Anthem Questions and Answers Rated A

Anthem Questions and Answers Rated A Ayn Rand: Born in Russia in 1905 Left Russia for America in 1926 at the age of 21 Wrote Anthem in 1937 while she was conducting research for her most famous novel the Fountainhead. Anthem Background American publishers initially didn't want to publish the book because in the 1930s many liberals, intellectuals, and journalists were advocating communism. This decade was referred to as the Red Decade. The book was finally published in America in 1946 For this publication, Rand re-wrote the original and included a new foreword. Anthem: The main characters in the book live in a society where each person lives his/hers life for the good of society without thinking about his/her own desires. Ayn Rand is criticizing this way of living which she describes as collectivism. Because everyone lives for the group, the main characters don't refer to themselves as "I" but rather, they refer to themselves as "we." Example: A character in Anthem would say, "we're sick today" instead of "I'm sick today." This is because the characters are never alone and they think of themselves as always existing as part of a group. The characters have significant names like Equality 7-2521 Themes The greater food for all; to practice collectivism, one must merge himself into the group, and the only way to do this is to erase individual identity and individual thought Anthem speaks against or criticizes this way of thinking/living. Value of identity Every person is independent and has rights. a person has a right to feelings and private thoughts. Sometimes, a person must consider his/her own needs first before considering the needs of the people. In the novel, "I" symbolizes individualism. Free will When an individual makes choices, decisions, and directs his/her own life by the ideas and values he/she adopts. Chapters 2-3 Who is liberty 5-3000? -She works at the home of the peasants. -Equality is immediately attracted to her beauty. -"The Golden one" -Page 42, "You are beautiful, Liberty 5-3000" -Page 44, "Your eyes are not like the eyes of any among men." Interaction between males and females? -Council of Eugenics-Your mate was picked for you during the "Time of Mating." Men are 20+ and women are 18+. There is no relationship outside of this one meeting. Equality feels "shameful" about this process. Equality feels anger at the thought of the "Golden one" mating with someone other than him. Feelings that exist within this society -Equality is happy. Why? The biggest feeling that exists in this society is FEAR! Unspeakable word? Death -What happens if it's uttered? P.49 When they speak it they are put to death. The biggest crime is speaking the unspeakable word. This is the only sin in which they suffer being killed. One man was burned alive in the center of the city. They took out his tongue and burned him. They call him the Saint of the pyre. Chapter 3: What might the light that Equality discovers represent or be symbolic of? Change, Knowledge, Innovation, Power Chapter 4: Importance of the names: "Unconquered" and "The Golden One." They are becoming individuals. What do you think of upon hearing the word unconquered? He's not controlled by anyone. He is strong and has courage. What about the word Golden? Valuable, light, unusual/different, Beautiful, and perfection. How would these names relate to the characters of Equality 7-2521 and Liberty 5-3000? These names represent their charter and what they seem to stand for in society. How is Equality changing? Making more connections/ understanding more; breaking away fro meh mold/standard. Chapter 5: "For our gift is greater than our transgression" (Rand 61) What does Equality mean? A transgression is a sin or violation. Why is Equality's creation of light a transgression in this society? Why would the gift of light make his transgression forgivable? Why does it do just the opposite? He was doing it individually but it is for the good for everyone. He is sinning against society but his gift is greater than his sin to society. It is a transgression for the better of society. He is changing everything in the way they live and the scholars are not happy about it and reject his idea because it is a sin made in the dark. Why have people in Equality's society have been forbidden from seeing their own image? If you know what you look like you can compare yourself to others. If you were more attractive than others then you would think you were better than them. You would be on a different level and in this society everyone is supposed to be on the same level. Would this contribute to equality if some people were considered to look better than others? Does knowing what you look like cause you to compare yourself to others, and then rank yourself? Everyone wants to be beautiful and skinny so if someone is naturally born that way, they are