Ayn Rand's Philosophy

Ayn Rand’s Philosophy

• Explain how Anthem is Ayn Rand's Anthem of who she is and whether or not you embrace any or all of her philosophy.
• Show how you do or do not adopt all or any of Ayn Rand's philosophy in your life.
• In addition, show how the world around you does or does not adopt any of Ayn Rand's philosophy.

Anthem is Ayn Rand’s own anthem of what she believes in and who she is as a person. Rand believes in the philosophy of objectivism, which she defines as egoism and reasoning. Through Anthem, Rand exposes what life is like in a non-objectivist society, where “the whole” is valued above the individual. In doing this, she expresses the problems with this type of society, showing that the individual needs to have his own ideas in order to achieve true happiness in life.

Rand lived the same life as Equality while she was growing up in Soviet Russia. She experienced the feelings of living in that world for herself firsthand, so she was able to apply them to her writing and Anthem became her own personal anthem full of all of her beliefs.

While I do agree with Ayn Rand on some of her objectivist ideas, I disagree on others. I think that it is important to be one person, an individual, and worry about your own happiness. However, I also think that it is important that we put others first at times, when they need our help. I adopt some of her ideas in my own life, but I don’t really put myself first at all times. I do use her idea of reason in my life, by reasoning my way through situations.

I don’t really see a lot of Rand’s philosophy alive in the world today. Many people worry about what others may think of them, instead of doing things for themselves. I don’t really think there are a lot of people that do the things they do without wanting the approval of others. Equality invents things out of his own passion to learn, to make himself happy, regardless of what those surrounding him think. Today, however, I think that people are getting lazy and just taking the easy way out, by doing what those around them also do, so that they won’t stand out from the rest, and I just might be one of them. Although there are many people in the world like this, there are still some people that absolutely do not care what everyone else around them thinks. They would rather do what they love and just enjoy their lives and be happy.

Anthem Research Topic

Anthem Research Topic
 

 3. Is Anthem a realistic portrayal of life in a totalitarian society? Compare the fictionalized society in Anthem to a real dictatorship, past or present.

 

Having grown up in Soviet Russia herself, Ayn Rand, the author of Anthem, was influenced by her own experiences when creating the dystopian world found in her book. Born in 1905 to fairly wealthy parents, Rand grew up during a time when Russia was experiencing many struggles over power. In 1917, at only twelve years old, Rand saw a revolution take over the nation as the proletariat took control of the government. Her own family was greatly affected when her family’s business was taken away by the government, as were all other privately-owned businesses (Shmoop Editorial Team).

            The goal of the Bolsheviks, the political party that seized the government, was to create a “Vanguard of the Proletariat,” by establishing a small group from the working class as the leaders of the nation. They seized their opportunity in 1917, when the tsarist regime could not handle the pressures of World War I. Soon, tsardom fell to a revolution of the working class. The proletariat quickly took over the government and made many changes to try to make things equal for all citizens, despite class (“Revolution Comes to Russia”).

The Bolsheviks renamed themselves the Communist Party in March of 1918. Instead of having one sole ruler, they decided to establish the Council of People’s Commissars, which was a group that ran the government. Much like the World Council in Anthem, this small group of leaders made decisions for the whole nation (“Revolution Comes to Russia”).

The people in both Soviet Russia and Anthem were oppressed by their governments. They were told how to live, and even what job they would be working for their entire lives. The government simply controlled everyone’s life for what they thought would benefit “the whole”. This is shown directly in Anthem, as the people are unable to express themselves personally, only saying “we” not “I”. They are only allowed to think of the brotherhood, as one, instead of focusing on themselves. Even thinking their own thoughts is against the rules, in some cases, a sin punishable by death. Violence was used in both societies as a punishment for standing out.

Simply being different was a great sin. Rand experienced this firsthand when she was in school. She nearly got expelled from college because she was too smart, much smarter than her classmates. Equality has the exact same problem. Not only does he look different, but he is hungry for knowledge and asks many questions, something which is discouraged by his teachers when he is in school. When he is assigned his job, the Council of Vocations holds him back, giving him the job of street sweeper, for they do not want him finding out the truth (Shmoop Editorial Team).

Also, neither society really had a religion. Stalin was completely against religion and suppressed it by all means, enforcing atheism onto the people of Soviet Russia. In Anthem, Equality never mentions a greater being until the end, when he has escaped society and figures things out on his own.

