Transcript Anthem by Ayn Rand

Anthem by Ayn Rand
Introductory Notes
Goals
By the end of this Unit, the student will be
able to:
1. analyze the use of the first-person
character narrator.
2. analyze the diary format as a narrative
technique.
3. identify the characteristics of the
dystopian novella.
Goals
4. recognize the following plot components:
• exposition
• conflict
• rising action
• climax
• resolution
Goals
5. trace the development of various motifs
found in the novella:
• darkness and light
• ignorance and knowledge
• transgression and damnation
Goals
6. trace the use and evolution of characters’
names and identities in the novella.
7. distinguish between the two philosophical
points of view central to this novella,
collectivism
and objectivism, and point to where and how
each is presented.
8. analyze the novella’s title and its relationship
to the novella’s theme.
The Novella
• Longer than a short story but shorter
than a novel, Anthem is identified as a
novella. More specifically, Anthem
belongs to the genre of dystopian
novellas.
Dystopian Fiction
• Anthem is dystopian fiction.
• Dystopian literature illustrates a profoundly
flawed social order. Dystopian societies are
widely varied, but many are characterized by
the absence of individual rights, the
suppression of independent thinking, and an
extremely controlling government.
Dystopian Fiction
• Anthem, Rand uses this genre to
illustrate the principles of objectivism.
By creating a world in which collectivism
has been taken to an extreme, she
illustrates the importance of individual
rights and freedoms.
Collectivism
Collectivism is the term for any moral,
political, or social viewpoint that
emphasizes the importance of
community and human interdependence
over individual desire, effort, or need.
Collectivist views treat group goals as
superior to individual goals.
Individualism
Individualism, the exact opposite of
collectivism, stresses self-reliance,
individual liberty, and human
independence. Individualists oppose
most forms of outside interference with
an individual’s choices—whether they
be social, governmental, or institutional.
Objectivism
Objectivism is a philosophy developed by Ayn
Rand in response to what she viewed as
growing worldwide collectivism.
According to Rand’s philosophy, there is an
objective reality independent of the mind,
which individuals can perceive through their
five senses.
Objectivism further asserts that the proper
moral purpose of human life is the
pursuit of “rational self-interest.”
According to this moral code, the ideal
social system is one that completely
respects individual rights.
Objectivism
To describe objectivism, Rand wrote:
My philosophy, in essence, is the
concept of man as a heroic being, with
his own happiness as the moral
purpose of his life, with productive
achievement as his noblest activity, and
reason as his only absolute.
Objectivism
Rand wrote:
“Man has to be man—by choice; he has
to hold his life as a value—by choice; he
has to learn to sustain it—by choice; he
has to discover the values it requires
and practice his virtues—by choice...A
code of values accepted by choice is a
code of morality.”
First-person Narration
• First person plural narration
underscores the dystopian theme.
• “We”, “our” replace “I” to reinforce the
spirit of collectivism and Rand’s
dystopian theme.
• The narrator is Equality 7-2521
Pre-Reading Journal: Homework
• The transition from adolescence to
adulthood involves developing a personal
identity, a sense of self. Write a paragraph
that describes you and explains what makes
you uniquely you. Consider your future
goals and dreams; what you value in a
friend; favorite pets; preferred sports and
hobbies; best-loved music, literature,
movies, etc. Finally, consider what it would
be like if those things were taken away from
you.