Ayn Rand
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Ayn Rand was born in St. Petersburg, Russia, on February 2, 1905. ~t age six
she taught herself to read and two years later discovered h~r fi~s.t fictJo~al hero
in a French magazine fo r children, thus capturing the heroic v1s1on which
sustained her throughout her life. At the age of nine, she d~ci_ded to make
fiction writing her career. Thoroughly opposed to the mysticism and
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collectivism of Russian culture, she thought of herself as a Europea~ wnter,
especially after encountering Victor Hugo, the writer she most admired.
During her high school years, she was eyewitness to both the ~erensky .
Revolution, which she supported, and-in 19 17-thc Bolshevik ~evolution,
which she denounced from the outset. In orde r to escape the fighting, her
fam ily went to the Crimea, where she finished high school. The final
Communist victory brought the confiscation of her father's pharmacy and
pe riods of near-starvation. When introduced to American history in her last
year of high school, she immediately took America as her model of what a
nation of free men could be.
When her fam ily returned from the Crimea, she entered the University of
Pctrograd to study philosophy and history. Graduating in 1924, she
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experienced the disintegration of free inquiry and the takeover of the university
by communist thugs. Amidst the increasingly gray life, her greatest pleasures
were Viennese operettas a nd Western films and plays. Long an admirer of
cinema, she entered the State Institute fo r Cinema Arts in 1924 to study
scrcenwriting. It was at this time that she was first published: a booklet o n
actress Pola Negri (1925) and a booklet titled " Hollywood: American Movie
City" ( 1926), both reprinted in 1999 in Russian Writings on Hollywood.
In late I 925 she obtained permission to leave Soviet Russia for a visit to relatives in the United States. Although she told Soviet
authorities that her visit would be short, she was dctcnnincd never to return to Russia. She arrived in New York City in February
1926. She spent the next s ix months with her relatives in Chicago, obtained an extens ion to her visa, and then left for Hollywood to
pursue a career as a screenwriter.
On Ay n Rand's second day in Hollywood, Cecil 8. DeMillc saw her standing at tht gate of his studio, offered her a ride to the set of
his mo vie The King of Kings, and gave her a job, first as an extra, then as a scrip! ric;;i!,' r . D•iring the next week at the studio, she met
an actor, Frank O'Connor, whom she married in 1929; they were married ur,til 1,is <k<1tn li fty yl,ars later.
After struggling for several years at various nonwriting jobs, including one in the wa!·dr•)bc department at the RKO Radio Pictures,
Inc., she sold her first screenplay, "Red Pawn," to Universal Pictures in 1932 and saw her first stage play, Night of January 16th,
produced in Hollywood and then on Broadway. Her first novel, We the Living, was completed in 1934 but was rejected by numerous
publishers, until The Macmillan Company in the United States and Cassells and Company in Engla nd published the book in 1936. The
most autobiographical of her novels, it was based on her years under Soviet tyranny.
She began writing The Fountainhead in 1935 (tak ing a short break in I 937 to write the anti-collectivist novelette Anthem). In the
character o f the a rch itect Howard Roark, she presented for the firs t time the kind of hero whose depiction was the chief goal of her
writing: the ideal man, man as " he could be and ought to be." The Fountainhead was rejected by twelve publishers but finally accepted
by the Bobbs-Merrill Company. When published in 1943, it made history by becoming a best-seller through word of mouth two years
later, and gained for its author lasting recognition as a champion of individualism .
Ayn Rand returned to Hollywood in late 1943 to write the screenplay for The Fountainhead, but wartime restrictions delayed
production until 1948. Working part time as a screenwriter for Hal Wallis Productions , she began her major rtovcl Atlas Shrugged, in
1946. In 195 1 she moved back to New York City and devoted herself full time to the completion of Atlas Shrugged.
Published i~ 195'., Atlas Shrugged.was her g rea_tcst achicvem_e nt and last v.:ork of fiction. In this novel she dramatized her unique
ph1losop?y m an mtellect_ual ~ ystery ~tory t~at mtegrate1 ethics, '!1etaphys1cs, cpistemo!ogy, politics, economics and sex. Although
she considered herself pnmanly a fiction writer, she realized that m orde r to create heroic fictional characters, she had to identify the
philosophic principles which make such individuals possible.
There~fter, Ayn _Ra nd wrote ~nd lectured on ~er_philosophy--Objcctivism, which she characterized as "a philosophy for living on
ea~h..s?e pubh~hed a n? e~1ted her own penod1cals from 1962 to 1976, her essays providing much of the material for s ix books on
ObJect1v1sm and its a pphcallon to the culture. Ayn Rand died on March 6, 1982, in her New York C ity apartment.