Even though these societies relate, there are some differences. First of all, I think that Rand made the society in Anthem into a much harsher representation of Soviet Russia. The people in Anthem don’t even have families. Their entire lives revolve around their jobs and their only time off is to go to the theater to see a show for a couple of hours. They are never given any alone time, time to think, and the government is completely against all advancement of knowledge. Also, food was rationed in Soviet Russia, as another way to make things “equal”. In Anthem, it seems like the government takes pretty good care of its people in this way, to ensure they are healthy enough to work and do their job to contribute to society. However, once they reach an old age, they are no longer of any use, so the government gets them out of the way.

The society of Soviet Russia and the one in Anthem were very oppressive. These totalitarian societies were very harsh and extremely cruel towards those they governed. We can only hope that the past does not repeat itself and that the future society described in Anthem does not come to fruition.

Works Cited

“Revolution Comes to Russia.” AP European History. 12 Dec. 2012.

Shmoop Editorial Team. "Anthem" Shmoop.com. Shmoop University, Inc., 11 Nov.

2008. Web. 21 Apr. 2013. <http://www.shmoop.com/anthem-ayn-rand/>.

 

Anthem Creative Writing

Anthem Creative Writing

7. Rewrite the scene about the Saint at the Pyre from the Saint’s perspective. What did he want to communicate to Equality?   

 

They do not lead we. They lead me into the crowd in the city square. My muscles tense and the bright sunlight burns through my eyelids. As I adjust my vision to the light, I feel my head pounding, my mouth aching with an indescribable pain. I have no tongue. I have no tongue because I spoke it, the Unspeakable Word, so they took the ability to speak away from me. I should care, and they want me to. They long for me to express my pain, but I will not do them that favor.

I’m supposed to be the example, to show everyone what happens to those who defy the Council, but I will not be that person. I hold my head up and walk on. I am careful not to miss a step, looking straight ahead as I walk. I avoid making eye contact with anyone in the crowd. I won’t let their thoughts and harsh words affect me. They know not what kind of society they live in. They know not what else is out there. They do not see that there is more to life. Most are lost in this world, forced to lead meaningless, monotonous lives. I feel bad for them, and their ignorance of the truth. If they only knew that word, they would be saved. I have to communicate it with someone, somehow.

They shove me up onto the pyre and wind chains around my frail body. They did this to me, destroyed me, as they have destroyed all mankind. Yes, we should all stand together, as one, but as one against the Council, not for it.

I scan the crowd for someone, I do not know who, but someone like me. I see rows of eyes staring back at me, all the same, all dull, without light. But then I see something different. I see a young boy, probably ten or eleven years old, and I see light in his eyes. I see in him the hope that I have. I lock eyes with him, for I know that he will be the one to carry on this fight against the injustice of this society. I know that he will be the one to figure it all out, like I did, because he is different, something the Council frowns upon. I smile at him, trying to convey this message to him. I hope he understands. He will carry on my work; I’m sure of it.

The flames rise higher and higher, slowly encircling me, and I let them. I am no longer scared. Instead I feel calm, because I feel that I die in the name of my beliefs. In my final moments, I smile, for I die knowing the truth.

Response to "The Tyger"

The Poem:

The Tyger by William Blake

Tyger! Tyger! burning bright
In the forests of the night,
What immortal hand or eye
Could frame thy fearful symmetry?

In what distant deeps or skies
Burnt the fire of thine eyes?
On what wings dare he aspire?
What the hand, dare sieze the fire?

And what shoulder, & what art,
Could twist the sinews of thy heart?
And when thy heart began to beat,
What dread hand? & what dread feet?

What the hammer? what the chain?
In what furnace was thy brain?
What the anvil? what dread grasp
Dare its deadly terrors clasp?

When the stars threw down their spears,
And water'd heaven with their tears,
Did he smile his work to see?
Did he who made the Lamb make thee?

Tyger! Tyger! burning bright
In the forests of the night,
What immortal hand or eye
Dare frame thy fearful symmetry?

My Response:

From Tyger, To Man

People wonder

Who I am,

What I am,

Where I came from,

But why does

This man who wonders

Of me

Not see

That he is the same

As thee?

For were we

Not all created by

A superior being?

We have all been

Created in

The image

Of this being.

We all are worth

The pondering

Of who,

And what,

And where.

And No One,

Nothing,

Nowhere,

Can change this.

            I chose to write this poem as if the roles in “The Tyger” were switched. Instead of the man questioning how the Tyger was created, I decided to write this poem from the Tyger’s perspective, looking back at the man, evaluating the origin of all life itself. Since “The Tyger” suggests that a supernatural being created life, I decided to go with that theme, as well as the theme of mystery and questioning beliefs to write this letter type of  poem.

