Classic Book Review: Anthem by Ayn Rand
Anthem was one of the first books by Rand that I have ever read. This short novella was extremely interesting but not at all what I expected. In the world that Rand shapes individuality is a crime. Free thought is a crime. Having Passion is a crime. Falling in love freely is a crime. However, there is Equality 7-2521 that is curious and wants to go against the grain. He has no interest in living within the confines of his appointed lifestyle and job (as a street sweeper). It all starts with him praying to become a scholar because deep down he knows (or thinks) that they have free thought and he knows he is intelligent enough to be a scholar. But those dreams are dashed when he is assigned the job as a street sweeper. While cleaning the streets, he stumbles upon a sewer grate the is unmarked and upon inspection he finds that there are materials there to invent something. Equality finds and is able to harness electricity. He knows that he has to keep it a secret until the meeting of the scholars. While developing the electric box he meets Liberty 5-300; who he promptly names "The Golden One". It is almost love at first sight. She finds him unusual and handsome and eventually names him "The Unconquered" because he is like no other man and seems to be able to think for himself. He wishes for her to be the same; honestly we have very little insight into how she thinks. Which I understand because its only a short novella and she is not the main character. Eventually the moments between them grow and the first act of her really showing that she cares for him is a simple one. She brings him water, cupped within her hands and he calls her "dearest one". Finally the scholars are meeting and he comes to the scholars with his invention; and we discover that they are not as free thinking as one might think. They safely follow the rules and will not allow for a street sweeper to change the status quo. All Equality wanted to do was make life a little easier for everyone else by providing them with electricity. Once rejected by the scholars he escapes into the woods; a place no one dare goes. Only to be followed by "the golden one". They travel through the forest and eventually happen to find a house in the mountains; inside this place they find books and eventually they discover that their society is wrong for making them lose their individuality. It is not until now that they take names. They also learn that their society was not always this way; and Equality (now know as Prometheus) vows to take all that he has learned back to the city he came from. He will lead a revolution of enlightenment.
My Thoughts:
I was stunned by this book; mainly because of the style in which it was written. The characters describe themselves as "we" and they have no real names; just names given to them by their government. Every single thing in their society is controlled tightly. They know nothing of love and are in fact allowed to "mate" every spring; this happens randomly and the men are paired up with a woman that he does not know. The mating happens and the children that are born from these unions are taken from their mothers; never getting to know either parent. What I loved about the book is that Rand slowly shows us how Equality (AKA Prometheus) comes into his own. How he rejects the constructs of his society to become an individual. This spoke to me because sometimes, especially in the society we live in being an individual is frowned upon. Think about how many times we have commented on someone with a weird fashion sense or quirky personality. We describe them sometimes as not "normal"; when actually normal is boring and in fact difficult to obtain, describe and maintain. Rand stressed the importance of personal growth and knowledge and of seeing oneself as separate from society/the group. Another thing that is important to note is that in the book Rand lets us know that "free thinkers, artists, and writers" were punished or killed for creating. I can see where this could be a problem in a society. Think about the Nazi Party during WWII; they punished musician and writers. The same could be said of school districts in the U.S. that challenge and attempt to ban books. I can honestly say that this book was a pleasant surprise and I do look forward to reading more of Rand's work in the future. I gave this book 4/5 stars on Goodreads.
Quotes I Loved:
"Your eyes are as a flame, but our brothers have neither hope mor fire. Your mouth is cut of granite, but our brothers are soft and humble. Your head is high, but our brothers cringe. You walk, but our brothers crawl, we wish to be damned with you then to be blessed with our brothers"
"I know not if this earth on which I stand is the core of the universe or if it is but a speck of dust lost in eternity. I know not and I do not care. For I know what happiness is possible for me on earth. And my happiness needs no higher aim to vindicate it. My happiness is not the means to any end. It is its own goal. It is its own purpose"
"For the word "We" must never be spoken,save by one's choice and as a second thought. This word must never be placed first within man's soul, else it becomes a monster, th root of all the evils on earth, the root of man's torture by men, and of an upspeakable lie. The word "We" is as lime poured over men, which sets and gardens to stone, and crushes all beneath it, and that which is white and that which is black are lost equally in the grey of it. It is the word by which the depraved steal the virtues of the good, by which the weak steal the might of the strong, by which the fools steal he wisdom of the sages"
