When someone says “knowledge is power,” what do we think of? Do we think of blackmail, or education, or even information withheld from us? Ayn Rand’s story Anthem shows many cases where knowledge is used as power because it is man’s greatest weapon. First of all, Rand introduces us to a sort of post- apocalyptic world where man seems to take a step back in his knowledge. They have no electricity or cars, they all wear what Rand describes as “tunics” that are uniform for all of society. They consider the elderly to be old at the age of 40 and to be ancient they are 45. Most of all though, Rand keeps the biggest secret to herself and that is how the apocalypse came about. “But we must never speak of the times before the Great Rebirth, and farther back than no memory can reach.” (Rand, pg. 7 Ibook) This proves that there is obviously some type of secret that their World Council, their governing body, doesn’t want the people to know about. This alone leaves the biggest question in the book: How did this all start? That is Rand’s greatest power in this book; keeping the knowledge of the apocalypse to herself.
Themes from Ayn Rand's novel "Anthem" and how they apply to reality, no copying please use only as a reference.
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When someone says knowledge is power, what do we think of? Do we
think of blackmail, or education, or even information withheld from
us? Ayn Rands story Anthem shows many cases where knowledge is used
as power because it is mans greatest weapon.First of all, Rand
introduces us to a sort of post-apocalyptic world where man seems
to take a step back in his knowledge. They have no electricity or
cars, they all wear what Rand describes as tunics that are uniform
for all of society. They consider the elderly to be old at the age
of 40 and to be ancient they are 45. Most of all though, Rand keeps
the biggest secret to herself and that is how the apocalypse came
about. But we must never speak of the times before the Great
Rebirth, and farther back than no memory can reach. (Rand, pg. 7
Ibook) This proves that there is obviously some type of secret that
their World Council, their governing body, doesnt want the people
to know about. This alone leaves the biggest question in the book:
How did this all start? That is Rands greatest power in this book;
keeping the knowledge of the apocalypse to herself.Following that,
another important thing kept well hidden is the proper usage of
first person. Throughout the novel, Rand uses the word we in place
of I and they in place of he/she. Its an odd way to write and its
one that can be confusing if not done correctly. It leaves open
another question about why their society deemed it appropriate for
them to change the way they speak. It leads up to one of the
biggest discoveries in the novel. I am. I think. I will. My hands .
. . My spirit . . . My sky . . . My forest . . . This Earth of mine
. . . (Rand, pg. 143 IBook) Using this new knowledge of the word I,
the main character now has more power in his language and writing.
He learns of the times that he was once forbidden to think about
and he gains a power of knowledge over many of his peers and his
former governing council. He has the knowledge of proper grammar
and the power of intelligence which, once again, proves how
knowledge is indeed a power.Knowledge can be power and Ayn Rand
proved that in her story Anthem. Using what can be considered mans
greatest weapon, Rand showed us how she sees knowledge being power.
While this is only one example, where else in life is knowledge
proven to be power?
