ANTHEM by AYN RAND DUE: APRIL 19

                      Anthem by Ayn Rand

Read the novella Anthem by Ayn Rand (it’s a total of 105 pages). Complete the following questions in your Reading Response Notebook. While reading, please switch the first person plural pronouns (we, us, their, they) for their first person singular counterparts (I, me, my, mine.) Please answer each in two or more complete, accurate sentences. Include supporting evidence (quotes and page numbers) to get maximum credit. The following will count as 6 HW grades and averaged together as a Test grade!

CHAPTER 1

            Define: altruism, anti-utopia, collectivism, dystopia, 

1.      (a.) In a well-organized paragraph, describe the society in which Anthem is set. Some areas to consider are the political structure, degree of technology, social relationships, quality of life, and education.

(b.) Would you want to live in this society? Explain why or why not.

2.      Clearly, Ayn Rand intended Equality to stand out from his “brothers.” Explain how she accomplishes this by contrasting Equality’s physical qualities and character traits with those of his fellow men.

3.      Why does the Council of Vocations assign Equality the job of street sweeper? Is it due to error, incompetence of a more sinister motivation? Explain.

4.      When does this novel take place- in the past, the present, or the future? How do you know?

5.      Would you want to be friends with someone like Equality? How do you know?

CHAPTER 2

1.      Reread the account of Liberty 5-3000 on page 38. What character traits are revealed in this brief description?

2.      Of the whole range of feelings possible to man (joy, excitement, anger, embarrassment, etc.), why is fear the prevalent emotion in this society?

3.      (a.) What word is Equality struggling to recapture on page 49?

(b.) In your opinion, why mentioning this word the only crime punishable by death in this society? How does this word contradict the ideals of this society? What could its rediscovery possibly lead to?

CHAPTER 3

1. What does Equality discover in this chapter?
2. How important is this discovery? Describe four or five ways in which it would help society, and make life easier or more enjoyable.
3. Outline some of the Council of Scholars’ beliefs, and Equality’s refutation of     those beliefs.

CHAPTER 4

1. What is ironic about the names in the story? Do they actually have what they are named after, for example Liberty and Equality? 
2. Discuss the appropriateness of Equality’s new name, “Unconquered.” Does it fit him or not? Please explain in one paragraph.

CHAPTER 5

1. Equality understands that his invention will benefit mankind greatly; however, this was not his main motivation in conduction his experiments, and it is not the primary  source of the great joy he experiences. Elaborate on why he feels such thrill over this invention. Can you relate to him? Have you ever created or done anything that you would do for free and where people’s acknowledgment or approval didn’t matter?
2. In your opinion, why is Equality so interested in seeing his own image at this point in the novel? What emotion is he feeling?            

CHAPTER 6

1.      Why is Equality in the Palace of Corrective Detention?  What do they do to him there?

2.      The old locks and the lack of guards in the Palace of Corrective Detention indicate that prisoners never tried to escape. Why not?

             

CHAPTER 7

1. Outline four of the Council’s reasons for rejecting Equality’s invention.
2. What are the real reasons (2) behind the Council’s rejection and fear of Equality’s gift?
3. What does Equality mean, when he says, at the beginning of the chapter "We are old now but we were young this morning”(p. 68)? Remember we = I

Chapter 8

1. What is Equality experiencing for the first time in this chapter? What does he feel, as a result?
2. Explain why Equality laughs when he remember that he is “the Damned”.
3. What does the Uncharted Forest symbolize? (Think of archetypes!)

CHAPTER 9

1. In what ways does Liberty contrast Equality with other men. Identify at least 3 ways.
2. Equality begins to look at what he was taught in the old society about solitude, good, evil and joy. What are four (4) different ways he sees these things and the world now?

CHAPTER 10

1. Describe the house and its contents in your own words.
2. Explain why they find it so strange and unique.

 CHAPTER 11

1. What great discovery does Equality make in this chapter?
2. What does Equality now realize is the proper goal and purpose of his life?
3. Re-read the scene with the Saint of the Pyre (p.50). What was he trying to communicate to Equality?
4. “Whatever road I take, the guiding star is within me.” What does this quote have to do with Equality? How does it relate to you?

CHAPTER 12

1. Why do the main characters take the names Prometheus and Gaea? Where have you read this before?
2. Why weren’t they allowed to choose their names in their old society?
3. What does Prometheus plan to do in the future? Would you support him or not? Support your response.

CREATIVE WRITING ACTIVITIES. CHOOSE ONE TO COMPLETE. WRITE A DRAFT IN  YOUR READING RESPONSE NOTEBOOK, THEN TYPE THE FINAL.

A. You are applying for a job to direct the movie for Anthem. Compose a two-page letter of 5 or more paragraphs, convincing the producers why you are right for the job. In your letter, discuss:

·       your deep reading of the novel (think archetypes found in Genesis, Gilgamesh, To Build A Fire)

·       which actors you would cast as Prometheus and Gaia and why. Think physical and acting ability

·       where in the world you might want to shoot the movie and why is that area ideal

·       an explanation of what the theme of the novel is and why it would be relevant to audiences today

·       description of the music, the clothing and how you would shoot two major scenes.

B. One of the challenges of being a teenager and an adolescent is the peer pressure to participate in negative activities such as smoking, drinking, bullying, fighting and others. Write a five paragraph letter to the school’s newspaper explaining how the example of strong individuality and standing for one’s beliefs found in Anthem can be motivation for those who don’t want to follow a crowd in doing negative things. Make it clear how Equality/Prometheus is a positive role model for those who want to be an individual.

C. Ayn Rand was an extremist philosopher who believed that the individual is the most important element of a society and that the role of government was to support the society. She even said “Individual rights are not subject to a public vote; a majority has no right to vote away the rights of a minority; the political function of rights is precisely to protect minorities from oppression by majorities (and the smallest minority on earth is the individual).”

Argue against or with her idea that the individual is of utmost importance in a society. Consider societies where the we work for the good of the whole or where the we take advantage of smaller groups. Which side do you support: Ayn Rand’s extreme individuality, the opposite of collectivism or some balance between both? Use examples from the story to support both. Write it in a five paragraph or more letter format to the author.