4
Concepts To Consider
INDIVIDUALISM VS. COLLECTIVISM
The principal political issue in Anthem-and in society at large-is the issue ?~ indi,~idualism vs.
collectivism. The society depicted in Anthem is a collectivist society. "Collect1v1sm, Ayn Rand
wrote, "means the subjugation of the individual to the group-whether to a race, clas~ or state
does not matter." In such a society, the individual is owned by the group; he has no right to a .
private existence, which means no right to lead his own life, pursue his own happines~ or use ~is
own property. The individual exists only as part of the group, and his worth is determined by his
service to the group. The alternative to collectivism is individualism, the view advocated by Ayn
Rand. "Individualism," she wrote, "regards man-every man-as an independent, sovereign
entity who possesses an inalienable right to his own life, a right derived from his natur~ as~
rational being." Individualism does not mean that one can do whatever he feels like doing; it
means that every man is an individual and has the same rights. "An individualist is a man who
says: 'I will not run anyone's life- nor let anyone run mine. I will not rule or be ruled. I will not
be a master nor a slave. I will not sacrifice myself to anyone-nor sacrifice anyone to myself."'
SELFLESSNESS
Anthem dramatizes Ayn Rand's view that the self is destroyed in a collectivist society. How is the
lack of self-or selflessness-shown? No one has a personal name, for, under collectivism,
individuals are interchangeable. To prefer one person to another (as a friend or romantic partner)
is to commit the cardinal sin: the Transgression of Preference. As in Nazi or Communist societies,
it is wrong to disagree, to have independent thoughts, even to ask questions, because to do
those things sets one apart from others. Self-assertion is forbidden. All decisions are made by the
Council in the name of the whole. Individuals have no rights. No individual choice is allowed by
the government: "everything which is not permitted by law is forbidden." Anthem depicts what
happens to a society that implements selflessness. The result, according to Ayn Rand, is a
subhuman society: what makes human beings human is having a self, which means having a
mind. A selfless individual is a mindless individual. To practice selflessness, one must abstain
from thinking and obey one's masters. To practice collectivism, one must merge himself into the
group, and the only way to do this is to obliterate indivkjual sr.ientity and individual thought. The
result is the kind of society found in Anthem, a society of rni:·,dless robots, people with no
motivation, no ambition, no hope. They are unable to creai::e anything, and the society they live
in has no room for creativity.
EGOISM
If lacking an ego means that one has become a robot, what, for Ayn Rand, is the exact meaning
of egoism? Egoism means "concern with one's own interests." It means that oneself, rather than
others, is the proper beneficiary of one's action. Equality 7-2521 is egoistic. He lives for his own
happiness; he doesn't sacrifice himself to others, nor does he sacrifice others to himself. The
egoism he manifests is exactly what the leaders try to eradicate: ambition, wanting things for
o~eself, wanti~g to learn, wanting a career that makes him happy, loving someone, thinking for
himself. Equality 7-2521 represents the unconquerable human spirit, the affirmation of life. In
contrast, almost all of his fellow citizens are gray, passive, non-entities; as such, they are the
living dead. Chapter 11 ends with "This one god, this one word: 'I,"' and the final words of the
book refer to the "sacred wor?: EGO." Does this mean that egoism is a religion, with the worship
of God replaced by the worship of self? No. Ayn Rand has said that she chose the title Anthem
"beca~s~ this is my hymn to man's
For}vn Rand, the self is like a god, but is not a god in
~he rehg.1ou_s sense. The ego or self 1s a god in that it is one's highest value, the source of what
1s good ,n hfe on Earth.
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5
FREE WILL
One of the oldest and most important philosophic issues is the problem of free will vs.
determinism. Those like Ayn Rand, who advocate free will, contend that people can make
choices, can make up their own mind, can make decisions, can direct their own lives by the ideas
and values they adopt. Those who advocate determinism contend that people are by nature in
the grip of forces beyond their control, that their beliefs and values are the result of some force
such as God, other people, the stars, economic conditions, instincts or one's racial heritage.
Anthem shows what it means to have free will, and it does so in a particularly interesting way. It
depicts a world where people's lives seem to be determined but it's actually a world where
people have free will. Students often believe that in Anthem only the heroic characters have free
will, that the masses are indeed brainwashed, with no power to control their own lives. However,
as Ayn Rand presents them, even those who submit to the authorities have free will. They are
robots, but they are robots by choice: they were not forced to obey; they do so because they
voluntarily abdicated the responsibility to think for themselves. They are depressed, without hope
or ambition; they make no effort to accomplish anything; they merely obey and go along with
orders. Ayn Rand holds that free will means "the choice to think or not." Most of the citizens have
chosen not to think, which leaves them no alternative but to do whatever they're told to do. How
is free will manifested in Anthem? Prometheus relies on his own judgment rather than take the
beliefs of his leaders as automatically true. His rediscovery of electricity is the prime example of
free will: he himself initiates the thinking required to understanding the world around him; this is
what makes him independent. Neither he nor his friends are bound by tradition. That the past is
"unmentionable" does not prevent them from mentioning it; that the forest beyond their city is
"uncharted" does not prevent them from reaching it. And this is the ultimate meaning of a freewill approach to life: the future is open to man; what you attain is up to you; your values and
your ultimate happiness are achievable. In Ayn Rand's view, man has the power to think and
direct his life; he isn't doomed to a life of despair and defeat. If he is willing to rely on himself
rather than be pushed by events, he can, like the heroic characters in Anthem achieve selfconfidence.
6
ANTHEM
INTRODUCTORY LECTURE
Imagine a world in which the word "I" has been outlawed for hundreds of years, ~her~ people have
numbers for names, in which it is a sin to have a friend, and where faceless councils dictate that all humans must spend their days in toiling for the "good of our brothers"-a world in which technological
progress erodes and is eventually abandoned.