Response to "Silence"

The Poem:

Silence by Marianne Moore

My father used to say,
"Superior people never make long visits,
have to be shown Longfellow's grave
or the glass flowers at Harvard.
Self-reliant like the cat –
that takes its prey to privacy,
the mouse's limp tail hanging like a shoelace from its mouth –
they sometimes enjoy solitude,
and can be robbed of speech
by speech which has delighted them.
The deepest feeling always shows itself in silence;
not in silence, but restraint."
Nor was he insincere in saying, "Make my house your inn."
Inns are not residences.

My Response:

Dear Father,

            I should have listened. I know this, because now I see the importance of your lessons. I used to get annoyed with all of these sayings, but now I know that you only repeated these things to make me stronger. I wish that I had seen this when I was younger. Back then I didn’t even know the meaning behind these words.

Now I can appreciate them. I’ve been through so much and your words helped me through all of it. There are certain situations where I had to be the “superior person” and I knew how to act, thanks to you. Now I have grown into a responsible woman, and hopefully someday, a “superior” one too. I hope you would be proud.

I wish you were here to see this, but your words live on, and they will live on for generations to come. I miss you, and I wish I could have expressed my appreciation sooner, but now I wrote this poem in your honor to show my thanks and pass along your message.

                        Love you,

                        Your one and only daughter

 

            I chose to write a letter from the daughter, who is the speaker in “Silence” to her father, whom she quotes in the poem. I think that the purpose of this poem was for the daughter to express her thanks to her father for his guiding words and wisdom that he gave her over the years. In the letter, I included the reasons for her appreciation to show why this poem was so special for the daughter to write.

Response to "Mirror"

The Poem:

                        Mirror by Sylvia Plath

               I am silver and exact. I have no preconceptions.

               Whatever I see I swallow immediately

               Just as it is, unmisted by love or dislike.

               I am not cruel, only truthful --

               The eye of a little god, four-cornered.

               Most of the time I meditate on the opposite wall.

               It is pink, with speckles. I have looked at it so long

               I think it is part of my heart. But it flickers.

               Faces and darkness separate us over and over.

               Now I am a lake. A woman bends over me,

               Searching my reaches for what she really is.

               Then she turns to those liars, the candles or the moon.

               I see her back, and reflect it faithfully.

               She rewards me with tears and an agitation of hands.

               I am important to her. She comes and goes.

               Each morning it is her face that replaces the darkness.

               In me she has drowned a young girl, and in me an old woman

   Rises toward her day after day, like a terrible fish.

My Response:

Through My Eyes

As I peer into the shiny glass,

I see a face, staring back.

I see blue eyes,

As deep as the ocean,

As clear as the sky.

I see freckles,

Standing out,

Against the background,

Of pale skin.

I see eyelashes,

Long and dark,

Like tree branches.

I see wavy brown hair,

Not too short,

But not very long,

Surrounding the face,

Glinting in the sun.

I see two ears,

Dangled with something silver,

Glowing peach in the sky’s light.

I see me.

            I chose to write a poem about my appearance to match the theme of appearances in “Mirror” by Sylvia Plath. I wrote the poem from my own perspective, although it could seem like the mirror is the one speaking at some parts, describing all the things that it sees to the reader. By looking at my own image, I chose to point out some of the things about myself that stand out, or that I like most about myself. I think that we become so familiar with our own reflections that sometimes we find it hard to describe ourselves, as I did when writing this poem.

 

Response to "Disillusionment of Ten O'Clock"

The Poem:

 

Disillusionment of Ten O'Clock by Wallace Stevens

The houses are haunted
By white night-gowns.
None are green,
Or purple with green rings,
Or green with yellow rings,
Or yellow with blue rings.
None of them are strange,
With socks of lace
And beaded ceintures.
People are not going
To dream of baboons and periwinkles.
Only, here and there, an old sailor,
Drunk and asleep in his boots,
Catches tigers
In red weather.

My Response:

 

Disillusionment in the Hoggard Hallway
 

People think

That they’re different

With their

Fancy phones

Hanging out

Of their indigo pockets

Walking down the hall

On autopilot.

They don’t know where they’re going,

Like robots,

Mirrors of each other,

And no one’s different.

 

They think

That they’re unique

With their

Teal L.L. Bean backpacks

Because they have

Their initials on them,

But it’s all the same.

 

They carry themselves

Through the hall

Proudly

Showing off

The backs of their heels

Where everyone can see

That brand name,

Just words,

All echoing each other

In this empty hallway.

 

I chose to write a poem in response to “Disillusionment of Ten O'Clock” so that I could put my own ideas into a similar theme. The setting I chose was the hallway in between classes at Hoggard. The hallway is full of people rushing to their next class, half of them staring at their phones on the way. Everyone acts like they’re programmed, walking down the hall, not even paying attention to their surroundings. There are only a few people who are actually different. Most just want to fit in and have all of the coolest things, and I happen to be one of those people, just like the rest of them.