Friday, December 10, 2010

The Anthem by Ayn Rand



Anthem is a Dystopian Novella by Ayn Rand.  It's about a world that the people refer to themselves as we or us and ours.  The main character  Equality 7-2521 is writing about his life while underground and in private.  When he was born and his path was chosen by the Council to be in the House of the Street Sweepers.  He wishes he could be in the House of the Scholars and learn with them.  He notices a girl named Liberty 5-3000, while sweeping the streets he names her "The Golden One". She also names him "The Unconquered".  On his rounds he finds this sewer drain filled with books.  He visits this sewer drain alot, he reads the books and writes about his experiences.  One day while studying he accidently creates electricity and he is so excited to show it to the Council. But, they reject his discovery and he is sent to prison and is punished.  After his sentence he is released, he talks to "The Golden One" and  she follows him in the uncharted forest.  While they make their escape, they find an old house filled with books, he again studies and he gives himself a new name which is "Prometheus" and she gets a new name "Gaea".  He writes how everyone is born which adults come into a building, mate, babys are born and taken away from the mother.  The person has no idea who his parents are.  While living and caring for the house in the uncharted forest, he starts calling himself I, me, myself and ego. In the city, if someone ever said I, me, myself in public he would be burned at the stake.  At the end he decides to crave a word in a rock and put it over the door.  The word would be EGO.

My Two Cents: I liked the book, it was interesting because it starts out as no individualism or uniqueness. I started to fill bad for the main character, because he was accepted in the House of the Scholars and he was marked to be a lowly Street Sweeper.  The writing was great.

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