This is the world of Anthem, a political allegory written by Ayn Rand in 1937. The hero, Equality 7-2521,
struggles to fight against an oppressive regime and to recapture the one word that will affirm his individuality. We readers can be forgiven for feeling frustrated on his behalf. In a culture so dominated by
our own individual whims, we take the primacy of the individual for granted.
Born Alissa Rosenbaum in St. Petersburg, Russia, in 1905, Ayn Rand (as she renamed herself in the
United States) never took individual free will for granted. As a twelve-year-old in February 1917, she
watched in jubilation as Russian revolutionaries overthrew Tsar Nicholas II; just eight months later, on
October 25, 1917, the Bolsheviks, led by Vladimir Lenin, overran her native St. Petersburg and plunged
the country into a bloody civil war. When the communists emerged victorious, Rand watched as her
father's pharmacy business was confiscated. Rand and her family underwent periods of near starvation
and witnessed the emerging brutalities of a totalitarian police state.
"It is a sin to write this," begins Equality 7-2521's diary, in which he gives us the account of his journey
toward self-discovery. In that tantalizing opening line, one can imagine young Ayn Rand curled up in her
bed writing of her "sins" against the official Bolshevik party line. Rand burned her own diary when she
turned thirteen. It contained her negative views on popular ideas and maxims of the communist party-like "live for the state" or "live for others." She knew that even for a child, keeping a written record
of ideas that clashed with the soon-to-be ruling ideology could put her in mortal peril.
Rand would be the only member of her family to make it out of what became Soviet Russia. Because
her job was making propaganda films, she obtained permission in 1926 to study filmmaking in the
United States, and after leaving Russia, she never returned. Rand had fixated on Western life, and the
inalienable rights of"life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness" written into America's Declaration of
Independence particularly appealed to her.
Rand made her way to Hollywood, where famed director Cecil B. DeMille cast her as an extra in one of
his epic films. Her connection to DeMille helped her gain entry into the world of screenwriting and editing. She eventually began to write novels, which received an impressive amount of attention but mixed
reviews. While she was struggling with the plot of what would become her most famous novel, The
Fountainhead, Rand wrote Anthem in just one week. Inspired by a futuristic story in a popular magazine,
she thought, "I can do that," and wrote the book, seeking nothing more than to publish it in The Saturday Evening Post.
Readers often see Anthem as a sketch of The Fountainhead, which features red-haired Howard Roark,
the fiercely independent architect whose bold, modernistic designs are rejected by the tradition-bound
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ANTHEM
INTRODUCTORY LECTURE
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society. More than a sketch of The Fountainhead, however, Anthem offers an introduction to the ideas
Rand would later develop into a complete philosophy called Objectivism, which she described as a
"philosophy for living on earth." She called Anthem "my manifesto, my profession of faith, the essence
of my entire philosophy." She lectured and wrote on her philosophies until her death in 1982.
Always outspoken about her view oflife, Ayn Rand is someone about whom people inevitably hold
strong opinions. Conservatives love her anti-government, pro-entrepreneurial stance and her moral
rationale for capitalism. Liberals hate her for denouncing altruism and espousing selfishness as a
virtue. Literary critics bemoan her prose as preachy and her characters as cardboard creations. A 2002
Ubrary Journal review branded Anthem as "a long-forgotten exercise in paranoia."
How then does one explain that Anthem sells 100,000 copies a year and inspires the more than 8,000
essays submitted to the Ayn Rand Institute contest each year? One explanation is that young people
who are just beginning to make their way in the world are always captivated by the struggle between the
desires of the individual and the pressing demands of society. The novel's popularity also can be attributed to its fascinating dystopian vision of the future, its tender love story, its confirmation of the human
spirit, and its classic theme of good vs. evil, although in Anthem, what is considered evil is something
to cheer. Political and philosophical considerations aside, Anthem continues to engage readers as it
takes them into a nightmare world and then delivers them, along with the protagonist, to a mountaintop where humanity is affirmed and hope is reborn.
4
Anthem Summary
Anthem is written as the diary of Equality 7r11"°""......~ _.,.~.......... 2521, a young man living in a future in which
people have lost all knowledge of
individualism, to the point of not even knowing
words like 'I' or 'mine.' Everyone lives and
works in collective groups, with all aspects of
daily life dictated by councils -- the Council of
Vocations, the Council of Scholars, etc. When
he is assigned to a menial job cleaning the
streets, Equality 7-2521 rebels against
collectivism by conducting secret scientific
research, which eventually leads him to recreate electric light. When he presents his
discovery to the Council of Scholars, they condemn him for daring to
act as an individual and threaten to destroy his creation. He flees into
the Uncharted Forest. He is joined there by his love, a girl called
Liberty 5-3000. They come across an ancient house, a relic of the
Unmentionable Times before colh?.ctivism. There they rediscover the
lost language of the self. They r~rwrne themselves Prometheus and
Gaea (after the ancient Greek n1yths), and Prometheus vows to use
his new knowledge to build a sodety based on individual freedom.
