Prometheus Anthem Analysis

An Anthem to the Ego
The entire essence of the novella Anthem is the build up to a song of praise to the ego voiced by its main character, Prometheus. This anthem he sings settles the growth of anticipation of Prometheus expressing his individuality and his ego, fueled by him committing the Transgression of Preference repeatedly throughout the text. The importance of this proclamation is obvious as it is substantially amplified by reason of Prometheus uncovering the unspeakable word “I” coming from a collectivist society possessing the motto “We are one in all and all in one. There are no men but only the great WE, One, indivisible and forever.” With each preference Prometheus decides to explore, he falls deeper into discovering himself as an individual, but as the final chapters unfold and Prometheus exclaims “I stand here on the summit of the mountain. I lift my head and I spread my arms. This, my body and spirit, this is the end of the quest.” this veritable trumpet blast of first person pronouns making us aware that he's finally discovered
the "Unspeakable Word,” declares that Prometheus is an egoist.
Prometheus’ primary motivation in conducting his experiments, and the primary source of his joy and pride came from making decisions completely driven by his individual self-interest. Despite powerful pressure from the state to conform, Prometheus would not betray the values that were important to himself rather than the collective group. His independence of thinking and of spirit is shown in the decisions he makes from the earliest days of his childhood. During his schooling years, despite his society allowing only a limited amount of learning before their professions were chosen, Equality stated, “But we loved the Science of Things. We wished to know. We wished to know about all the things which make the earth around us. We asked so many questions that the Teachers forbade it.” In the collectivist society that Equality was born into, his talent of science is suppressed because it threatens to make him superior to others. Although, having an understanding of this doesn’t prevent him from pursuing his want to gain knowledge on the workings of the world .
Another aspect that appears in this collectivist society Prometheus was a member of, is an eminently brief and controlled relationship, or lack of, between a man and a woman. Prometheus, drawn to a woman working in the fields near him, finds himself growing to love another, something not permitted in a society where preference is nonexistent. Love is outright out of the question and successfully out of most citizens’ minds due to their leadership that enforces the once a year attendance of all physically mature men and women to the Palace of Mating. After exploring his love for a woman Prometheus denies this fate, “For men are forbidden to take notice of women, and women are forbidden to take notice of men. But we think of one among women, they whose name is Liberty 5-3000, and we think of no others.” In doing so, he rejects the egalitarianism of his society, the belief that all human beings should be treated as absolute equals, and he lives by the principle of individualism by choosing the woman he values.
Similar to his affinity with Liberty 5-3000, Prometheus speaks of another forbidden relationship he acquires. “International 4-8818 and we are friends. This is an evil thing to say, for it is a transgression, the great Transgression of Preference, to love any among men better than the others, since we must love all men and all men are our friends.” Prometheus again endures the struggle against an oppressive social rule as he encounters more individuals that hold appealing characteristics to him such as "eyes like fireflies, for there is laughter in their eyes,” pertaining to International 4-8818. Increased affection for these two others leads Prometheus to believe he cannot care equally for all people contrary to what his society enforces. He uncompromisingly follows his own mind rather than obeying the suppressive laws of the state, and finds loyalty instead by choice in humankind. For Prometheus, having an understanding of his “sins” doesn’t prevent him from pursuing his want to gain knowledge and personal connection.
The egoism Equality displays in the story Anthem closely resembles the individualism expressed in the speech “The Soul of an Individualist.” This speech explores the motives and values of all of the many great creators of the world starting from the man who tamed fire.
It explores the individualistic characteristics in these masterminds by stating, “Throughout the centuries there were men who took first steps down new roads armed with nothing but their own vision. Their goals differed, but they all had this in common: that the step was first, the road new, the vision unborrowed, and the response they received-hatred.” Equality is a fictional example of the great thinkers in our history who have made revolutionary breakthroughs in spite of the social resistance they faced. Their passions keep them going although the difficulties of making these advances included battling the conservative elements of society that oppose
them.
The speech also included a common drive of these creators that greatly resembled the egoist and self-interested motivation Equality possessed in his actions regarding knowledge, love, and friendship. “The creators were not selfless. It is the whole secret of their power-that it was self-sufficient, self-motivated, self-generated. The creator served nothing and no one. He lived for himself.” Equality was a creator, which is additionally proven in this passage, and by choosing his preferences, his pleasures, and his desires, he obtained the self based characteristics of one as well. Creators, and innovation require some notion of egoism, which is evident in the story because of the lack of advancement the collective society displayed. This meaning that the positive side to this self driven perspective is a more advanced society, if balanced with the intentions of benefitting the community and the people in it.
In Equality 7-2521's view, the ego is what gives meaning to the world, and what gives human beings happiness, and a reason for living. In each transgression he committed and every pleasure he followed, his mind was focused to a more self-interested and egocentric perspective. He explored love and friendship, placing in himself an individual choice to prefer Liberty 5-3000, and International 4-8818, because of his own self-interests. He became a creator, indulging in the “science of things,” and on constructing a light bulb, Prometheus proved himself self-sufficient and self-praised. Gaining more knowledge and self-reliance resulted in Prometheus declaring “I am. I think. I will.” At this closing point to the novella, he no longer perceives his actions as sins or his knowledge a curse. Prometheus proclaims every sentence with the Unspeakable word “I,” expressing that the individual human ego is the highest and most holy matter that exists. This is his song of praise, his anthem to the ego.