SusanBaek

Romano/McGee

3.
Inmanyrealandfictionalizedtotalitariansocieties,childrenliveapartfromtheirfamilies.
Whywoulddictatorialleadersenforcethislivingenvironment?
Inaretrogressedandconfinedsociety,manychildrenareseparatedandforcedtolive
apartfromtheirfamilies.AnepitomeofsuchsocietywouldbetheonedepictedinAynRands
novella,
Anthem
.Inoursociety,childrenareexposedtotheactionsoftheirparents,starting
fromwhentheyreborn.Theylearnfromtheirparentsandtheysharesimilarbeliefs,especially
atayoungstageinlife.However,insocietiessuchasthatin
Anthem
,childrenarenotonly
separatedfromtheirparentsoncetheyareborn,buttheyarealsotaughtbytheleadersof
societytofollowordersandtobelievethatthesocietyinwhichtheyresideinisthebestone
possible.Childrenareeasiertoteachastheirmindsarenotyetfilledwithknowledgeofthe
world.Consequently,dictatorialleadersareabletomanipulateandeducatethechildrenand
puttheirsocietysbeliefsintothechildrensmindssothattheycanraisethechildrentohavea
senseofloyalty.Furthermore,achildsbelieftendstolastwiththemforalifetime;therefore,
dictatorialleaderswouldenforcethislivingenvironment.
In
Anthem
weseeastronginfluenceoftheWorldCounciltothechildren.Sincetheyre
bornchildrenaresenttotheHomeoftheStudentswheretheyareforcedtolearnataspeed
thattheWorldCouncilinsistson.Equality,likealloftheotherchildren,weretaughtatayoung
agetobelievethateverythingtheCouncilsaysisforthesocietysbenefit:Darenotchoosein
yourmindstheworkyouwouldliketodowhenyouleavetheHomeoftheStudents.Youshall
dothatwhichtheCouncilofVocationsshallprescribeforyou.FortheCouncilofVocations
knowsinitgreatwisdomwhereyouareneededbyyourbrothermen,betterthanyoucan

knowitinyourunworthylittleminds.Andifyouarenotneededbyyourbrothermen,thereis
noreasonforyoutoburdentheearthwithyourbodies(pg22).TheHomeoftheStudentsare
teachingyoungkidstobelievethatsocietyempowerstheindividualandthatallthestudents
shouldbedoingislookingup,respectingandbeloyaltotheWorldCouncilanditsactions.

6.
Asidefromveryrareexceptions(Equality,theSaintatthePyre),thereisliterallyno
oppositiontotheleadersinthissociety.Whyisthat?Whatideasmustthesemenhave
acceptedtolivealifeofobedience,drudgery,andfear?
Thesocietyin
Anthem
ultimatelylacksanyformofcommunicationwithoneanother.In
todayssociety,experienceofcommunicationstartasearlyasnewbornsbylearningtoexpress
loveanddistress.Theindividualsin
Anthem,
however,lackwhatseemsnaturaltous,afamily.
Theword"family"isnevermentionedinthebook,andinsteadtheycallthemselves"brothers"
toaddressfellowmembersfromthesameoccupationalfield.Ironically,brothersarenot
allowedtospeak,eat,orlooktohaveanyinteractionwitheachother,whichessentiallydefeats
thewholepurposeofbrotherhood.Equality72521andhiscoworkerInternational48818
feelmoreintimatewitheachother,butrealizingthatsuchfeelingis"evil,"theirfriendshiplasts
onlythroughsilence.Althoughtheyareexpectedtoliveasacollectivegroup,theymustactas
solitaryunits.Alsotheylivebythewords:Weareoneinallandallinone.Therearenomen
butonlythegreatWE,One,indivisibleandforever(pg19).Thesewordsnotonlytakeaway
individuality,buttheyalsoforceontothepeopletheconceptofthegreatWE.
Inaddition,limitationsonthetechnologicaladvancementfurthercripplesthesociety
frombeingdemocratic.Theworldofthe21stcenturyhasneverfeltthissmallwithuseof