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ANTHEM
LESSON GUIDE - STUDENT EDITION
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Vocabulary
base: shameful, low-minded
brigades: squadrons or units
cesspool: an underground reservoir for temporary storage of sewage
convulsions: sudden violent and involuntary movements of the body
dais: a low platform for a lectern ·
flints: pieces of quartz that produce a spark when struck by steel
indivisible: unable to be separated
larder: a large room or cupboard for storing food
preference: partiality
quest: an act or instance of seeking; a search
ravine: a gorge or canyon
sieve: a device used to sift or filter
transgression: sin or wrongdoing
vials: small, cylindrical glass containers used to hoid chemicals
vocations: professions or occupations
Equality 7-2521 narrates the novel, and he speaks in terms of "we." How do readers learn that
Equality 7-2521 is one person? What does his continually speaking as "we" suggest about his society?
1.
How old is Equality 7-2521 at the time of this story? What is the "curse" that sets him apart from
others in society, how has he suffered from this curse (or curses) during his years as a student, and
did he cope with his particular fate?
2.
3. List some of the ways Equality 7-2521 committed sins before he commits the Transgression of
Preference. Describe how he commits the Transgression of Preference.
4. What are the Unmentionable Times and the Great Rebirth?
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ANTHEM
- LESSON GUIDE - Sn.J. DENT EDITION
. What are some examples of how propaganda is employed in this society to erase the idea of ind i5
vidualism?
6. Equality 7-2521 says,
"All the great modern inventions come from the Home of the Scholars, such as the
newest one, which we found only a hundred years ago, of how to make candles from wax
and string...."
What does the passage imply about his society in relation to the Great Rebirth?
7. Why is Equality 7-2521 glad when he is assigned to be a Street Sweeper as his "Life Mandate,"
although he had wished to be chosen as a Scholar?
8. Equality 7-2521 has lived in several Homes since his birth. What phrase is repeated to describe the
sleeping halls in the Homes? How does this motif reflect the State's collective philosophy?
9. Why are men sent to the Home of the Useless when they are only forty years old? How do they live
the remainder of their lives?
What does Equality 7-2521 discover two years before he begins writing his account? What "crimes"
does it lead him to commit?
10.
11. What does Equality 7-2521 do during the time he spends alone in his secret place underground ?
Equality 7-2521 feels no shame for the crimes he has committed, and he does not regret what he
has done in his secret hiding place: "And in our heart-strange are the ways of evil!-in our heart
there is the first peace we have known in twenty years." What do his feelings and his actions reveal
about Equality 7-2521?
12.
ANTHEM
LESSON GUIDE - STUDENT EDITION
II
Vocabulary
avert: to turn away
deigned: condescended
eugenics: the controversial science of improving population by controlled breeding
furrows: long narrow trenches made by a plough for planting seeds
lassitude: mental weariness
moat: deep, wide ditch surrounding a castle, fort, or town
pyre: a heap of flammable material upon which corpses are burned
spangles: small sparkling pieces of material; sequins
Beyond her physical beauty, Liberty 5-3000 displays a certain "hard" quality that attracts Equality
7-2521. How does he describe this quality in her? What might hardness in her character suggest about
her? How would having this quality help her?
1.
Describe how the State controls relationships between men and women. How does Equality 7-2521
feel about it? Why do women never see their child ren?
2.
3. Aside from again committing the Transgression of Preference by being attracted to Liberty 5-3000
and finding her the most beautiful of women, what other sins in regard to her does Equality 7-2521
commit?
4. Why is Equality 7-2521 relieved when he learns the Golden One is seventeen? What feelings does he
seem to have for her? What indicates that he doesn't understand his feelings?
5. Equality 7-2521 says, "It is forbidden, not to be happy." Explain the irony in the State's requiring
people to be happy.
6. What prevents people in this society from talking to one other? Explain the primary force that keeps
them silent.
ANTHEM
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LESSON GUIDE - STUDENT EDITION
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7. Describe the Uncharted Forest and explain why Equality 7-2521 finds it so fascinating. What do you
think his interest in the Uncharted Forest foreshadows and why?
8. How did the new society replace the previous one that existed in the Unmentionable Times?
9. What was the Script Fire? How does it indicate the importance of the written word?
How does the author establish a connection between Equality 7-2521 and the Transgressor of the
Unspeakable Word?
10.
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ANTHEM
LESSON GUIDE - STUDENT EDITION
Ill
Vocabulary
brine: a solution of water heavily saturated with salt
loadstone (commonly "lodestone"): a naturally magnetized mineral
zinc: a bluish white metallic element used in battery electrodes, among many other things
How does Equality 7-2521's discovery of a "new power of nature" make him see the Council of
Scholars in a different light?
1.
2.
How does Ayn Rand express her philosophy of scientific innovation in this chapter?
3. What does Equality 7-2521 witness when he sees the frog's leg jerk? What is this "new miracle" and
"new power" he discovers by experimenting with zinc, brine, and copper?
4. In the secret tunnel where Equality 7-252·1 conducts his experiments, he sees "little globes of glass
on the walls," with "threads of metal thinner th.:m a spider's web." What are they? How do they put
his scientific discoveries and inventions in historical context?
