In the philosophical epic of Ayn Rand, entitled Atlas Shrugged, Rand allows much room for interpretation as to the meaning of the title of her work. As the reader progresses through the different stages of the book, their translation of the title and its relation to the story evolves. Through parts one and two of the book, one could interpret the title to represent two things: First, it suggests that, Francisco D'Anconia, a titan within the copper and mining industry, is Atlas. It was his strategic collapse of D'Anconia mines that seemed to shake the economy, with his rebellion creating a ripple effect that devastated the economy, as if Atlas used the rest of his strength to make the world suffer. It also, however, indicated to be in reference…
Have you ever done something, thinking you’re doing the right thing, and then suddenly things get flipped around and now you’re the one getting in trouble? Having all of your technology taken away as a consequence? In the book Anthem, written by Ayn Rand, Equality 7-2521 experiences something a little similar, only he is the one discovering technology.…
In her writing, Rand champions the supremacy of the individual. When man accepts the will of others, he crumbles to the theocrats, the fascists, the communists; he is crushed by Wynand and subjugated by Toohey. The pursuit of validation by others, the worship of material goods, the sacrificial offering of oneself to the masses, the accumulation of power; none of these ever truly satisfy the soul. If water is the wellspring for life, mankind is best served seeking the…
Apparently, in Rand’s view, poor people will peacefully sit and starve when they lose their jobs. And that’s a good thing for her, because accepting that crime exists might lead to dangerous, heretical ideas — like that maybe the government should pay for education and job training, because this might be cheaper and more beneficial in the long run than spending ever more money on police and prisons.…
In the short story Anthem, by Ayn Rand, a person named Equality 7-2521 lives in a socialist society and struggles through countless troubles. For example, everybody in this society is one body that thinks the same. They have a motto, or the great truth, that says: “We are one in all and all in one. There are no men but the great WE, one, invincible and forever.” He, however, is faced with the opportunity to augment his position in this economy, though he might also be judged for his motivation when taking the opportunity.…
Ayn Rand is known for her liberalist writings and very compelling works of fiction that border along being something of an attempted prophecy, specifically in the case of Anthem. While we may not have direct words from the author to prove this, the book gives off this aura as though it were a vision of what the world could become if communism as Rand knew it during her time continued on in the direction it had then been traveling. Perhaps Anthem was written, in contrast, to simply deliver a message of self-worth and independence to a new extreme. Her new arrival to America could have opened her eyes to the way that the world and government had the ability to be; it would have been a discovery that could have further turned her off the sort of…
Conformity goes too far it takes away a person's individuality. In the book Equality realizes as a kid that he is not like the other children in his society. He gets punished for being different and gets left out of the crowd. It shows him and others kids that being different is not good in a society. In this quote equality is being told by a teacher how is not the same as the other kids. The teacher is telling him he has evil in bones because he is different. ¨Ever have the Teachers and the leaders pointed to us and frowned and said: ¨There is evil in your bones, Equality 7-2521, for your body has grown beyond the bodies of your brothers.¨ But we cannot change our bones nor our body.¨(18) This is an important quote because it shows that being…
"It is a sin to think words no others think and to put them down upon paper no others are to see,” this is the first sentence in the book Anthem. It shows that they are not allowed to even think differently or say differently, everyone has to think the same. It is said by Equality 7-2521 that he was beaten by his teachers for being smarter, and he is told that he was told he is sinning since he is taller than all of the other people. They are not even allowed to know what they look like, because it might make them have different thought and that they don't fit in the society.…
It is inappropriate to use Ayn Rand to support any kind of argument other than her own. Not only is the evidence Rand Paul uses contradicting, but also weak. In Ayn Rand's dystopian world, the Council wants to keep candles and stay primitive, while in reality, the government wants to turn to something more advanced and efficient. There's also the fact that the evidence he uses almost has nothing to do with his argument.…
“For a long time we could not speak” (56). This book is Anthem, by Ayn Rand, which is a fiction novel. Anthem is overall a dystopian society that is far from what society is today. The government watches your every move. No one may choose a career, a significant other, or friendships. Life is miserable in this book. Overall, this dystopian society shows strongly why the government should never be able to control an individual based on events from the book.…
