Character Study

From just by looking at the storyline of the Anthem, it is not an easy task to determine who were the main characters and who weren’t. This is simply because the conflict throughout the novel is man vs. society which was represented by Equality 7-2521 versus the councils. The complication I struggled with in determining the main characters were in this problem, I wasn’t quite sure if the councils acted as an opponent character of Equality 7-2521, who was a definite main character.

Also, Liberty 5-3000, the female, represented the other protagonist of the two main characters. She wasn’t mentioned until towards the middle of the text but she did things with Equality 7-2521 later on which changed the future of the brothers. For example, by following Equality 7-2521 to the uncharted forest, they were able to start an adventure together, signifying a new change, and start their own generation. There was a quote on page 86 by Liberty 5-3000 that seemed to have identified herself very well- “We love you.” This quote identifies her well because throughout the novel, she always represented love. Also, it seemed like she was always there to provoke Equality 7-2521’s emotions. For example, from the first moment that Liberty 5-3000 and Equality 7-2521 met, they could not stop thinking about each other and overall they ended up living together, away from the society.

“For the first time do we care about out body.”, “For the first time do we know how strong our arms are.” Such quotes represent Equality 7-2521 very well, separating him from the society. These quotes repreat the phrase, “For the first time do we”, which signifies Equality 7-2521’s self-discovery of the unmentionable times or the reality. For the first time, he starts to his own feelings and think for himself. In the beginning, he was just like any other brothers of the novel, doing everything together, just as they were told and even thinking only the things he was told to think. However, this was only until he discovered the tunnel and the light. Since the discovery, little by little, he started to gain the ability to question the authority. He became increasingly curious about the unmentionable times because what he had discovered was from the unmentionable times was so significant. This dramatic change in character of Equality 7-2521 led the readers to see how much these “brothers” want to escape from the society, although they don’t know it yet, because just by looking at Equality 7-2521, we know that by the discovery of one simple light, he was able to break out to freedom and come as far as the uncharted forest and a new style of living.

Also, the change of Equality 7-2521 reminded me of the evolution of humans. At the beginning, we were all apes, not acting after thinking but from our instinct. However, as we evolutionized to homo-sapiens, we knew how to take action upon our own thoughts. Similarly, before the discovery of the unmentionable times, Equality 7-2521 was like the apes, only doing what he's told to do, mainly because he never thought of any other way of living. However, after the discovery, he became a homo-sapien, able to control his actions and individual thoughts.

Image Study 2 - I, me, myself

As mentioned previously in the post in February, there were several important images that signified checkpoints or changes throughout the plot. I’ve noticed that there were a lot more use of imageries after the rebellion of Equality 7-2521. Rand’s way of using imageries expressed the reality that the boy seeks and finally enters later on.

One of the most important checkpoints which acted as a highlight of the novel was when the boy entered the forest, running away from the councils who are out to kill him. In page 79, Rand describes Equality 7-2521’s environment and his actions in reaction to the environment. For example she mentions, “We lay on our back, we threw our arms out, and we look up…river of green and fire flowing high above us.” Equality 7-2521’s curiousness and thirst for knowledge has been met with a freedom. Although the he doesn’t know what’s yet to come from the forest, at this moment, as described by Rand in an image of freedom and comfort, he enjoys the uncharted forest and being away from the brothers and the councils.

Later on in the forest, after Equality 7-2521 finds Liberty 5-3000, they found a house after what seemed to be an endless climbing of mountain peaks. At first, they were unfamiliar with most of the things in the house such as the typed out books. “…letters on their pages were so small and so even that we wondered at the men who had such handwriting.” Back in the old society, every book was hand copied with ink and not by a machine. Therefore when Equality 7-2521 first saw the books, he thought that they were written by men who had very neat hand writing. When he realized that these books were mechanized by machines, he was surprised but not as much as when he discovered the words, “I, me and myself” in these books. This was another important checkpoint throughout the plot because by discovering the idea of individuals, Equality 7-2521 was able to find himself his original by naming himself, think for himself without getting punished and take action as an individual and not as one.

The imageries of the forest, the house, and the book were all very significant in ways that they represented a change in their lives and a fresh start as an individual for both Equality 7-2521 and Liberty 5-3000. These changes acted as a bridge to bring Equality 7-2521 closer and closer to the unmentionable times that was banned from the society of Anthem. These uses of imagery by Rand were effective because they lead the readers to focus on the idea of gaining freedom and starting a new life.

Untouched Forest and the New Life

When Equality 7-2521 is escaping from the Councils, he ran to the Uncharted Forest. In the book, page 75, it mentions Equality 7-2521 ending up in the Uncharted Forest like it was on accident. However, I recognized that Rand had a deeper meaning behind this. Equality 7-2521's boldness and courageousness lead him to the Uncharted where no one has been in because of the fear that no other brother has gone in. Thinking back at it, I feel like Equality 7-2521 had always known that if he goes into the Uncharted Forest, the forbidden place to go to, he would find everything about the Unmentionable times and the secret to everything the Councils were in fear of.

Moving on, it seems like Equality 7-2521's life has improved in many different perspectives after he entered the Uncharted Forest. Liberty 5-3000, who he secretly admired from the moment they met, had followed him to the forest and they started a living together. They created names for each other, found a realistic house which led to discoveries of the lives of the Unmentionable times and finally the first-person singular. Equality 7-2521 named himself Prometheus, and named Liberty 5-3000 the Golden One.

