Anthem Dialectical Journal Essay

1) “They carried the soldier’s greatest fear, which was the fear of blushing. Men killed, and died, because they were embarrassed not to. It was what had brought them to the war in the first place, nothing positive, no dreams of glory or honor, just to avoid the blush of dishonor. They died so as not to die of embarrassment” (O’Brien 20).

No “I” and no “you”, just “we.” How could we live in a world like that? Ayn Rand’s book shows a twisted and different form of collectivism. Everyone is told what they have to do for the rest of their future. Children are not even allowed to know who their parents are and are never given the chance to meet them. Although, only one shines in the society that no one else may see until now. Equality finds it difficult to find individualism in his life and in the rules of his society. Equality eventually finds individualism in escaping, to a haven of his own, from his odd society. Equality can then find peace with himself and can live in a more individualistic life in his newfound house with “The Golden One” in the forbidden and

"...this place was left from the Unmentionable Times...Hundreds upon hundreds of years ago men knew secrets which we have lost."

The poem’s structure as a sonnet allows the speaker’s feelings of distrust and heartache to gradually manifest themselves as the poem’s plot progresses. Each quatrain develops and intensifies the speaker’s misery, giving the reader a deeper insight into his convoluted emotions. In the first quatrain, the speaker advises his former partner to not be surprised when she “see[s] him holding [his] louring head so low” (2). His refusal to look at her not only highlights his unhappiness but also establishes the gloomy tone of the poem. The speaker then uses the second and third quatrains to justify his remoteness; he explains how he feels betrayed by her and reveals how his distrust has led him

Ayn Rand's novella, Anthem, displays a dystopian and totalitarian society that is in opposition to individualism. As shown in Anthem and many other real and fictionalized totalitarian societies, children live apart from their families. Why? Because dictatorial leaders enforce this living arrangement among the kinsfolk.

There has always been a slight anxiety, a slight fear, of being alone or standing alone. Students rarely want to admit to having an answer different from the rest of their classmates; some people do not want to go somewhere and do something by themselves. Notably, with more shy or anxious people, they will often stick around someone they know, so they will not be alone in the crowd. Although that company might help them make it through those nerve-wracking moments, when is the right time for them to walk alone? Should a person ever walk alone? In Ayn Rand’s Anthem, Equality’s internal conflict of conformity versus individuality plays a role that Equality needs to overcome in order to complete their quest for freedom which helps create

n my mind this means in you can grant someone with freedom, do not worry about getting it yourself you do not deserve it. These two stories affected me because I value having my freedom. All the similarities and differences are related to the way the society runs and it’s lack of freedom. Within this essay, I am going to tell you about how the book Anthem and the movie The Island are similar and different.

Washington reminds the Americans the importance of remaining united. He addresses the citizens by proclaiming, “The name of American, which belongs to you in your national capacity, must always exalt the just pride of Patriotism, more than any appellation derived from local discriminations (21).” He continues by acknowledging the achievement of independence and liberty was due to working together as one. Therefore, Americans, as a unified nation should guard and preserve the union of the nation. He is talking about citizens of the United States, whether naturalized or by birth, should put America above all. And that the very name, American, should conjure up strong patriotism. This new nationalistic uprising in the United States has come with a price - a huge increase of hate crimes under the guise of nationalism and the “Make America Great Again” slogan from the current presidential administration.

Anthem is about a man named Equality 7-2521 who finds a subway underneath his corrupt city to learn. While he is down there he discovers the power of electricity and figures out how to use it. When he tries to show his city they punished him and he ran away with The “Golden One” and found a home which they wished to start a new life, but Equality found out to understand the word ” I” and finds out the truth behind the “Utopia” he lived in for all his life. Anyone who is different gets punished. The City has so many rules and controls because they are there to keep the people unaware of the truth, to keep people down a certain path and to keep their “Utopia” a great place and Equality would have many rules and controls.

Life has fared well since Gaea and I have lived in this house. There are now others in houses surrounding us. These are my friends that I returned to rescue, International 4-8818 being one of them. He is now called Apollo. We are happy here, all of us. The others are learning, albeit rather slowly, yet they learn to say I instead of we. It is my hope that, before my first child is born, they will all say I so that he or she may only know this and not the cursed we.

     As one reads Ayn Rand’s significant quotes from the story of anthem, there is always a main theme that is trying to escape, just as Prometheus escaped in her story. All three of the listed quotes work as a trio to sing that We; as society, works to defeat individuality. The quotes emphasize that we cannot survive without individualism and being alone brings out our unique personalities. It is true that all the quotes work as one, but at the same time they have their own individualism. Each quote holds a purpose of its own and the author wants to express the quote to each persons understanding.

“It is a sin to write this. It is a sin to think words no others think and to put them down upon a paper no others are to see. It is base and evil… We have broken the laws” (17). Thus begins Anthem by Ayn Rand, a novella about a future collectivist society and a man named Equality 7-2521. Though the story takes place in the future, all technology that came after candles and glass has been taken away. The word “I” has ceased to exist in anyone’s vocabulary. Every person must agree on everything and feel like everyone else. To accomplish ‘cleansing’ the evils of mankind, society lead its people to believe that nothing can be done independently. The story is told through the eyes of Equality as he purposely defies the laws

“E pluribus unum - Out of many, one.” Coined by Virgil, this renowned statement was incorporated into United States history by Thomas Jeffers0n, who jointly wrote the Declaration of Independence. Such a statement represents an overcoming of political, social, and economic discord and the confluence of disparity in America today—a melting pot. However, the road to achieving this sense of unity was tumultuous and challenging, especially with the threat of dissonance amidst the plethora of mingling immigrants and political factions. Nonetheless, America has sustained the principles established in the Declaration of Independence and has successfully endured the chaos of countless conflicts and overwhelming political chaos to emerge as One Nation, under God, Indivisible, with Liberty and Justice for All, as demonstrated by its triumphs over sectional disagreements, injustices to liberty, and eventual freedom for minorities such as women and slaves.

The story of Anthem takes place in dystopian future in which freedom and human rights have been obliterated. Equality 7-2521, the protagonist, is a street sweeper who finds a tunnel where he conducts his science experiments which are considered a sin. Throughout the book we see him change and discover how capable he is through a multitude of literary devices. In the novella , Anthem, Ayn Rand utilizes vivid imagery and a profusion of diction to frenetically emphasize the idea of love.

Furthermore, there are divisions within the eight chapters of the book – at least three among them all – that serve Barclay’s motive of not messing all the incidents and stories up, thereby being favourable for any reader since it’s one particular time period that the author is always talking about instead of a