Communist Manifesto
A sceptre is haunting Europe, the spectre of communism," Marx said in the introduction of the powerful and controversial Communist Manifesto. Just as the years after the Industrial Revolution were strongly influenced by increasing power of socialism and communism, so were the characters and society of Anthem by the low-tech totalitarianism. As its great Councilmen brainwash the common "proletariat" with the virtue of universal brotherhood and hatred for individualism, combined with a sense of common progress, their omnipotent power is maintained through suppression of self-thought, and most namely, forbiddance to use the word "I". Coupled with his disgust at the World Council leaders and a lack of necessity for a police force, Prometheus is eventually able to make good his escape and emerge as the beacon of hope for humanity and reminder of struggle for freedom and self identity. Many leaderships appeal to the sense of justice and equality, one of fraternal brotherhood, in their society. It is safe to say that in Anthem, the same situation exists. The first thing that will ascend above the rest in striking contrast to the rest of the book is the substitution of the word "I" with "We", making one of many strong elements in the
Alluring to the virtuous beliefs of brotherhood, equality and uniform happiness, the leadership in Anthem have been able to achieve what many Communists desire and Capitalists fear: total and utter collectivization. Though the society of today is not what Anthem shows a Utopian world to be, and such fear of collectivization is past, one should not be so quick to dismiss the honest, truth-searching nature of Prometheus and Gaea, for truly, they symbolize what Ayn Rand wanted to portray with a sense of romanticism and idealism: the flawless human. And although that shall be impossible, Prometheus, true to his name, has been able to brave many dangers to escape the collective "utopia", its corrupt ideals that have been forced onto him, the mindless security, and risk everything he knew for an ultimate sacrifice to bring light to a world seeped in the endless darkness of ignorance. Aldous Huxley once said of the world, "Technological progress has merely provided us with more efficient means for going backwards. The discovery of the house on the summit of the mountain, with religious emphasis, has given Prometheus a new understanding and realization on the world and himself as a human being. " That word is the culmination and flowering of human thought and nature, the word "I". Not only did such natural situations help progress Prometheus towards his escape, the security, or the lack of one, in the Palace of Corrective Detention has enabled him to easily escape his bonds. To retain its power and the equality of all below it, the leadership issues each common worker no more than a simple bed as their personal item, destroying the last vestiges of personal thought and well-being. As stated in the last paragraph, the word "I" is another pillar in the path of self-acknowledgement and ego. "There is evil in your bones," his teachers have told him, and punished him as well for having an inquisitive and curious mind. Up to now, no one has even considered escaping from prison. Personal possession and profit, the guardians of modern day Capitalism and in some elements, democracy, are virtually nonexistent here as well. And as Frederick Douglass once said, "The soul that is within me no man can degrade. Not only was Equality 7-2521, or Prometheus as later known, was blessed with natural features that cannot be changed, he was also placed in different circumstances that served as different catalysts.
Common topics in this essay:
Word Specialized,
Ayn Rand,
World Council,
Corrective Detention,
Industrial Revolution,
Chapter VII,
Aldous Huxley,
Frederick Douglass,
Fraternity International,
Unspeakable Word,
unspeakable word,
ayn rand,
society anthem,
hatred individualism,
punished death,
crime punished death,
crime punished,
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Acceptance Essays
