Society and Technology in "The Anthem" Essay

Novelists create science fiction novels that represents what today’s society could possibly look like if the government has too much power. Today’s society would fall into a state of corruption, where nothing belongs to a single person and everything is owned by the government. It would be a place where people cannot openly voice their thoughts or opinions without getting in trouble with the powerful government. Ayn Rand’s science fiction novel, Anthem, depicts a dark vision of the future world where individuality is not permitted to exist. The main character, Equality, sets himself aside from the other people living in society. He knows that he is different, but with a sense of naivety, he finds his independence wrong, but he cannot help it. Liberty, the female character in which Equality has feelings for, also finds herself to be different from others and follows Equality’s path. In conveying the insidious corruption of the collectivist society of Anthem, Ayn Rand uses dramatic and situational irony.

This novel displays exactly what Ayn Rand’s theory of Objectivism does not support in order to expose the weaknesses of her opponents ways and express the importance of self improvement. She puts forth for the reader the faults of a collective minded society as the leaders and society within Anthem attempt to control mans body and mind. Towards the close of the novel, as Equality 7-2521 discovers the sacred word he also comes to understand the perks of self improvement and striving to advance as an individual. The leaders and society attempt to accomplish the tyrannical end to their dictatorship through their control of mans body and mind by hiding the past and maintaining a collective

“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

In conclusion, in Anthem by Ayn Rand, Equality’s new society will have none of the rules of the old society. The rules were put in place to shun differences and keep everyone equal. Because Equality hated the old society, he encourages differences, and he was an outcast in the old society, he will not allow any of the rules to carry over into his new

“The word "We" is as lime poured over men, which sets and hardens to stone, and crushes all beneath it, and that which is white and that which is black are lost equally in the grey of it. It is the word by which the depraved steal the virtue of the good, by which the weak steal the might of the strong, by which the fools steal the wisdom of the sages” (Rand 66). Anthem is a science fiction book written by Ayn Rand. This book takes place in a futuristic time in which freedom and individual rights have been demolished and substituted by collectivism. Equality 7-2521 has a different perspective on reality than the rest of society and therefore searches to find his way despite many hardships. Within Equality 7-2521’s exploration, he is able to

In the novel “Anthem” by Ayn Rand, the character Equality 7-2521 comes to his individual and personal conclusion of what freedom is. “But what is freedom? Freedom from what? There is nothing to take a man's freedom away from him, save other men. To be free, a man must be free of his brothers. That is freedom. That and nothing else.” (Rand, 101). In the world of “Anthem”, independent thoughts and freedom are forbidden and are looked upon as the greatest evil. Humans became a mindless horde in this depiction of the future and no longer have a choice of what they say or do-- and what’s worse is that everyone just goes along with this way of doing things. Despite this, Equality 7-2521 stood out among the others, even

In the book Anthem, Equality 7-2521 (Equality) lived in a society where everyone was equal and treated with disrespect. The society had no tolerance for being different and having their own opinion and ideas. People couldn’t even pursue the career they dreamed of having. They were punished for disobeying any of these “rules”. Despite Equality’s strict society, his motivations in conducting his experiments are finding individuality, starting a new revolution, finding freedom, and trying to become a scholar.

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”,

Anthem is a story about how mankind enters a dark age where individuality is now eliminated by ‘The Council’ in an unspecified future date and unspecified location. The narrator of the novel, Equality 7-2521 is a rebellious young protagonist that conducts illegal secretive scientific research alone and writes in a journal in an underground abandoned railroad tunnel. This dystopian novella deals with authoritarianism as the government has taken control and assigns jobs and duties for every being based on the Council's decision. In the novels Anthem by Ayn Rand and V for Vendetta by Alan Moore, the totalitarian government takes advantage of their higher power to enforce strict obedience on citizens, without concerning for their opinions or wishes and removing their personal freedom, which causes a rebellious protagonist to take charge and struggle to find their freedom.

In today’s society, we tend to imagine what the future will be like. Our imagination leans towards flying cars and being able to read one’s mind. This is not the case in Ayn Rand’s novella Anthem. In Anthem, the society is deprived of technology and the people are ruled by a totalitarian government that controls everyone. The people of the city are told what and how to learn, how to speak and act, and how to live their lives. Equality 7-2521, the main character of the novella, sits in candlelight and tries to gain insight on new things such as electricity and inventions to make life easier. The lives of the citizens aren’t filled with expensive gadgets and trees that plant themselves; it is filled with darkness and oppression. Just beneath the surface of the city’s oppression is the lack of technology. In Ayn Rand’s Anthem, society doesn’t have the chance to expand its knowledge, embrace new ideas, and

Basic summary: The novel Anthem by Ayn Rand is a dystopian science fiction novel that is set in the future where there are no rights or freedom there is no such thing as “I”. Everyone is equal to each other; they work and live in collective groups everyone is thought as one. The narrator, Equality 7-2521 has always stood out from everyone else, he was much smarter, later on, he vows to use his new knowledge to build a society based on individual freedom.

The classroom was full of children, and they were all the same except for their age and gender. They didn’t have a choice for anything that they did, it was the government that was forcing them to be what they were. They weren’t allowed to know anything more than what they were taught. There was one little girl who was a touch different. She was starting to realize that life could be different than what she had always known. She had decided to make a change for herself and not be the same anymore. Just like this little girl, Equality 7-2521 was longing for a change. He realized that there was another way of living, and that was what he wanted. Equality went about doing everything differently from what he had learned from the beginning. He took a stand and ended up being a different person overall, he wasn’t going to let anyone else control him anymore. The characterization and setting techniques employed in Ayn Rand’s dystopian novel Anthem and Kurt Vonnegut’s short story “Harrison Bergeron” illustrate the theme of how those who are under authority do not change who they are on the inside just because they are controlled, resulting in rebellion and dishonesty toward those who are in charge.

young man by the name Equality 7-2521. There is something about Equality 7-2521 that is presented within the first few pages of the novel. First of all, Equality 7-2521 is unlike those in his society. Equality 7-2521’s physical appearance gains much disapproval by society and it is one of the factors why he is

“Anthem” is an engrossing novel by Ayn Rand focusing on the character Equality 7-2521’s descent into rebellion against the new socialistic government that has taken all previous scientific advancement out of life, only to leave the ideology of collectivism. His quest to discover, learn, and invent is problematic to those that oversee the progress of the civilization, and from roughly around the age of five, he is punished for his nature. Soon enough, the twenty-one year old is on a journey to learn, not only about nature’s mysteries, but also about what sets him apart from his dead-eyed peers. Equality 7-2521 has many distinctive characteristics that others in the restricted city do not, some of which are relatable, and others that are indeed unique.

In the book Anthem, by Ayn Rand, Equality 7-2521 has been placed in a collectivist dystopia and escapes from it. The book starts off by Equality 7-2521, mentioning that “It is a sin to write this. It is a sin to think words that no others think, and to put them down upon paper no others are to see.”, showing that in his society, doing a task, that we, as people who grew up in a society that encourages such behavior, find to be a normal part of life, whereas in Equality 7-2521’s society would find such actions sinful.