Ayn Rand's Anthem is a tale of the victory of the individual human over the philosophy known as collectivism. The main character, Equality 7-2521, scales multiple hurdles in his quest for a better lifestyle. Although he ends up a vastly outnumbered fugitive of the only home he has ever known, his undying hope leads him to a more liberating freedom than he could ever have imagined.
After reading Rand's novel, my English class submitted essays to the Ayn Rand Institute for a writing competition. The following is an excerpt from my entry:
"In Equality 7-2521’s world, society as we know it lies abandoned for centuries, while Equality 7-2521’s crimes seriously challenge the Brothers’ social order. He believes he has done an admirable service by finding his new light, but the Scholars say that “what is not done collectively cannot be good,” (Anthem, page 73) The philosophies of choices and freethinking, along with what we consider today certain, unalienable rights, are unheard of in this fictional future.
The society Equality 7-2521 was born into facilitates monotonous beings that perform pre-assigned labor with obsolete technology. The authorities in his world discourage individual thought. As Equality explains in the beginning of the book, “it is a sin to think words no others think and to put them down on paper no others are to see. It is base and evil…and we know that there is no transgression blacker than to do or think alone” (Anthem, page 17). Thus, members of his civilization have been taught.
Through all this strange hardship, Equality 7-2521 clings to the hope for a better way of life. He searches for knowledge at every opportunity, risking his life to make discoveries in his beloved, sacred tunnel."
Monday, March 30, 2009
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
Anthem
Hope springs eternal. What an inspiring phrase. What a comforting thought to know that the sun will always rise on a new day. Hope is a main theme in Ayn Rand's Anthem.
Drowning in a sea of sameness, the main character, Equality 7-2521, is tired of living for the "Great WE". He longs for knowledge and the freedom of individual thought. The authorities in his society enforce mundane and obsolete ideals.
When Equality 7-2521 finds a tunnel full of treasures from the Unmentionable Times, he adopts that place as a sanctuary for discovery. Risking his life for his precious light, he tries to enlighten the Council, only to be reprimanded to the point of having to run away through the Uncharted Forest.
Along with his true love, Liberty 5-3000, Equality 7-2521 finds an ancient house full of texts of the long-lost knowledge.
Can Equality's spirit of liberation and hope prevail over his insanely oppressive society?
This story of unfailing hope is a must read.
Drowning in a sea of sameness, the main character, Equality 7-2521, is tired of living for the "Great WE". He longs for knowledge and the freedom of individual thought. The authorities in his society enforce mundane and obsolete ideals.
When Equality 7-2521 finds a tunnel full of treasures from the Unmentionable Times, he adopts that place as a sanctuary for discovery. Risking his life for his precious light, he tries to enlighten the Council, only to be reprimanded to the point of having to run away through the Uncharted Forest.
Along with his true love, Liberty 5-3000, Equality 7-2521 finds an ancient house full of texts of the long-lost knowledge.
Can Equality's spirit of liberation and hope prevail over his insanely oppressive society?
This story of unfailing hope is a must read.
A Midsummer Night's Dream
Have you ever felt like your life is out of your control? That nothing can go right for you? That no matter how hard you try, he just will not love you? Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream may hold the explanation.
In a story of arranged marriages and forbidden love, fairies and enchanted flowers intrude upon four Athenian lovers' lives. Helena, engaged to Demetrius, but in love with Lysander, runs away with Lysander to escape her father's wrath. Hermia, Helena's best friend and confidant, tells Demetrius of Helena's escape and lovingly follows him into the wood.
Once in the forest, Puck, the Fairy King's servant, in a misguided act of kindness, causes everyone to fall in love with the wrong person, creating a very tangled web of affection.
Shakespeare's romanticism and well-timed comic relief in the form of a hodge-podge acting troupe who are preparing a play for their king's nuptials, are vital to this classic tale.
For a light-hearted love story with a few laughs along the way, Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream is the book to read.
In a story of arranged marriages and forbidden love, fairies and enchanted flowers intrude upon four Athenian lovers' lives. Helena, engaged to Demetrius, but in love with Lysander, runs away with Lysander to escape her father's wrath. Hermia, Helena's best friend and confidant, tells Demetrius of Helena's escape and lovingly follows him into the wood.
Once in the forest, Puck, the Fairy King's servant, in a misguided act of kindness, causes everyone to fall in love with the wrong person, creating a very tangled web of affection.
Shakespeare's romanticism and well-timed comic relief in the form of a hodge-podge acting troupe who are preparing a play for their king's nuptials, are vital to this classic tale.
For a light-hearted love story with a few laughs along the way, Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream is the book to read.
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
To Make My World Perfect...
In my personal utopia....
- The world would live in peace.
- No one would have to deal with poverty or hunger.
- Deadly diseases would be eradicated.
- Nations would help each other instead of fighting to stay ahead.
- Humans would fit into the biosphere without trying to control it.
- Cupid would never stop working.
- Everyone a person loved would be near, not 800 miles away.
- Crime would be nonexistent.
- Jesus' name would be proclaimed from every corner.
- Life would be meaningful and precious, not something casually flung aside.
- Love would prevail.
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