Anthem Essay, Research Paper

In the novel Anthem, Ayn Rand writes about the future dark ages. Anthem takes place in city of a technologically backwards totalitarian society, where mankind is born in the home of the infants and dies in the home of the useless. Just imagine, being born in to a life of slavery having no freedom, no way self expression, no ego.

The city represented slavery. When in the city, Equality had been guilty of many transgressions. He was not like his brothers, he was different he was smarter, healthier, and stronger. At the age of five he advanced to home of the student, where he got scolded for learning faster then his brothers. Equality teachers told him that he had evil in his bones because he was taller then his brothers. Then at the age of fifteen when the house of vocations came Equality was guilty of the great transgression of preference because he wanted to be a scholar, but his selected vocation was to be a street sweeper. Every day while he swept by the fields he would watch and smile at Liberty and she would smile back. Liberty was a woman that worked in the home of the peasants. Making contact with a woman was prohibited but for when in the palace of the mating. The palace of the mating was where people were forced to breed. Equality thought touching a woman was shameful and ugly. Then one day while he swept the streets he found a grate that led to underground tunnel full of things from the unmentionable times. For two years he went to the tunnel and discovered a new glowing light. Then one day while in the tunnel decided that he must share his secret with his brothers. He decided that he would bring his secret in front of the world council meeting. When Equality entered the world council meeting the scholars got frightened and angry. They demanded that he tell them why he was there. He connected the wires and they glowed, the scholars backed up against the wall as they stared in horror. They told him that he they were going to punish for breaking so many laws. Equality trembled in fright he quickly grabbed the light and ran to the uncharted forest. No man followed because they feared the unknown. Those are all the ways in which Equality rejected the view of society. The uncharted forest represented freedom. When Equality spent his first night in the forest when he woke up he laughed and rolled through the leaves and the moss because he realized he was free which meant no more waking up to a bell, no more meals prepared for him, and no more sweeping streets. Then as he walked through the forest he came to a river he stopped and looked in the water for the first time in his whole life he saw what he looked like. When he saw his reflection it surprised him he did not look like his brothers he looked stronger then his brothers who looked short and fragile. The next day in the forest he had heard foot steps behind him he turned around and it was Liberty. She had heard of what he did and followed his path into the forest. While in the forest Equality hugged Liberty and realized that holding the body of a woman was not shameful. They walked for many days the farther they went from the city the safer they felt. “Everything which comes from the many is good. Everything that come from one is evil.” Ayn Rand wrote this in the end of the ninth chapter when Equality begins to doubt everything he has learned in the city.

The mountains represented a new beginning. In the mountains Equality and Liberty found a house left from the unmentionable times. In the house there are many things they have never seen before like mirrors, light bulbs, a library full of books, and nice clothes. They promise to never leave the house and they claim it as theirs. They learn the word I while reading books from the huge library. Equality also names Liberty and himself, while reading through a book he learns of Prometheus who was a man who stole fire from the gods and taught men use the power of gods. Prometheus was punished as are all who bring light to men. He also reads of Gaea who mother of the gods and of earth. In the future Equality plans on going to the city one last time to bring his friends back to his new sanctuary to start a new beginning. He also plans on chiseling the word ego on his house so nobody ever forget the word. Equality and Liberty promise that they will never surrender the sacred word I.

In today’s society more people need to ask themselves to imagine, being born in to a life of slavery having no freedom, no way self expression, no ego. Without these freedoms this country would not be what it is today. The importance of freedom is right to follow your dream. Because in America you can be any one you want to be.

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