on a better level in our society. Chapter 6: Equality didn't know what the "drops of red twinkling on the stones" (Rand 65) were. Discuss why the Palace of Correction is so poorly guarded and protected (Because no one has ever tried to defy it before) Why hasn't anyone ever tried to escape of defy the council before? Equality is a street sweeper and has never been injured before and has never seen his own blood. No one has ever tried to escape the Palace of Correction because everyone thinks that the council knows what's best for them and if it's in the Palace of Corrections then they will stay there. How has Equality continued to change? He is bolder than ever before, but he is still concerned with using his gifts to better the lives of his brothers. Chapter 7: Page 72: Why would the Council be angry with Equality for creating light and bringing it to them? What is the real issue? They are angry that he has defied them and that he was smarter than them to do so. "What is not thought by all men cannot be true" Equality thinks that the box will be great for society but he council disagrees because it was made only by Equality and not everyone agrees with it so it must be destroyed. How is Equality still evolving? He goes against the council and is bolder. He is changing society for the better. Chapter 8: What is Equality's first day like in the Uncharted Forest? There are no bells, and he can wake up and eat whenever he decides-no one to tell him what to do. Pg. 80 "And suddenly, for the first time this day, we remembered that we are the Damned. We remembered it, and we laughed." He is glad to be out of that society and be able to do whatever he wants. He laughs at the irony of the situation because he is supposed to be this evil person in this scary forest but he is the happiest that he has ever been in his life. He is free. How does the Golden one get to the Forest? She follows his trail through the forest. Pg. 82 "Your eyes are as a flame, but our brothers have neither hope nor fire." There is an expression that the eyes are the window to your soul and she can really see him for who he is. He's got fire in his eyes, he has bravery, and hope. This makes their bond special because they can see each other in a way that nobody else can. They see something in each other that they recognize in themselves. Pg. 87 "And we felt torn, torn for some word we could not find." They were torn for the word I. They were missing their individuality and they couldn't have it without this word. Even though they had their freedom, they still are speaking in the manner in which they know (we, us, they.) Theres a word that they're missing but they are struggling to find it. Chapter 10: They find a house. Once you find a house and make it a home, they can hopefully start a new life there. They can grow and learn. Chapter 11: Pg. 94 "I am. I think. I will." "These are the words. This is the answer." He has found the missing word and it is I. He has found words that shows personal ownership. (I, me, self). How does the discovery of this word change everything for Equality? It's almost if he is still connected to the society and now when he finds the word he is finally free. Now that he knows the word he has no connection to anything from the past. Chapter 12: The Golden One=Gaea (Mother of Earth and all the gods.) This is her new name. Equality=prometheus (Bearer of light) Equality changes his name to this because he brought the light to his people. Pg. 101 "To be free, a man must be free of his brothers. that is freedom." He is now free from his brothers and his socieyt. The sacred word=EGO ("The word which can never die on this earth, for it is the heart of it and the meaning and the glory.") This is a sense of pride and self esteem. This is part of you. It shouldn't be hidden because everybody has something that they can be proud about. Abyss Noun A deep or seemingly bottomless chasm. "I looked down into the deep, dark abyss" Alliance Noun A union or association formed for mutual benefit especially between countries or organizations. , "We have an alliance with Great Britain" Atone Verb Make amends or reparation. "She was trying, to atone for the mistakes she made in the past" Defile Verb Sully, mar, or spoil. "The land has been defiled over the years" Edict Noun An official order or proclamation issued by a person in authority. "He has issued an edict" Endeavor Verb Try hard to do or achieve something "He is endeavoring to bring up his grades" Mandate Noun An official order or commission to do something "A mandate to seek the peace treaty" Solitude Noun the state or situation of being alone. "she hated having having to spend her few hours of freedom in solitude" Summit Noun The highest point of a hill or mountain. "We have to reach the summit" Vindicate Verb Clear (someone) of blame or suspicion. "He got a vindicate and is not out of jail"