5. Why is Equality 7-2521 's discovery in the tunnel a pivotal moment in the novel?
ANTHEM
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LESSON GUIDE· STUDENT EDITION
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IV
Vocabulary
scornful: expressing contempt
submission: the act of yielding to the will or authority of another person or people
tarried: lingered
How do the Golden One and Equality 7-2521 interact, and how do they express their love for each
other?
1.
There are no transitions between the subjects of the chapters in Anthem. For instance, the last
chapter was about Equality 7-2521's discovery of electricity, and this chapter is about a meeting between him and the Golden One. What does organizing the novel this way suggest about Equality
7-2521's developing as an individual?
2.
3. What prompts Equality 7-2521 say to the Golde!'! One, "Our dearest one, do not obey us"? Why
does he say it?
LG:39
ANTHEM
LESSON GUIDE - STUDENT EDITION
v
Vocabulary
abyss: a deep and seemingly bottomless chasm
current (electrical): a flow of electricity from the ordered movement of electrically charged particles
fathom: to understand
,. What is Equality 7-2521 celebrating at the beginning of this chapter?
2.
What does Equality 7-2521 plan to do after discovering how to create light? Why?
3. Aside from contributing to scientific progress, what else does Equality 7-2521 believe he will gain by
revealing the "gift" of light to the World Council of Scholars?
4. What connection does Equality 7-2521 make between the product of his intellect-the electric
light-and his body?
5. Equality 7-2521 suddenly wants to see his own image, although he doesn't understand why he feels
the desire to look at himself. At this point in his life, why would he want to see his own face for the
first time?
ANTHEM
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LESSON GUIDE - STUDENT EDITION
VI
Vocabulary
corrective: designed to counteract negative actions/influences
detention: the act of holding someone in custody
froth: small bubbles of foam around the mouth (in context)
hastened: hurried
lunged: made a sudden forward thrust with the body
stole through: sneaked past
....
togas: short, flowing outer garments (like those worn in ancient Rome)
Why is Equality 7-2521 sent to the Palace of Corrective Detention, and what does his admission of
his infraction tell us about the society and about him?
1.
2.
Describe the demeanor and the actions of the Council of the Home when they summon Equality
What does their behavior imply about them?
7-2521 .
3. In the Stone Room as he is lashed by two men, how does Equality 7-2521 live up to the Golden
One's name for him?
.I
4. What does Equality 7-2521 have in common with the Transgressor of the Unspeakable Word?
5. In what way is Equality 7-2521 unlike the man he calls "the Saint of the pyre"? What suggests Equality 7-2521 's fate will be different from his?
6. Why is it easy to escape from the Palace of Corrective Detention? What does the lack of security at
the Palace tell you about this society?
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7. Equality 7- 2 521 imagines his triumphant appearance at the Home of the Scholars: "We shall join
our hands to theirs, and we shall work together, with the power of the sky, for the glory of mankind."
What does his thinking tell you about him?
ANTHEM
LESSON G~IDE - Sn~DENT EDITION
VII
Vocabulary
infamy: evil reputation brought about by doing something brutal, shocking, or criminal
,. How does the World Council of Scholars receive Equality 7-2521's invention?
What does. Equality 7-2521 mean when he says, "We are old now, yet we were young this morning,
when we earned our glass box through the streets of the City to the Home of the Scholars"?
2.
3. Besides condemning how Equality 7-2521 invented his box of light, the World Council rejects it for
other reasons. How does their reasoning demonstrate the idea that bureaucracy stifles progress?
4. According to Similarity 5-0306, what is the reason to exist? How does it relate to Equality 7-2521's
box of light?
5. In this chapter, what does Equality 7 -2521 do that sets him apart from the Transgressor of the pyre?
6. After Equality 7-2521 escapes from the World Council, he runs "blindly." What does the description
of his finding himself in the Uncharted Forest suggest about Ayn Rand's view of the individual?
7. How does Ayn Rand establish Equality 7-2521's sense of individual self-worth ("ego") in this chapter?
8. Ayn Rand wrote a nonfiction book called The Virtue of Se!fishness and espoused authentic selfishness as the desire to live according to one's own interests. How does the end of the chapter echo her
belief?
ANTHEM
LESSON Gl.!IDE - STUDENT EDITION
VIII
1. Ayn
Rand defined her philosophy, Objectivism, as a philosophy for "living on earth." How does this
chapter express this philosophy literally?
2.
Contrast Rand's depiction of the Uncharted Forest with her depiction of the City.
3. Think about the meaning of the word "anthem," the title of the novel. How does the title relate to
this chapter?
4. What does Equality 7-2521 see for the first time in the Uncharted Forest? How does he react? What
does his reaction imply about the development of his character?
.
5. What is the primary emotion coursing through this chapter as it details Equality 7-2521's first full
day in the Uncharted Forest? How does it contrast with what he felt while living in the City?
ANTHEM
a
LESSON GUIDE - STU~ENT E~ITION
IX
Vocabulary
corruption: the state of being morally depraved
ecstasy: an overwhelming feeling of great joy; bliss
smolder: to burn slowly with smoke but no flame
1. The
escape into the Uncharted Forest could be considered a Great Rebirth for Equality 7-2521 since
in the forest he experiences freedom and joy for the first time. How does the sudden appearance of
the Golden One develop this idea?
