality
Anthem by Ayn Rand In the book Anthem, by Ayn Rand, it talks about individuality which could be the key to happiness and freedom. Equality ran away from the society to find freedom and happiness because the society he lives in controls his life. He wanted to be free and happy so he ran away and found a tunnel that no one knows about.
Ayn Rand, the author of Anthem, states, “The mind is an attribute of an individual. There is no such thing as a collective brain.” This statement means Ayn believes highly in individualism. Individualism is a belief in the freedom of action of individuals. Ayn Rand’s theme of individualism is not a sin is developed and supported in many of her works such as Anthem through the characters, Equality 7-2521 and Liberty 5-3000, and their actions.
Ayn Rand’s fiction novella about a post-apocalyptic collectivist society uses imagery of light to convey the theme of Individuality. An important part of the story is when Equality 7-2521 harnessed electricity. Equality 7-2521 makes the electric light without anyone else, while in an underground passage, with the only light sparkling in the dark: “…in that moment nothing existed save our two hands over a wire glowing in a black abyss.”(Rand, 1961) Equality 7-2521 is the only person in his dreadful society to think of things other than what he is supposed to. He is the embodiment of individuality in “Anthem”. He struggled throughout the book with doing things by himself, and is accused of it while confronting the world council of scholars. When
In life, you are born into societies where various ideas or things are thought to be normal and the customs are already established. The novel Anthem by Ayn Rand has many themes, but what I believe the theme of the novel is, to think for yourself. To think for yourself means to make your own decisions and opinions, without depending on other people. I also think that if you are going to think for yourself you can’t worry about what other people will think of what you believe in. Whether you believe that you should only have school a few days a week or you believe in a certain god, no person should feel ashamed for what they believe in. In today’s society and in the society of Anthem, people don’t think for themselves and they just follow people blindly. In the media, today we see what celebrities are saying, who they like, who they dislike, what they use, what they endorse, and we follow them because we want to be like them. Sometimes you don’t realize that you’re not thinking for yourself, but not being able to think for yourself can make you miserable and that is what Equality 7-2521 realized in Anthem.