internetandvariouscommunicationmethodswhichfunctionsasamajorforcetocommunicate
bothprivatelyanddistantlyatease.However,thesocietyRanddescribesin
Anthem
notonlyis
severelydisintegratedawayfromthepasttechnologicalachievementsbutalsocryptically
impededbyitsscholarsandleaders.Prometheusrunsawayfromtheprison,andinsteadof
headingtotheUnchartedForestimmediately,heriskshisfreedomandlifetodemonstrate
beforethegroupofscholarsthediscoveryhemadeinsecrecy.Electricityservesasasymbolof
hopetodiscoverthepastbeforetheGreatBirth,anditalsorepresentsahugesteptowardsthe
future,asPrometheusproposesbeforethescholars.Onthecontrary,thereactionoftheHouse
ofScholarswasoneofuttershockandhorror."Buttheylookeduponus,andsuddenlywewere
afraid.Fortheireyeswerestill,andsmall,andevil,"(71).Theysparenochancetoenlightenthe
citywithinnovativeknowledgeastheyconsiderthatitcouldcausechaos.Prometheus,
however,seeswithinasparkofelectricityapossibilitytorestoreatruehumanitariansociety.
AynRanddepictsasocietythathasnofamilyortechnology.Individualswhoareborntothis
societyneverlearnhowtobeaselfbycommunicatingwithothersaroundthem.Thesociety
deprivesthemoffamily,wheretheycouldfirstlearntointerchangetheirfeelings,aswellas
technology,anessentialtooltoeaseintellectualinterchanges.Lackingaplaceandatoolto
helpthemselvesunite,peoplecannotopposeagainsttheirleaders.

7.
Inyouropinion,whatwasthemostimportantpartofthenovelsofar?Whywasitsucha
significantmoment?Supportyouropinionwithreferencestothetext.
ThemostsignificantpartofthenovelwaswhenEquality72521figuresoutthe
UnmentionableWord,orthewordI.InthebeginningofChapter11,Equalitystartsofflike

this:Iam.Ithink.Iwill.MyhandsMyspiritMyskyMyforestThisearthismine
WhatmustIsaybesides?Thesearethewords.Thisistheanswer.Inthepreviouschaptersand
inEqualitysprevioussociety,thewordIwasbanned;rather,mostpeopledidntknowthe
existenceofthewordI.Therefore,allofthepeopleusedthewordWeinstead.
Consequently,thedeprivationofthewordIresultedinindividualitybeingdemolishedfrom
society.Thepurposeoflivingforeachandeverypersonwastocontributetosocietyrather
thantoexistforonesself:Wearenothing.Mankindisall.Bythegraceofourbrothersarewe
allowedourlives.Weexistthrough,byandforourbrotherswhoaretheState.Amen(pg21).
WhenEqualityisabletodiscoverthewordI,hegainsasenseofindividualismand
realizesthatheexistsforhimself,ratherthanforsociety.Thisisextremelyimportant;notonly
becauseitgoesagainstsocietyswords,butratherbecauseitopensupindividuality,aconcept
thattheWorldCouncilwishestodestroy.Equalitycomprehendstheideathatbeingan
individualisnotsomethingoneshouldbepunishedfor,butrathersomethingthatoneshould
berewardedfor,whichisshownthroughthisquote:Iamaman.Thismiracleofmeismineto
ownandkeep,andminetoguard,andminethouse,andminetokneelbefore!(pg95).This
ideaofindividualismisonethattheWorldCouncilwantedtokeephiddenforalongtime,thus
thebanningofthewordI.Before,Equalitywastoldbyothersthathewascursedforbeing
tootallandtoosmartincomparisontohisbrothers,becausebeingdifferentwasasin.Now,
Equalitybelievesthatthereisnothingwrongwithbeingdifferentandthatthereisnothing
wrongwithwhattheWorldCouncilhadbanned:Ifthatwhichwehavefoundisthecorruption
ofsolitude,thenwhatcanmenwishforsave[except]corruption?Ifthisisthegreatevilof
beingalive,thenwhatisgoodandwhatisevil?ThroughEqualitysdiscoveryofthewordI,a

conceptofindividualismemerges.Therefore,themomentofhisdiscoveryisclearlyoneofthe
mostimportantinthenovel.