2. The
Golden One tells Equality 7-2521, "We wish to be damned with you, rather than blessed with all
our brothers." Earlier, International 4-8818 says to him, "Rather shall we be evil with you than good
with all our brothers." What motivates each of them to make such a pledge to Equality 7-2521? How
do their pledges to him relate to individualism?
3. What beliefs does Equality 7-2521 begin to doubt as he spends time in the forest with the Golden
One? Why does he doubt them?
4. The Golden One expresses how she feels about Equality 7-2521: "We are one... alone . .. and
only... and we love you who are one. . . alone. . . and only." With her words, they feel that "the
breath of a miracle had touched us, and fled . ..." What do you think is the "miracle" that touches
them? Why does it leave them searching for a particular word, and how is foreshadowing exemplified
in this passage?
ANTHEM
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LESSON GUIDE - STUDENT EDIT_ION
x
Vocabulary
endeavoring: trying hard
hearth: the floor of a fireplace or the area in front of a fireplace
reverence: deep respect or honor
scripts: written texts
threshold: doorway
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!
i
How does Ayn Rand show nature as a benevolent force in Equality 7-2521 and the Golden One's
trek through the Uncharted Forest?
1.
What do Equality 7-2521 and the Golden One notice about the living arrangements in the house in
the mountains that surprises them? What do they find that's shocking?
2.
3. List the most important items Equality 7-2521 and the Golden One find in the house. Explain why
they are so delighted with them .
4. Ayn Rand cast off her Jewish heritage and was a self-admitted radical atheist. However, the language in Anthem often has a biblical tone. What passage in this chapter strikes a religious chord?
What do Rand's words suggest?
ANTHEM
L_ESSON GUI DE· STU DEN)' EDITION
........
.,..
.t· ...
~"''
XI
Vocabulary
botched: carried out badly or carelessly
covet: to yearn for
creed: a belief system
depraved: corrupt
dictate: to rule over
edict: a command
impotent: powerless
lime: any number of calcium compounds added to soil or water
plunder noun: stolen property
serfdom: a system of feudal agricultural labor
summit: the top
undefiled: pure
vindicate: to clear someone of blame
warrant: (in context) permission
1. Why would
critics see this chapter as the climax of Anthem, even though it is not the final chapter?
As Equality 7-2521 stands atop the mountain summit, he says, "I am the warrant and the sanction."
How does his declaration relate to his former life in the City?
2.
3· This chapter sets forth Ayn Rand's philosophy through the words of Equality 7-2521. Summarize
some of the tenets-or principles-of that philosophy as Equality 7-2521 has come to understand
them.
4- Explain how the following quote from Equality 7-2521 speaks to the corruption of a society ruled
by collective will: "The word 'We' is as lime poured over men, which sets and hardens to stone, and
crushes all beneath it and that which is white and that which is black are lost equally in the grey ofit."
I
"'·
ANTHEM
-~· • LESSON GUIDE - STUDENT EDIT,l~N
,._
. How is the liberation tha~ ~qu~lity 7-2521 experiences with the discovery of "I" different from the
5liberation he feels upon arriving in the Uncharted Forest?
ANTHEM
·t
~-
_LESSON GUIDE - STUDE_N T EDITION
~.-···
XII
vocabulary
ego: a person's sense of self-importance; self-esteem
flying ships: airplanes
Gaea Greek Mythology: a goddess of the earth
Prometheus Greek Mythology: A demigod, one of the Titans, who stole fire from Zeus and gave it to
man. Zeus punished Prometheus by chaining him to a rock and having
an eagle feed on his liver each day. Hercules finally rescued him.
raze: to tear down
shackled: chained
yoke: oppressive servitude
1. What
had Equality 7-2521 thought of as his "curse"? How is he enlightened about it in the small
mountain house? How does he react when he gains this new knowledge?
Even though she is a woman, Ayn Rand has said she is a "male chauvinist" and has been criticized
by feminists for presenting men as being superior to women. What aspects of this chapter support
2.
this criticism?
3. Why does Equality 7-2521 rename himself Prometheus?
4. What does Ayn Rand foreshadow by the Golden One's being renamed Gaea?
S· How is Ayn Rand's Prometheus distinguished from the Saint of the pyre, from "the saints and all
the martyrs who came before him," and from the mythological figure of Prometheus?
6. How does Prometheus/Equality 7. 252, plan to start a society in which individual freedom is protected?
ANTHEM
LESSO~ GUIDE - STUDENT E~ITION
. How does Prometheus/Equality 7-2521 sum up mankind's history, which he has gleaned from all
1
the books he has read in the house?
s. How would the new world, as outlined by Prometheus/Equality 7-2521 with great fervor and hope,
be protected against the forces of collectivism?
. Use the dictionary to find the definition of the word "ego," which was the original title of Anthem
9
and is the last word in the book. Describe the difference between "I" and ego.
