...In Ayn Rand’s “Anthem”, a plethora of themes is presented. Ayn writes about a collectivist society at an indeterminable date in the future, but the residents ae lead to believe by the government that this is a utopia. They had lost all individuality and free will to collectivism. So, the main character, Equality 7-2521, tried to change this and instead got cast away by his brothers. He wanted them to thrive. Collectivism is detrimental because human nature is to be selfish, self-reliant, and independent. Through characterization, Rand’s character Equality 7-2521 learns that selfishness is not a sin, but a right. Since Rand grew up in a Communist government she could accurately model Equality off a common citizen under collectivist...
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...Supposedly detrimental to the basic fundamental rights of human beings, collectivism has been the central topic of debate for many years. Ayn Rand, the author of Anthem, voices her strong opposition to the philosophy, as it is not only a stepping-stone into a totalitarian government but also an idea that can easily evolve as a justification for unfair treatment and opportunities. Rand addresses her concerns through Anthem by formulating the main character as a person who carries ideas that oppose society’s constructs, which ultimately leads him to become an outcast of society to defend his convictions. The main character of this novel goes by the name of Equality 7-2521, a name issued to him by the government of the dystopian society in which...
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...Individualism is a stance on morality emphasizing the unique characteristics of an individual. To truly achieve this, one must find their own voice, and who they genuinely are. The novel, Anthem, written by Ayn Rand displays a dystopia based on collectivism, and a great aversion to the idea of difference with the removal of the word “I” in the characters’ vocabulary. The protagonist of this story, named Equality 7-2521, shows the fundamental necessity of humans to express the ambition of one’s single self through his guilt, questionability, and uniqueness. This fight against collectivism is also a very important aspect of human nature. Even in the beginning of Anthem, it is evident of Equality’s questionability to society and its rules. His urge and need to wonder derives from his curiosity. He questions what many put up with and seem oblivious to. This is clearly shown when Ayn wrote “We wished to know. We wished to know about all things that which make the earth around us” (Anthem 4). Through this aspect of Equality, Rad is trying to show us that this need to question is in every person. Equality is symbolic of our child like curiosity everyone has deep down inside. This is just part of what makes Equality unique....
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...In the book “Anthem” there were many different ways of showing collective and individualism. I’m just going to name off a couple and then explain why it is that. The first quote that I found that has to do with collectivism is found in the first sentence of Chapter 1. It says that “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.” I feel like this is collectivism because they are practically being owned and they are working together to help that become a sin. Another other example that I found of collectivism, is when it said “but we must never speak of the times before the Great Rebirth, else we are sentenced to three years in the Palace of Corrective Detention.” This is an example because they are controlled over this. They have a rule to follow and if they don’t, they get punished. My last example I found was page 20, when it said “we remember the Home of Infants where we lived until we were five years old……when we are five years old, we were sent to the Home of the Students, where there are ten wards, four our ten years of learning.” This collectivism because they are owned to do this. They have too....
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...What is the difference amongst individualism and collectivism? Anthem, by Ayn Rand, is a select novel. It encloses individualism and how people can conform to society and do as they are told without knowing the consequences and outcomes of their verdicts. Furthermore, it teaches the importance of self-expression and the freedom that comes along with being your own person. Ayn Rand was a person with distinct intellect, which is reflected with her novel Anthem. In Anthem, there are leaders, known as the council. The council has a restricted form of deliberating. Pointing out the evils of capitalism and class inequality, the council preserves collectivism. This dystopia is a response to having no social classes known as the “Unspeakable Times”....
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...A society cannot be successful unless it has both elements of collectivism and individualism in it because independence, creativity, opinion, and teamwork all go together to make a society that works well together. Collectivism is the practice of giving a group priority over each individual in it. Another word for it is a Communist Government. It all depends on what people stand for and what their opinion is whether people agree or disagree with collectivism. An example of collectivism in the book Anthem is when everyone eats, sleeps, works, and walks together as a group. Everything is done for the group and as a group in collectivism, not as an individual mind. A society cannot be successful unless it has both elements of collectivism and...
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...book Anthem 1. Risks of collectivism The author of Anthem wrote the book about twenty years after the Russian revolution had taken place. The mistakes of Josef Stalin leading his government made an impact on Rand’s (author) interpretation of collectiveness. The idea that communism would help many people collectivize their aspects of life was initiated by Russia. This belief assumed that everyone would benefit if they served each other by their ability. This was not the case since the rise of communists had been so bad. People had different ways of seeing this issue while others assumed that soviet communism was restrictive due to leaders decline. The author made an opinion that collectivism had many faults and decided to show them in Anthem. During the great rebirth, many business men were defeated due to collectivism this has made it for combination of society into a hard state system. The schools began to introduce the children into doctrines of philosophy...