Living in a collective society where you can't express yourself or be independent is hard to imagine. In Anthem, the collective society they live in forbids individuality like thoughts, feelings, words, and actions. It says “We must strive to be like all our brother men, for all men must be alike.(17)” In Anthem, when Equality stumbles upon a chance to detach himself from the collective society, he makes the most of it. I think Equality’s primary motivation was to make something for himself and detach himself from his collective society he lives in. I think that it was good for him to be motivated this way, and I think that in our world today if everyone were motivated this way that life would be better.…
The captivating novel Anthem, by Ayn Rand, concentrates on Equality’s changes in his moral assessment. In this story, Equality fights to become independent and to improve the quality of life for him and people around him. Equality, along with the other characters in this novel, thinks it is a sin to write at the beginning of the book. By the end, he has no shame in his sins and has a different moral assessment and perspective of his actions. Equality takes steps throughout the book, starting with the word “We”, and ending with “I”. He puts his instincts to the test, writing and making inventions.…
Ayn Rand, author of the novel Anthem, had the philosophical view of both a Romantic and a Realist. She states, "I am Romantic in the sense that I present men as they ought to be. I am a Realist in the sense that I place them here and now and on this earth." This quote implies that she portrays man in an idealistic sense, but she places her characters in a realistic world. Emigrating from the her home country of Russia into America, Rand was initially exposed to a somewhat technologically backwards society that discouraged the advancement of the individual. After settling in America, Rand found herself in a considerably more satisfying environment where a capitalist society existed in which technological and individual advancement was encouraged. This background led to Ayn Rand's opinion of technology in Anthem; through the comparison of the despair of a technologically backward society and the happiness of an individual who steps forth from the conformity of that society, Rand makes the point that technology is a positive advancement.…
By the time she was thirteen, Rand had experienced two revolutions: the first overthrew the Communist government, and the second restored it (History.com) Consequently, Sam Anderson, a writer for the New York Magazine writes in his article “Mrs. Logic” that she declared herself an atheist at thirteen (4). Clearly her experiences, as she watched people struggling to survive under two different governments deeply affected the way she thought and in what she chose to believe. Her experiences caused her to reject any government, whether earthly or divine and to rely completely on herself. Anderson also mentions “[Rand] showed strong Objectivist traits from the start: As a child, she was solitary, opinionated, possessive, and intense…” (4). Even as a child Rand was following the philosophy that she later developed and name Objectivism. Objectivism has four basic principles, Rand explains them in this way “Reality exists as an objective absolute-facts are facts, independent of man’s feelings, wishes, hopes, or fears. Reason […] is man’s only means of perceiving reality […] Man-every man-is an end in himself, not the means to the ends of others. […] The ideal political-economic system is laissez-faire capitalism [...]” (Rand 15-16). These principles cover several areas of human existence and relationships including how a person relates to the truth, themselves, others, and the government. Objectivist societies support and encourage private schools and hospitals, entrepreneurship, and capitalism, all of which fall into line with the four basic principles that Rand used to build her way of thinking. Growing up in Russia, and living through two revolutions gave Rand her unique view of the world and influenced the creation of her…
We have all either heard or used the idiom, two is company, three’s a crowd and this saying can very well be implied to both the two party system of America as well as the third parties in America. Known to our great nation is the two party systems, the Democratic and Republicans. This two party system came about due to a two sided constitution which consisted of an opposing or supporting group or to be clearly defined, the majority squad and minority squad. There was definitely no in between going on here, these were only two parties that one could be a part of. This two party system dominates the United States government and although there is many ways this system is beneficial for promoting public good; it has also been criticized for its disadvantages which include lack of dissenting opinions, apathy of voters due to lack of alternatives and their tendency to ignore different and radical voices. “Today many Americans take pride in their status as “independent voters”, partly because they see parties as lacking vision for the country”. “Since many Americans have become disenchanted by partisan politics, they avoid identification as a “loyal democrat” or a “staunch Republican”. “These negative attitudes towards parties are rooted in the roles that they play in American politics”(ushistory.org 2015).…