I
(";·,40
ANTHEM
·•
~
- _EssAY AND DISC~SSION QUESTIONS
• What examples
1the novel? How is
of propaganda-mislead· . f,
propaganda used to
tingl ihn ormation used to promote a cause-can you find in
·
d
con ro t e members of th"
· >Wh
expose to in your ai Iy life, and what effi ct d
.
is society.
at propaganda are you
e
oes 1t have on you?
d
1
• One of the greatest human sins in Equ l'ty
2
eating
a preference for a person thing a ct.7: 2 S21 'hs world is the Transgression of Preference-indif,
h
. )
'
' O r a IVlty. W at are the w
our society. What laws or institutions protect against
. t he harmfulays
pre erence
can arm members of
effects
of preference?
3.
Play "devil's advocate" with Ayn Rand Cite e
I Of
. .
age creativity and progress or benefit hu.ma .tyx~mphes collectivism or collective action that encourni in ot er ways.
4. Which aspects of Ayn Rand's philosophy are pre
t·
litical parties would accept or reject her philosophi~:~ _m contem~ora.7.American politics? Which po·
create the most controversy? Why?
views as out me '"Anthem? Which of her views
5· Arn Rand wa~ drawn to Am~rica.as a child; she emigrated from Russia and lived in New York City
until
What 1s uniquely American in the story of Equal'ty
·d her
t · death
A +hin 1982.
)
1 7_2521 an d th e ph'II osop h'1es
Ia1 ou
in
n,, em .
6. Explain ~hy_t~e dictum that "men have no cause to exist save in toiling for other men" is so important to maintaining the collectivist society in Anthem.
7. Identify countries or societies in the world today that bear some resemblance to the City. How are
they similar to the City?
.
8. Pretend you are a literary critic, and write a review of Anthem that focuses primarily on its literary
style. How successful is Ayn Rand at setting the scene, creating a dynamic plot, and making her characters believable? Address these questions in your review, and support your opinions with examples
from the novel.
g. Ayn Rand is often credited with offering a "moral defense of capitalism" as opposed to a practi·
cal defense (such as the creation of wealth). How do the philosophies exemplified in Anthem make a
moral defense of capitalism at work in a free market?
Put yourself in the shoes of one of Equality 7-2521 's fellow men. Would you_have th~ courage to go
against the various councils, as Equality 7-2521 does? Remember an instance m your hfe when you
chose to oppose a collective "we" and assert your own "I." Describe your experience.
10.
Equ 1·ty
, ·· ·
about the Council of Scholars collide with reality when he brings them
·
a
1 7-2521 s naive views
his invention. Describe an experience when you were disillusioned by someone or bya group of peopIe
11
you admired. How did the experience affect you?
ED:9
ANTHEM
•ESSAY AND D1scuss10N QUESTIONS
--
Ayn Rand advocates free will the 1-d th
'
ea at people
d.
make. Those who advocate a philosophy fd
.. can 1rect their lives through the choices they
·
o etermm,sm b 1·
h
forces beyon d t he1r control. In your opin· d h
e 1eve t at people are subJ"ectto fate and
.
ion, o t e peopl . h .
power to contro I t he1r own lives? What a
e int e City have free will or do they have no
re some exampl . h
'
es int e novel that support your opinion?
13. Compare and contrast how this novel
.
I
presents technolo
"th h .
dystop1an nove s, such as Lois Lowry's Th c·
gy wi t e views of this topic in other
New World.
e tver, George Orwell's 1984 and Aldous Huxley's Brave
12.
14. In George Orwell's allegory of the Bolshev,·k
I ·
· t sov1et
· umon,
· Ammal
. Farm,
the animals revolt against humans By the d revo
f h ut1on and Stal·ims
.
en o t e story the an· I ' II .
" II .
equal," has been subverted to "All animals are e
'
.,ma s ra ying cry, A animals are
Relate the second slogan to the society in A th qual ~ut some animals are more equal than others."
n em, using examples from Anthem to support your
.
.
d1scuss1on.
15. Ohescribe three or four examples of contradictions or hypocrisy that exist within the society in
Ant em.
16. In Rand's novel, we see how a collectivist world crushes the self, but we also see examples of
ultimate self-sacrifice. Explain the difference between selflessness and self-sacrifice. What are some
examples from the book that illustrate each?
17. Research the Greek myths ab()Ut Prometheus and Gaia. Why did Equality 7-2521 choose the name
Prometheus for himself and the name of Gaia for the Golden One?
18. At the end of Anthem, Prometheus talks about those who had gone before him, who had tried to
reject society but did not survive. Discuss three ways in which the collective society destroys the individual or an individual's spirit.
19. A staunch atheist, Ayn Rand rejected her Jewish heritage, yet Antdhemdsohm:timdes .~eferencesh~hek
sacred , an d toward t he en d ofthe nove l, Equality 7-2521 invokes Go an t e go s. Do you t in
Anthem rejects religion or promotes a new one? Why?
1
I
t h's
1 plan for a new society, a world where each man will
d "EGO" will be inscribed upon the portals.
In the last chapter, Prometheus ays 0 ~ h. h h
b fi
. r. h"
ke--a place in w ic t e wor
e ree to exist ,or 1s own sa . .
. h
h
son lives according to his or her individual will?
What, if any, dangers lie in a society in whic eac per
20.
. h . d ..d Is have absolute freedom without government.
.
. ty I·n whic in 1v1 ua
21. An anarchy is a utopian soc1e
h ) Why or why not?
Is the new society Prometheus describes an anarc y.
