Anthem

Adam Perelman, The Harker School, San Jose, CA, USA

In a single, unified essay, explain the meaning of each of the following quotes in the story their and wider significance:

a. “We alone, of the thousands who walk this earth, we alone in this hour are doing a work which has no purpose save that we wish to do it.”

b. “Are we proud of this thread of metal, or of our hands which made it, or is there a line to divide these two?”

c. “Only the glass box in our arms is like a living heart that gives us strength.”

Ayn Rand’s Anthem presents a man’s transformation from subjugation to triumphant freedom. Prometheus begins by berating himself as “a wretch and a traitor,” not for failure or incompetence but rather for his creative genius (Chapter 1). He mourns, “This is a great sin, to be born with a head which is too quick,” apologizing for his brilliance and comprehending the very fact of his individuality as immoral (Chapter 1). Yet as he strives to forge meaning in his life, Prometheus recognizes the evils of a moral code that defines his ability as criminal and, in its place, embraces the glory of man’s ego. As Prometheus exchanges absolute subordination to the collective for individual freedom, Rand demonstrates that the former leads only to oppression and misery while the latter creates the basis for a fruitful and ultimately meaningful existence.

Prometheus is born into a State that prioritizes the needs of the community over those of the individual. Its policies are superficially effective. None starve, and all are equal; stability has been achieved. This façade of harmony, however, masks a brutal reality. Not only is technology primitive and life expectancy low, but psychological and physical coercion shapes every aspect of the social structure. Prometheus begins his tale as Equality 7-2521, his name itself a symbol of the role society demands of him: a soulless cog in the machinery of the State. The word “I” itself has been banned and forgotten, forcing Prometheus to identify and understand himself only as part of the collective “We.” Government authority even extends over life and death. A program of eugenics determines appropriate couples for mating, and the State holds the right to exterminate citizens at will, as the Teachers explain, “If you are not needed by your brother man, there is no reason for you to burden the earth with your bodies” (Chapter 1). The society’s vicious underside comes to the fore when Prometheus, arriving late one night, refuses to divulge where he has been. As retribution for this avowal of his privacy, he faces brutal torture, illustrating that every attempt to institutionalize equality and “brotherhood” rests on ruthless coercion. Society cannot conceive of individual value, so man, the individual, becomes a pawn to be sacrificed callously by men, the collective.

Since the State wields such utter control over every moment and every action, deciding to do something solely because he desires to do so is in itself a revolutionary act for Prometheus. He studies and experiments in an ancient subway tunnel from the Unmentionable Times to fulfill his unconquerable drive to understand his world. Following the dictates of his mind rather than those imposed by society, he separates himself from the crowds who obey simply and unquestioningly. From his covert site underneath the earth, Prometheus contemplates, “We alone, of the thousands who walk this earth, we alone in this hour are doing a work which has no purpose save that we wish to do it” (Chapter 1). He recognizes that the ideas borne of his own mind are valid in and of themselves, that fulfilling his own desires is a rightful aspiration, and that he can act alone, without the help or company of others. With these understandings, he begins his journey to self-fulfillment. Prometheus probes the ancient texts because he “wish[es] to do so,” and by acting only in the name of rational self-interest he escapes the perpetual drudgery of his society to achieve joy, as he writes, “In our heart there is the first peace we have known” (Chapter 1). While the other “thousands who walk this earth” blindly continue their wearisome and meaningless existence, he chooses a divergent path based on individual choice and recognizes its merit.

Prometheus comes to realize that his clandestine life of productive achievement represents the very meaning of his existence. Upon creating a light bulb—far beyond the technological capabilities of his society—he asks, “Are we proud of this thread of metal, or of our hands which made it, or is there a line to divide these two?” (Chapter 5). His question forces us to confront that there is, in fact, no divide between creative ability and its creation; the exquisite “thread of metal” comprises the physical manifestation of Prometheus’ intellectual genius and, as such, is inextricably tied to his own being. His skill is consummated and becomes tangible as he transforms a simple metal strand into a wondrous invention.

Despite his intellectual growth, Prometheus remains shackled by the notion that he bears an existential responsibility to his society. Thus, he decides to present his light bulb as a gift to the World Council, believing, “They will see, understand and forgive. For our gift is greater than our transgression” (Chapter 5). He recognizes that his effort is positive and can create a valuable “gift,” but he continues to understand the very fact of his individual achievement as a “transgression” that must be forgiven. His offering to the State is an attempt to bargain with tyranny. When he presents his innovation to the Council, however, his last illusion is finally shattered: the officials berate him, “How dared you think that your mind held greater wisdom than the minds of your brothers?” (Chapter 7). Because Prometheus’s invention threatens their illusion of absolute equality, the authorities reject it categorically, blind to his genius and to his invention’s tremendous potential.

The Council’s hostile reaction forces Prometheus to recognize that there can be no compromise between individual rights and collective rule, and he renounces his collectivist society entirely to establish his own way of life. As he embarks on his new existence, Prometheus writes, “Only the glass box in our arms is like a living heart that gives us strength” (Chapter 7). Though he is uprooted from everything he has ever known, the light bulb—a symbol of individual achievement, of objective truth triumphing over the reality distorted by his society—reminds him of the power of his reason. Thus fortified, Prometheus realizes that intellect provides him with the capacity to pursue his own happiness, that he need be reliant on nothing but his own ability.

This radical insight empowers Prometheus to realize his potential in its entirety. Unshackled from the chains of “We,” he learns to understand himself as an individual, exulting, “I am. I think. I will” (Chapter 11). Liberated from the oppressive obligation to “love all men” equally, he begins a vibrant romantic relationship with his beloved, the Golden One. And free of the moral imperative to exist solely for the benefit of others, his journey of self-discovery culminates as he strives to fulfill the mandates of his own happiness. Prometheus thus establishes meaning where there was none, reclaiming the fundamental right to his existence.

The jealous gods of ancient Greece hid fire from mankind, shrouding the world in darkness. Just so, the tyrannical code of brotherhood extinguishes joy and creativity in the State portrayed by Rand as in the collectivist societies of our own age. But just as the ancient Titan Prometheus brought the gods’ fire to humanity, his modern incarnation in Anthem ignites the flame of freedom, razing a dark world order and clearing the way for the individual to blaze his own triumphant path.