Individuality In Ayn Rand's Anthem

Anthem

"To be free, a man must be free from his brothers." Individuality is one of the major themes through the book Anthem. Once people have individuality they never want to let it go. That is he one reason why the city council banned anything to do with being an individual. The council knew that if individuals were allowed to make their own choices those choices would often conflict with the desired outcome of the council. The council wanted to have a perfect society. This is an impossibility since every human is born with the instinct to think and act for ones self. The only way to have a perfect society is if everyone is a robot with no thoughts, feelings, emotions or opinions. The book, Anthem, is a collectivist society.
There is no "I" there is only "We". The society is like a German concentration camp. The people have no individual names they are separated into groups such as Equality, International and Solidarity. Like Hitler the people are treated cruelly. The people are assigned to a job where they work all day with little sleep at night. Anthem is written by Ayn Rand. There is a very smart man named Prometheus who doesn't fit in with his society. He is punished every day for being different.

The society regards "the best in him" because they think Prometheus is the one thing that can destroy their way of life.
From the beginning of his life they subject him to the lowest form of society, a street sweeper. Despite his level of society and the injustice he has hope. He is always finding a way to show his individuality. "I am. I think. I will." Prometheus uses these words after he discovers that each man has a mind of their own. After living all his life using the word "we" he finally refers to himself as an individual. A feeling of freedom and joy accompanies it. He wants to succeed not just blindly follow like a sheep follows the shepherd. The main character in Anthem shows real courage in a society that uses punishment to force the will of the people. Prometheus discovers a passion for science and he secretly performs experiments on the "glass box." He knows what he is doing is a sin, just like Adam and Eve when they ate the forbidden fruit, but Prometheus knows it will benefit mankind for the good. By discovering one of the technologies of olden times, which had been lost, he realizes that he can give his fellow citizens a new light, cleaner and brighter future than any they have ever known. This discovery shows progress, and it gives hope that the world they live in may be able to one day return to the day in which people possessed independent spirits. He does not accept the moral teachings of his society. He likes the feeling of freedom
and being his own person. Although, it surely takes place during a extremely dark time for humanity, Ayn Rand’s novel Anthem is a story of hope, courage, love and independence . Through hard work and determination a better and brighter future can be achieved. Prometheus gives his family the opportunity to have freedom and individuality. In this book we see the unbeatable nature of the independent spirit. In all societies there are still those who refuse to bow down to repression. Prometheus's discovery of the light bulb also shows that technological advancements can still be made. The knowledge of past generations is not completely lost to those willing to look for it. Finally, the future Prometheus is full of hope once he is able to break free from the dictatorial city and establish a place where he can continue learning and experimenting. Prometheus is a prime example of what we can become if we are will willing to work hard. We can leave this world a little better than it was when one entered it.