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...As I read the book Anthem, I recognized many social differences and similarities. The book is set around a time period after the supposed “Unmentionable times”, were a new society was born and was based on collectivism rather than individualism. Yet, in the times of this lifestyle, there were some similarities that do relate to our way of life. In our life we believe in individualism because everyone is free, not like in the novella Anthem were people are controlled in a collectivism society. First of all, Individualism can be described as, “a social theory favoring freedom of action for individuals over collective or state control”. When people are following individualism, like our society, people go their own way and act like they want to. They are not controlled by one person. People who are individualist, don’t always act the same as others they act the way they think is right. In the book, towards the end, Prometheus and Gaea had settled in a house form the forgotten times and gave themselves names...
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...Ayn Rand “I guard my treasures: my thought, my will, my freedom. And the greatest of these is freedom.” (Rand. 58). Ayn Rand treasured her personal beliefs, which were reflected through her writing. Rand lived in two distinct countries: Russia and the United States, during her lifetime. Ayn also lived during a time where many major global events occurred. A very unique and interesting childhood and adult life, subjective beliefs and philosophies, and major events occurring in the world around her were all factors that contributed to Ayn Rand’s perspective and style of writing in her infamous novel, Anthem. Ayn Rand, the oldest of three daughters, was born on February 2, 1906 (Gladstein. 3,4). Rand’s given birth name was Alisa Zinovievna...
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...Free Will in Ayn Rand’s “Anthem” Ayn Rand’s short novel, “Anthem,” depicts a collectivist society where any thoughts are only considered good if they are thought by everyone. Individuality is considered a sin. Children are taken from their parents and raised in a collective unit. One’s vocation is not decided by the individual, but rather appointed to them by a group. The main character, Equality 7-2521 (Prometheus), is a free thinker who longs to learn all he can in hopes of making a contribution to his town, and being promoted to one of the scholars. However, when he presents his discovery (electricity) to the “World Council of Scholars” the group is terrified because they have never seen anything like it before. Prometheus is scorned, rejected, and sentenced to be burned at the stake because of his choosing to think as an individual. Free will is something that many people take for granted these days, but in the world...
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...Individualism is the moral stance, political philosophy, ideology, or social outlook that emphasizes the moral worth of the individual. Individualism is something thats makes a person one, giving them the right to be an individual, the freedom to equality. In the novel Anthem By Ayn Rand individualism is a central idea explored through the story. The main character Equality 7-2521 is living in a society where the concept of individuality is non existent, he is very curious about the world he lives in and the science and nature that surrounds it. But unfortunately it's a sin to think/wonder such things and that it's not good to be different from his brothers but it is evil to be superior to them. According to the text it states (Rand 6) “We...
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...Equality, according to Dictionary.com, is the state of being equal, especially in status, rights, and opportunities; this is what societies think is the most vital part to having a great society. The societies in Anthem and "Harrison Bergeron" thought the same way as well, but later realized that it only led to their demise. Both Ayn Rand's novella, Anthem, and Kurt Vonnegut's story, "Harrison Bergeron," focus on the theme of equality, and it is apparent that the theme reveals that being different is wrong, that people are naturally different but are forced to be equal, and that equality is a barrier from individuality, which both suggests that everyone is naturally different; therefore, making the reader know that they should embrace rather than fear their differences among others....
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...In Ayn Rand’s Anthem, mankind destroys all traces of their materialistic and individualistic past to form a utopia. This so-called utopia is actually more of a dystopian society. Dystopias are defined as an imagined place that is usually totalitarianistic and environmentally degraded. Anthem’s society is one of these societies, due to the tyrannical leadership, lack of technological advancements, the indoctrination of people, beginning at birth, and the loss of individualism. The tyrannical leadership is shown through the ruthless enforcement of unreasonable laws. People were “burned alive in the square of the City” (Rand 49), and theft was punishable by “ten years in the Palace of Corrective Detention” (Rand 18). Technology was also severely...
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... This is the dystopian setting of George Orwell's 1984, Ayn Rand's Anthem, and Ray Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451, where the motif of collectivism and control works to convey the message that collectivism and control make totalitarian control second nature. Totalitarian control through collectivism plants its seeds through childhood brainwashing. In the book 1984, brainwashing is carried out through organizations such as the Junior Spies and the Junior Anti-Sex League. Winston says, "… by means of organizations...
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...Ayn Rand’s Anthem depicts the dystopian future in which an unnamed society has completely “forgotten” the word ‘I’. While reading Anthem, Ayn Rand introduces Equality 7-2521, the hero who breaks away from the status quo of the unnamed society. Collectivism is the immoral guide for the unnamed society, a guide that Equality challenges to the extent of its extremities. The dictatorial leadership of this society restricts even thinking about one’s self, no one person is obliged to give priority to an individual. Thereupon, we see Equality’s entrance into the society, just by his physical characteristics rebelling against the status quo, being both too tall and too smart. Equality faces his own internal conflicts, he, in his misunderstanding, struggles to understand the gravity of his actions and his true differences from the society’s collectivism....
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