The novel Anthem by Ayn Rand tells the story of a dystopian society in which everyone is supposedly equal and the word “I” is unknown. No one is allowed to have their own identity and to be different could mean death. A major theme in this novel is the lack of identity. The main character, Equality 7-2521 has always been different from his fellow “brothers”. He was reprimanded by his teachers for growing too tall and for being to smart. “This is a great sin, to be born with a head which is too quick. It is not good to be different from our brothers, but it is evil to be superior to them” (Rand 9). These are aspects of himself that he could not possibly control and yet he was punished for them. In this society, anyone that seemed to be smarter than the masses was a cause for extreme caution and fear. For that reason, when it was time to receive his job title, Equality 7-2521 was sentenced to be a street sweeper. This devastated him as he dreamed of joining the House of Scholars. The rulers of this society are so concerned with keeping control of the masses that they force the ones who could improve the society into low level jobs so they’ll never be seen or more importantly heard. The society of Anthem had gone so far back in terms of technological advancement that the candle was a new invention to them. So when Equality 7-2521 tries to show them the light bulb he invented he is not praised for bringing an amazing invention to them instead he is punished for going outside the confines of his job.
This novel was full of a great many quotes but my favorite comes from page 111 and 112:
Today, the Golden One stopped suddenly and said: "We love you." But they frowned and shook their head and looked at us helplessly. "No," they whispered, "that is not what we wished to say." They were silent, then they spoke slowly, and their words were halting, like the words of a child learning to speak for the first time: "We are one . . . alone . . . and only . . .and we love you who are one . . . alone . . . and only." We looked into each other's eyes and we knew that the breath of a miracle had touched us, and fled, and left us groping vainly. And we felt torn, torn for some word we could not find.
This scene was incredibly touching; it really spoke to the romantic in me. The novel doesn’t deal with a great many emotions simply because they are not as important as other elements. However I do not believe the book would have been the same without the inclusion of this scene. Liberty 5-3000, now called the Golden One is desperately struggling to tell Equality 7-2521 that she loves him. Yet, without the word “I” she is unable to say exactly how she feels for Equality 7-2521. This leaves her fumbling, unable to convey her true feelings. This scene helps to show how an everyday phase such as “I love you” has completely disappeared from this society. Without the word “I” people cannot clearly express their true feelings and emotions.
For the most part I enjoyed the novel Anthem yet there was a part of the novel that I, to say the least, found upsetting. That was the role of the women in the novel, more specifically the role of Liberty 5-3000.When she was first introduced I thought she would be a strong female role the perfect counterpart to Equality 7-2521 role in the novel. However I found myself greatly disappointed. She became basically a servant to Equality 7-2521, following his every word without question or fail. He decided to change her name to Gaea and so she let him without a single question as to why she couldn’t choose her own name. Her willingness to accept the new names that Equality 7-2521 gives her is a symptom of her broader willingness to accept the identity that he conceives for her. All in all, the novel was an easy read that any reader could easily connect to on a personal level even though it dealt with a dystopian society set in the future.
I find how you were upset with the role of Liberty is really interesting. I completely agree with you however it never even crossed my mind. I definitely think that she did do whatever Equality asked, serving as a slave figure. Your point on him changing her name really stood out to me because of her name being Liberty, freedom of choice. I think that the author really wasn't focused on the female roles in this novel, instead she was focused on the entire utopia and Equalities struggles.
ReplyDeleteI also find your view of Liberty 5-3000 very interesting, and also agree with it. It never crossed my mind how she seemed to be as you put it, a servant. But had her character been a stronger person, would the story have been the same? Would she have run away with Equality and do as he told? Its all up to the imagination the things that could happen if parts of the story were different.
ReplyDeleteIn my viewpoint, the scene where the Golden One is trying to tell Equality that she loves him is a lot less touching. Although she struggles to find the words to tell him her true feelings, and it comes across as touching, I find it to be ironic. She is searching for this word that embodies herself, only to want to use it as a tool of infatuation with Equality. She does not wish to use the word "I" to liberate herself, in my opinion. She instead moves from the rule of the oppressive society, to being names by Equality. She still does not have an identity.
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