First we have to understand why the rules in the society that already exists are there. The society Equality lives most of his life in is constantly afraid of
When one reads even the first paragraph of Ayn Rand’s “Anthem”, it is difficult to not immediately draw a connection to the multiple communist regimes throughout history. Multiple connections can be drawn, and external evidence can be used as well. Ayn Rand was very opposed to collectivism, and in turn, communism. She even designed a philosophy that directly opposes it. The idea that shall be expanded on in this essay is simple. The world of “Anthem” is essentially an elegant critique of collectivism…
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the same way, following orderly assignments, and having no freedoms. This is how a very intelligent man witnessed most of his life. Ayn rand’s novella of Anthem is a story based on the life of a citizen named, Equality 7-2521 trying to find his own sacred freedom in a strict, orderly society. Equality and his brothers lived under a totalitarian government with brutal rules and controls they must follow or face punishment. Specific Rules that Equality experienced included treating all citizens the…
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Anthem is a fiction novel that portrays what a strict and unkind society could be. Ayn Rand's dystopian novel Anthem was placed in a city where every aspect of every inhabitants life is closely controlled by a strict government. The protagonist, Equality , struggles with these rules as he is a man with many aspirations and cannot yet understand his worlds boundaries that were put in place for him. Throughout the novel Equality finds himself gaining independence and freedom. Later he then succeeds…
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In Ayn Rand’s novel Anthem, freedom and individual rights have been completely taken away. The novel takes place in a dystopian society where everyone shares a common belief. “We are one in all and all in one. There are no men but only the great WE, One, indivisible and forever” (Rand 11). The government forbids anyone to think as an individual or write and invent things unless they are put into a house that allows them to do so. This creates a problem for the main character, Equality 7-2521, who…
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are treated. In Ayn Rand’s Anthem and the short story Harrison Bergeron by Kurt Vonnegut, everybody is kept equal to one another. Although keeping everybody equal to each other seems good in theory, these texts show that keeping everybody equal to each other can have detrimental effects on people’s intellect and emotions. Inside the environments of Anthem by Ayn Rand and Harrison Bergeron by Kurt Vonnegut, people are kept equally as smart as each other. The main character of Anthem, Equality, realizes…
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In Ayn Rand’s novel, Anthem, the City had numerous rules and controls that exist for one purpose. This purpose is power and order. Equality’s new society will be structured to have many differences to the rules and controls to that of the city. Equality will base his community off of his very foundation of belief, which is hate for his previous life; Equality 7-2521 will be fair, not equal. The City in Anthem creates these rules to have power and order. Without these rules, the community believes…
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once said by an American minister, activist, and political philosopher, Martin Luther King Jr. that “Freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor; it must be demanded by the oppressed.” This idea, shared by Luther, can be seen throughout many works of dystopian literature such as the novel Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury, Anthem by Ayn Rand, and Harrison Bergeron by Kurt Vonnegut. Having freedom and full control over oneself, having healthy interactions and connections with others, and truly understanding…
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The fictional society represented in the dystopian book, Anthem, written by Ayn Rand has many parallels and similarities to the country of North Korea. Ayn Rand was known for sponsoring her philosophy of Objectivism through courses, lectures and literature. Rand soon refined her philosophy of what she termed "Objectivism": a belief in an existing reality, from which individuals can distinguish existing truths, and the ultimate moral value of the pursuit of self-interest. Although she battered criticism…
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Within the dystopian setting of Ayn Rand’s Anthem, the human spirit is enslaved and oppressed. Living under a totalitarian dictatorship, all people are obligated to live unselfishly. Beneath this collectivist regime, everyone lives a life of servitude and dependence on one another. There is no individuality, no identity, no sense of self, no word “I”. Taking its place is the word “WE”, emphasizing the collective body that encompasses all. In order for the State to maintain control over its subordinates…
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Ayn Rand’s “Anthem” was written in 1937 and published in 1938. Her idea was to make it for some time in the future when mankind turned into the dark age. The book is written in a sense where everyone is known as “we,” there is no “I” or “he” or “she.” Everyone works in some sort of a system instead of as individuals. There is no such thing as individualism. In this time, people are told when to wake up, when to eat breakfast, lunch, and dinner, when to shower and when to go to bed. This is so that…
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