Anthem

1. Anthem “Indeed you are happy. How else can men be when they live for their brothers?”

2. Ideal Society • What type of society would be considered ideal? • Can a society without freedom be productive? • Does my life belong to the group? • Do I have a right to pursue my own happiness? • What is a moral and just society? • What does it mean to be an individual?

3. Collectivism Collectivism is a society where individualism is prohibited. Instead, everyone acts together (as one) for the greater good of the whole. A person’s only purpose is to exist for the benefit of others. • No individual/personal names /Condemnation for independent thought • Condemnation for questioning routine/authority • Education is not highly valued • No personal wealth is permitted

4. What makes the society of Anthem a “collective” society? • Name by classification: (Equality 7-2521) • All decisions of society are made by the World Councils of Scholars as a whole, “collectively”. • Transgression of Preference

5. How is the society of Anthem successful? Unsuccessful?

6. “A Selfless individual is a mindless individual” - Rand • The results of an oppressive society such as Collectivism include, but are not limited to: • Lack of motivation • Absence of ambition • Little to no hope for change and the future • The opposite of these ideas is known as EGOISM

7. Egoism • When an individual is concerned with his or her own interests above those of the collective whole. This is characterized by: • Ambition • Desire to learn • Loving another individual above all others • Satisfying physical and emotional needs of self

8. Individualism • A society where every man is viewed as an independent entity. As a rational being, every man has the right to make his own decisions. • No individual can think/reason for another • Compromises must be made to maintain a functional society • Those who are individuals practice EGOISM.

9. Throughout the novel, in what ways does Equality 7-2521 progress toward and eventually practice the idea of EGOISM and individuality? • Consider the following: • The light box discovered by Equality 7-2521 • “The Golden One” • The Palace of Corrective Detention • The Uncharted Forest • The Unmentionable Times • The World Council of Scholars • Use of the word “we” vs. that of “I”

10. Prompt: The novel Anthem praises man’s individualism. Using specific textual evidence from the novel for support, describe how Ayn Rand illustrates this theme throughout her novel.

11. Thesis Statement • A thesis statement is the sentence of your essay that encapsulates the topic you are writing about and the idea you intend to prove or explain: • Thesis = topic + opinion • Your thesis should be clear and to the point, but should also address the main points of your essay you intend to cover. • Finally, your thesis should be written in the 3rd person (not first = no “I” statements) and should be a complex sentence.

12. Sample Thesis Statements • Good: Anthem shows the importance of individuality and independence though Equality 7-2521’s defiance of the established rules, and his voluntary banishment from society for his own benefit. • Ok:Anthem uses Equality to show the importance of individualism by going against the rules of society to better himself. • Bad: Anthem is about thinking for yourself and going against the rules.

13. How does your thesis stack up? • Does it address the topic of the question, and your idea about it? • Is it detailed, and does it use specifics to make your point? • Does it use first person (or “I”)? It shouldn’t!!!!!

14. Topic Sentence s • A topic sentence is the first sentence in each paragraph that tells the reader: • A) What the paragraph is going to be about and… • B) How the paragraph relates to the thesis from the introduction Example: When Equality knowingly breaks the rules of society by retreating to the tunnel, his intentions knowingly go against the rules of society. Using this topic sentence, we need to find evidence or examples from the novel that support it: - he knows that he should not be in the tunnel - he knows he should not be writing, but continues to do so - he voluntarily breaks his prescribed routine and skips meetings Now , formulate these ideas into complete sentences!

15. Adding textual evidence! • Textual evidence is a direct quotation from the text that provides the reader with evidence of your claim or idea. • Textual evidence is used when lines are re-written word-for-word from the text in quotation marks to prove your point. • Example: “It is a sin to write this” (Rand 17). • The above line taken from Anthem proves our topic sentence that Equality knowingly breaks the rules of society. • When lines are quoted from the text, the author is cited using the author’s name and the page number of the quote.

16. Transition Sentences – Introducing Textual Evidence • When using textual evidence, it must be introduced into the sentence using a transition. • This transition should be a dependent clause or an introduction that tells the reader why the evidence you are about to present is important: • Example: Knowing that what he is doing in the tunnels is wrong, Equality openly admits to the reader that “It is a sin to write this” (Rand 17).

17. Concluding the Paragraph! • At the end of the paragraph after you have: • 1) Written a topic sentence that supports the thesis • 2) Provided reasons and support for your topic sentence using an example (or examples) from the novel • 3) Cited textual evidence that supports your claim while citing the author and page number(s)… • …you need a concluding or transition sentence to end the paragraph and introduce the next! • Yay! – More writing!

18. Concluding/Paragraph Transition • A concluding sentence should tie together the main ideas of your paragraph, how it relates to your topic sentence/thesis, and leads into your next paragraph! • Whew! When Equality knowingly breaks the rules of society by retreating to the tunnel, his intentions knowingly go against the rules of society. From the start of the novel Equality openly admits that he should not be in the tunnel and that it is a forbidden area. Not only is being the tunnel illegal, but so is recording his thoughts. Equality openly admits that “It is a sin to write this” (Rand 17) proving that he understands his actions.However, by breaking these rules he experiences independent thought in contrast to the rules of society that he refuses to relinquish that eventually leads him to the Uncharted Forest. Note how the last sentence highlights the main point of the paragraph (independence through defiance) and hints at the topic of the next paragraph (the Uncharted Forest).