Grade 10 English, Period 4
February 20, 2013
Anthem Contest Essay As Prometheus says, “To be free, a man must be free of his brothers.” In Ayn Rand’s novel, Anthem, a man struggles to become free and to fight the masses of conformity. Throughout the novel, the story shows human nature and the want to gain all the knowledge of his mysterious society. An anthem is a sacred composition set to words from the Bible. This may have significance with the title Rand has given the book by paralleling the story of Prometheus and Gaea to Adam and Eve’s story in the Bible. In the Bible, Adam and Eve were given everything they needed by God with the one exception; not to eat from the sacred tree. They were told by the devil that the tree was the tree of knowledge and to eat from it, would give them knowledge equal to God’s. Similar to the story, Prometheus and Gaea are told they have everything they will ever need or desire by the council. They are forbidden to gain knowledge that is not permitted by the council but only to do as they are told. Adam and Eve disobeyed God in the pursuit of knowledge and ate from the tree in order to gain equality to God. When Adam and Eve did this, God found out and convicted them and punished them for all eternity. Adam and Eve were no longer given anything as they were in the garden but instead were forced to suffer and survive on their own. In Anthem, Prometheus and Gaea go against the will of the council and Prometheus yearns to gain knowledge that he realizes is being hidden from him. Prometheus hides his studies at first but then wants to share them with the council but is instead condemned. Both Adam and Eve and Prometheus and Gaea are able to obtain the knowledge that they yearn for after they flee from their guilt of disobedience. Prometheus and Eve can be compared to each other as they lead their partner into disobedience and defiance. Adam and Gaea can be compared to each other as they followed and supported their partner. Both couples