ED:10
c.~ . \. '2-
Anthem Venn Diagram
Rand intended ~quality 7-252_1 to stan~ out from his "brothers." Exp\ain h_ow she
accomplishes this by contrastmg Equality's physical qualities to those of his
fellow men.
8
Anthem Venn Diagram
contrast Equality 7-2521 with the rest of the men living in this society.
'-·• .
•.I
...
Anthem Personal Glossal'.l
erson
start a Pvidence.
al glossary in Which You explain the following terms. Provide
~uale
~~:'"7"""-----------.--:;;;;;:;;;;:;-;-:--;;-;:~;:-;;~;;-;;-;;-;,;-;-~
te Great Truth TERM
,he
fhe Unmen,t ·onable Times
The uncharted Forest
The Evil Ones
The Great Rebirth
'l'EXTUAI. EVIJ>ENcE a PG •
Anthem-ISM Personal Glossa
start a personal glossary in Which
textualYou
evidence.
explain the following terms. Provide
!..!::!~~---------r---TE~AL EVIDENCE & PG #
Independence
Obedience
19
Anthem Cause and Effe~
l1
riat ? oescn
•
Equa ·ty 7-2521 discover
h" in
h this
"t chapters
I
· How important is this
9-11?
I
over!·
njoyable.
doe5
"be 4-5 ways in w •c
Wou d help SOciety, and make life easier
and rT1
~
disc ore e
--------------------------,
.·,\ . ,
Outcome 3:
Outcome 5:
. '·
. I .. -;;
;-
. ;Examples
petat1s
a.
b,
c.
supporting idea:
2.
~ a.
b.
c.
Supporting idea:
3.
Details/Examples
a.
b.
c.
21
,..._
Anthem Plot Diagram
create a plot diagram of the novel, including the five major components (initial situation, trigger
incident, rising action, climax, resolution).
Rising Action
Falling Action
[!:xposition
What's Most Important?
I,___
Most Important?
What's Most Important?
Themes:
24
• t
•
~
Anthem Point of View
Ayn Rand wrote An!hem i~ diary for.m, usi~g first person m~jor point-of-view. Discuss the merits
of this form and point of view for this particular novel. Consider: Why is the diary form crucial to
plot and character development in Anthem? How does it help to reveal the setting and establish
the nature of this society? How does it contribute to the mystery surrounding the Unspeakable
word? How would using first person minor or third person omniscient point of view weaken the
novel?
Why is this form crucial?
.
•.,•
'~ .
..
·,
..
·<· .
How does it help reveal. ..?
.·
.. ·
:'-:
:_-
~.
',:
.'
DIARY FORM
Contribute to mystery
of Unspeakable Word?
Other voices differ?
1'. ···~
°'·,o-\~
Anthem Pyramid of Needs
.
xamples from Maslow's Pyramid of Needs from the"society in Anthem and
provide e
examples from your own society.
[
Anthem's Society VS. Our Society
J
Self-Actualized
Meaning
Special Projects _ A
nthem by A Yn Rand
.
ose one proJect from the list b I
novella, Anthem T~ ow, and complete it as part f
oCfhAOyn Rand's let
db
. .
ese are eith .
o our study
rojects comp e
y working in pairs o I
er. individual projects or
n Y· Each pr · t ·
P
in class.
OJec w,11 be presented
1. Design a brochure which advertises the "old"
place to live. The information should t
setting in Anthem as an ideal
social institutions, rules, laws and b ,~ tfract prospective residents. Include
.
·t·
'
e ie s The broch
h
. . ure s ould include both
persuas1v~ wn mg and appropriate visu 1·
. Create a city m~p, a flag, and one of th! ;~ ~,n~iv,_dual or p~ir~)
2 Rights, or a national anthem (for the "old" or11 .~'"9,; a c~nst1tut1on, a Bill of
Bill of Rights should be at least 200 words T~ew ~ettmgs. The constitution or
to a tune. You may prerecord the son a ·
e ~ational_anthem sh~uld be set
9
nd play it back m class or smg the
anthem in class. (Individual or pairs)
3. Create~ board g~me of the book. Be sure to include rules (at least 25) and
game pieces. Think of games such as "Monopoly" and "Life" h
·
·
original game.
w en creating this
(Individual or pairs)
4. Look at popular music CD covers. Create a CD cover of your own design for
your "virtual" sound track of Anthem. Design the complete CD insert which
includes album notes {at least 25 lines), a summary of the book, a brief
biography of the author, a nd anything else found on a CD insert. (Individual)
5. Write the "missing s ce()e" from Chapter 1 in which the Council of Vocations is
deliberating Equality's future profession. Are any of the Council members
sympathetic to Equality? If so, would they dare to voice their opinions? Reveal
the Council's true motives in assigning Equality the job of street sweeper in this
,
. . .
writeup of at least 200 words. (Individual)
6. Write a factual newspaper article about Prometheus escape _fro~ Ja'!· his
surprise appearance at the World Council of Sch~lar~, and his flight into the
Uncharted Forest. Then, write an opinionated editorial _about the ~a~e events,
written by one of his "brothers." Factual newspaper article and ed,tonal together
should be at least 200 lines. (Individual)
Point Value: 200 points