Overall, although the society of anthem refused to enter the forest which symbolized nature, just as it refused to accept the knowledge of nature through the pursuit of science, Equality 7-2521 entered it, driven by a courageous and open mind. By starting a new life with the Golden one, Prometheus lived more naturally, learning to hunt with a bow and arrow. Thus, I saw the resemblance of these two main characters with Adam and Eve on the Garden of Eden in a way.

Anthem trailer

The world described in this novel is a communist society where the laws say that none among men may be alone, ever and at any time, for this is the great transgression and root of all evil. (17). Every existing creature has to follow the exact commands of the council and never speak up or act for themselves. Unable to choose what kind of job they want for a living, nor choose the one to love and spend a lifetime with, these men are internally blocked in by the prison of the councils.

This trailer basically summarizes the position that all men are in, where even the slightest difference from the other brothers is considered to be sin and punishable by death. Everything must be done as one, and individualism was unallowed to a point where it was unspeakable. Not only does the councils control what the men do for a job but they also manage who can "reproduce" with who, by interpreting the gene pools to create mechanicized human beings.

However, one individual, equality 7-2521 thirsted for knowledge and started to think on his own, independent from the councils. He discovered hints from the past and made the councils fear his actions. His discovery was absolutely forbidden and the councils decided to shut him up from speaking to the society about his discovery by killing him. Already knowing too much about the unmentionable times and able to think and question the councils, equality 7-2521 takes action that changed not only his life but the lives of his whole generation and his loved ones.

Bibliography: OoMLE93oO. "Anthem Book Trailer (Fan-Made)." YouTube. 12 Oct. 2011. Web. 30 Jan. 2012. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-SxTSP0iPcA.

Rhetoric Study

Throughout the novel, Rand emphasized the men who were suppressed by the power of the councils in addition to the unspoken and unthought-of but desperate want of freedom of these men. However, in order to reach the audience, she used rhetorical strategies to connect and relate to the readers. There were many strategies used but the most obvious ones included irony and repetition.

First, she used irony to convince the readers of how uncontrollably councils are using their power over men. For example, in page 25, Rand explained the process of men becoming government officials, a.k.a. the councils. When a brother gets assigned as a “leader”, they he has to go to the home of the leaders where he has to study hard and become candidates in order to be voted by the men and elected by the council. The irony comes in here, it quotes, “be elected…by a free and general vote of all men.” If even any individual thought process is disapproved from the men, how are the votes counted as “free and general”? From how Rand explained the power of the councils over the men, these brothers cannot do anything individually, everything had to be done as one which also means that these votes don’t really represent what the men really want, but only what the council wants. Therefore from the beginning to the end, the councils control everything in the men’s lives.

Another rhetorical device that was used to approach to the audience was a repetition of phrases. For example, in page 61, Equality 7-2521 starts his sentence with the phrase, “For the first time do we” several times. By repeating the words, “first time”, Rand emphasized the change in his life, and the contrast between the old society and the new world. For the first time, Equality 7-2521 cared about his own body, what he looked like, and how strong he was. These things obviously connect to what guys in reality worry about and by mentioning these new changes of Equality 7-2521, Rand directly told the audience that he has officially entered the reality. Overall, through these rhetorical devices of irony and repetition, Rand emphasized how even though the councils suppressed their high-power on the men, Equality 7-2521 was able to find himself in a new world, with a bright future.

Role play of each characters and its irony

Throughout the novel, both the "brothers" of the society and the readers are constantly reminded that men have to live for their brothers and that there is no "I" in the world. This can also be interpreted as stating that men should not have any feelings nor keep their dignity.

They must listen to everything the councils order them to and there is not a single way out of this way of living. However, as I was reading, I noticed an irony when the councils were talking to the brothers. In page 25 of the novel, the councils tell the men, "by a free and general vote of all men." My question is, how can it be a free vote if starting from the beginning, men were told exactly what to do by the Council? The Councils even pick what jobs the students will have, also mentioned in page 25. They compare men to see which job is best suitable for each, then once ordered to the student, that student will immediately start the job regardless of their identity as a student. For example, if the council said "Carpenter" or "Cook", the students so assigned go to work and do not study any further.

Back to my point, if all men are trained to do, say, eat everything that's been scheduled already for them, how are they expected to have their own thoughts in the first place? Free votes from men does not make any sense at all, nor does it come even close to what the councils are making the men capable of.

Image Study 1 - man vs. society

Throughout the novel, there were several important images created by Rand. These imageries not only let the readers draw a picture in their head but they also seemed to have acted as checkpoints to the plot, moving on from one point to another as the scene changes.

For example, on page 25, Rand mentions the image of the councils in the great hall. The councils were assigning the men their job by looking at their characteristics. The councils have been mentioned several times before this but this scene was the first time that I was lead to picture what the councils would look like. The great hall is a dark and quiet place where only two words were spoken to each man by the councils. I imagined that the councils are old white men with a frown on their face and wearing black robes. By putting this image in the reader’s mind, Rand emphasized the dark and unapproachable councils of the society and the power they have on the men.

Another important checkpoint signified by imagery was the scene where Equality 7-2521 and Liberty 5-3000 showed their love for each other and decided to start a living together, as mentioned in page 87. This scene took place in the uncharted forest after Equality 7-2521 had run away and Liberty 5-3000 followed. They suddenly realized that they’re alone in the forest, away from the brothers or the councils, which lead to their external expression of showing love. Rand didn’t specifically describe that they had “sex” but the text definitely refers to a physical act of having sex. This image that I drew in my head reminded me of Avatar when Jake entered the world of the Na’vi with Neytiri and had sex in the spiritual forest. This checkpoint signified a change in the lives of Equality 7-2521 and Liberty 5-3000 and a new start.