Anthem Questions1. Describe the society in which Anthem is set. Please

consider the following area 1. political structure 2. degree of technology 3. social relationships 4. quality of life 5. education

2. Why is it unusual for men to reach the age of 45? Make inferences

3. Why does the Council of Vocation assign Equality the job of street sweeper?

4. What is the setting of the novel?5. At this point in the novel, does Equality accept the

moral teachings of his society? If so, why doesn’t he feel shame or remorse?

Chapter 21. Reread the account of Liberty 5-3000 on page 38. What character traits are revealed in this brief description?2. Find three examples of the ways in which this society tries to obliterate each individual’s mind (and self) by quashing personal choices, desires and values.3. What word is Equality struggling to recapture on page 49. How does this word contradict the ideals of this society? What could its rediscovery possibly lead to?4. Write a definition of the following terms: 1. The Great Truth 2. Unmentionable Times 3. Uncharted Forest 4. Evil Ones 5. Great RebirthChapter 31. What does equality discover in this chapter? Describe four ways this

invention can improve society.2. Outline some of the Council of Scholars’ beliefs, and Equality’s refutation

of those beliefs.Chapter 43. Discuss the appropriateness of Equality’s new name, “Unconquered”

Chapter 51. Equality understands that his invention will benefit mankind greatly;

however, this was not his main motivation in conducting his experiments, and it is not the primary source of the great joy he experiences. Explain how this fits into Rand’s philosophy.

2. Why is Equality so interested in seeing his own image at this point in the novel? What emotion is he feeling?

Chapter 63. The old locks and lack of guards in the Palace of Corrective

Detention indicated that prisoners never tried to escape. Why not?Chapter 74. Outline four of the Council’s reasons for rejecting Equality’s

invention.5. What are the real reasons behind the Council’s rejection and fear of

the gift?6. What does Equality mean, at the beginning of the chapter, when he

says, “We are old now, but we were young this morning” (p. 68).

Chapter 81. What is Equality experiencing for the first time in this

chapter, and what does he feel as a result?2. Explain why Equality laughs when he remembers that he is

“the Damned.”3. What does the Uncharted Forest symbolize in Anthem?Chapter 94. On pages 93-94, Liberty contrasts Equality with his fellow

men. Write a paraphrase of this passage.5. Equality questions the morality of his former society.

Contrast what he was previously taught about solitude, good, evil and joy with what he now believes.

Chapter 101. Describe the house and its contents in your own words, and explain why Liberty and Equality find it so strange and unique.

Philosophical terms

Collectivism– “Collectivism means the subjugation of the individual to a group– whether to a race, class or state does not matter. Collectivism holds that man must be chained to a collective action and collective thought for the sake of what is called ‘the common good.’” (Rand Lexicon . 74)

Find a passage that illustrates collectivism

• Individualism: “Individualism regards man – every man– as an independent, sovereign entity who possesses an inalienable right to his own life, a right derived from his nature as a rational being. Individualism holds that a civilized society. . .can be achieved only on the basis of the recognition of individual rights– and that a group, as such, has no rights other than the individual rights of its members.” (Rand Lexicon, p.218)

Find a passage that illustrates Rand’s view of Individualism

Altruism: “The basic principle of altruism is that man has no right to exist for his own sake, that service to others is the only justification of his existence, and that self-sacrifice is his highest moral duty, virtue and value. . .which means: the self as a standard of evil, the selfless as a standard of the good.” (Rand Lexicon p. 4)

Find a passage that illustrates Rand’s view of Altruism

Egoism: “Egoism states that each man’s primary moral obligation is to achieve his own welfare, well-being, or self-interest. . .He should be ‘selfish’ in the sense of being the beneficiary of his own moral actions.” (Glossary of Definitions by Ayn Rand, P. 12)

Find a passage that illustrates Rand’s view of Egoism

Conformity: “The act of habit of bringing [oneself] into harmony or agreement with others; of adhering to conventional behavior.” (Webster's)

Find a passage that illustrates Rand’s view of Conformity

Obedience: “Complying with a command; yielding to those in authority” (Webster’s)

Find a passage that illustrates Rand’s view of Obedience

Independence: “One’s acceptance of the responsibility of forming one’s own judgments and of living by the work of one’s own mind. . .is the virtue of independence.” (Glossary of Definitions p. 23)

Find a passage that illustrates Rand’s view of Independence

Selfishness

• Write a detail description of Rand’s view of selfishness. Explain why she sees it as a virtue. How does it work. Include John Stossel’s example of how ‘greed’ gets his steak delivered to him in New York. Explain how Rand’s view of ‘selfishness’ leads to her conclusion that the only moral society is a free market, laissez faire, capitalistic society

Choose one of the following to write about

• Why did Ayn Rand name her main characters "Prometheus" and "Gaea"? Compare the historical myths of Prometheus and Gaea to the lives of these two characters.

• What does Equality finally understand about his society when the Council threatens to destroy his invention?

• In the final chapter of Anthem, Prometheus writes that he now understands "why the best in me had been my sins and my transgressions; and why I had never felt guilt in my sins." What has Prometheus come to understand about himself? Why does his society regard the "best in him" as sinful?

Requirements Essay must be no fewer than 600 and no more than 1,200 words in length, and double-spaced.

One entry per student.

Contest Rules• Essay must be submitted online or postmarked by March 20, 2012, no later than 11:59 PM, Pacific Standard Time.

• The Ayn Rand Institute has the right to provide contest deadline extensions when deemed appropriate.

• Essay must be solely the work of the entrant. Plagiarism will result in disqualification.

• Decisions of the judges are final.

• Employees of the Ayn Rand Institute, its board of directors and their immediate family members are not eligible for this contest. Past first place winners are not eligible for this contest.

• All entries become the property of the Ayn Rand Institute and will not be returned.

• Winners, finalists, semifinalists and all other participants will be notified via e-mail and/or by mail by July 26, 2012.

• Contest winners agree to allow the Ayn Rand Institute to post their names on any of ARI’s affiliated websites. The winning first place essay may be posted in its entirety on any of these websites with full credit given to the author.

• Winners will be solely responsible for any federal, state or local taxes.

• Must be in 8th , 9th, or 10th grade

What I’m looking for

• Essays will be judged on both style and content. Judges will look for writing that is clear, articulate and logically organized. Winning essays must demonstrate an outstanding grasp of the philosophic meaning of Anthem.

Extra credit– sort of. . .

• By submitting your essay to the contest you get full credit on one book report for first semester

• May not be used for “extra” points• May be used for past book report

Prizes

• FIRST PRIZE: $2,000• 5 SECOND PRIZES: $500• 10 THIRD PRIZES: $200• 45 FINALISTS: $50• 175 SEMIFINALISTS: $30