Anthem Rhetorical Analysis

Moral Assessment of Anthem
In Ayn Rand’s novel, Anthem, Equality lives in a communist society that believes everyone must work for and be exactly like one another. For much of the novel, he believes what the Council of Vocations tells him, despite his intelligence and independence. By the end of the book, he realizes that the idea that everyone is the same and must work for each other is flawed. He deserves to live his own life and enjoy himself. Equality’s beliefs involving happiness - “It is the end. It is its own goal. It is its own purpose” (95) - is correct. This is because the Council tries to eradicate human nature and replace it with a basic persona for everyone, which results in a limited mindset that does not allow them to see …show more content…
This does not work because you cannot eliminate instinct. For example, Equality informs us that “Men never see their own faces and never ask their brothers about it, for it is evil to have concern for their own faces or bodies. But tonight, for a reason we cannot fathom, we wish it were possible to us to know the likeness of our own person” (62). Everyone looks at themselves in mirrors, it’s completely reasonable and natural. But in Anthem, the Council tries to abolish ego because it establishes the individual; they might care for themselves more than the group. Equality wishes to see if he looks like everyone else (the normal, conforming people) and he wants to appreciate his unique features. Therefore, no matter how hard the council tries, they cannot stop human vanity. Secondly, the government is …show more content…
This system is faulty because one cannot control someone else’s skill. Equality confesses to his journal, “We looked upon Union 5-3992, who were a pale boy with only half a brain, and we tried to say and do as they did, that we might be like them, like Union 5-3992, but somehow the Teachers knew that we were not” (21-22). One cannot force oneself to be less capable. No matter how hard he tries, Equality will always be intelligent, as Union will always be mentally challenged. For this reason, the council is wrong. Equality’s intelligence is positive; he recreates electricity and intends to make the world a better

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