Symbol Analysis: Underground vs. Above ground
In the novella, Anthem, by Ayn Rand, there is a deep contrast between Equality when he is above the ground and going through the motions of his society versus when Equality goes underground in the tunnel he found with International. Above ground, Equality is just another shapeless human form. He is not allowed to be unique or have emotions anything greater than apathetic. Above ground he outwardly conforms to society, even though he has doubt and questions that he dares not speak to others. The most productive he is above ground is when he is sweeping the streets of the town.
Underground the true nature of Equality's personality is exploited. His ideas blossom when he goes underground at night, and he breaks many many rules in this process. He goes underground alone which is the first step he takes towards listening to his questions and breaking out of the conformity that lies above the surface. He also begins to write and organize his thinking which undoubtedly brings more and more questions to him. Underground, Equality can be the scientist he always wanted to be, and escape from the degrading life as a street sweeper. (Although it is not supposed to be degrading as everyone is supposed to be equal in their society. It obviously does not work, but the citizens of this town just pretend it does because they are too scared to admit they are breaking the law.) The true potential of Equality explodes underground. He becomes very literate and thoughtful. He also invents the light bulb (which revolutionized our world). The underground represents escape from conformity and the inner human conscience which wants to be expressed. The true human self can be explored and expressed when it is removed from outside influences and society norms. It is only underground when there is no telling Equality what is right and what is wrong that he forgets the restrictions that are held on him above ground. It is here where artificial influences are shed, and Equality starts evolving into an individual. He realizes the freedom and power of the individual underground.
Passage Analysis:
"Your eyes are as a flame, but our brothers have neither hope nor fire. Your mouth is cut of granite, but our brothers are soft and humble. your head is high, but our brothers cringes. You walk, but our brothers crawl. We wish to be damned with you, rather than blessed with all our brothers. Do as you please with us, but do not send us away from you." (82-3)
This passage means many things. First, it tells us how Equality has changed while he was becoming himself in the tunnel. There is something physically different about him that The Golden One cannot yet put her finger on, but she must see the spark in his eyes while all the other men in society are still not yet willing to think for themselves and go out beyond the limitations of "right." It also shows us how The Golden One is searching for her own individualism. She inwardly questioned society so much that when she found out Equality left, she ran out of the city to find him. For her, being with Equality is like being underground. She can discover who she is around him and test the boundary's of right and wrong. Her thirst for individualism is so important to her that she rather be damned and shunned from the city, than to be "blessed" in being only a part in a huge group. She is ready and willing to be cursed in order to explore the power of self.
Opinion:
I really enjoyed this book. The setting of a "Utopian society" always intrigues me. The theme of the preservation of the individual was a very interesting concept to consider. What if the power of "I" was taken away from us? I never gave much thought to it before I read Anthem. The book is a reminder to us that not everyone has the luxury's and freedoms that we do. In some communist society's people actually do have to sacrifice their individuality in order to appease the group. I really liked how the writing gave a commentary on an issue that concerns parts of the world today.
But the thing I liked most about the book was definitely the language used. Each word has to be so carefully chosen to bring the reader into this society. For example, all the characters say "we" or "they" when they are only talking about "I" or "she/he". I find that very clever, adding to the sense that they are still physically attached to this larger group. It also gave way to a very climatic part of the book when Equality discovers the word "I". It is a word that most people don't even think twice about saying, especially living in America. When I was reading the book I also felt the darkness and dampness of the city, and the brightness of the forest. She did a great job adding such specific elements to each place the reader visited.
I really enjoyed this book and would recommend it to many people to read.
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"...the credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly...who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, who spends himself for a worthy cause; who, at the best, knows, in the end, the triumph of high achievement, and who, at the worst, if he fails, at least he fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who knew neither victory nor defeat."
- Theodore Roosevelt
"...the credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly...who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, who spends himself for a worthy cause; who, at the best, knows, in the end, the triumph of high achievement, and who, at the worst, if he fails, at least he fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who knew neither victory nor defeat."
- Theodore Roosevelt
Blog Archive
A Stephen Crane Poem
Once there came a man
Who said,
"Range me all men of the world in rows."
And instantly
There was terrific clamour among the people
Against being ranged in rows.
There was a loud quarrel, world-wide.
It endured for ages;
And blood was shed
By those who would not stand in rows,
And by those who pined to stand in rows.
Eventually, the man went to death, weeping.
And those who stayed in bloody scuffle
Knew not the great simplicity.
Who said,
"Range me all men of the world in rows."
And instantly
There was terrific clamour among the people
Against being ranged in rows.
There was a loud quarrel, world-wide.
It endured for ages;
And blood was shed
By those who would not stand in rows,
And by those who pined to stand in rows.
Eventually, the man went to death, weeping.
And those who stayed in bloody scuffle
Knew not the great simplicity.
By William Stafford
This is the field where the battle did not happen,
where the unknown soldier did not die.
This is the field where grass joined hands,
where no monument stands,
and the only heroic thing is the sky.
Birds fly here without any sound,
unfolding their wings across the open.
No people killed – or were killed – on this ground
hollowed by the neglect of an air so tame
that people celebrate it by forgetting its name.
where the unknown soldier did not die.
This is the field where grass joined hands,
where no monument stands,
and the only heroic thing is the sky.
Birds fly here without any sound,
unfolding their wings across the open.
No people killed – or were killed – on this ground
hollowed by the neglect of an air so tame
that people celebrate it by forgetting its name.
1 comment:
I was also interested in the way the society could take away the use of the word "I". I had never thought about it before but after reading this book there are so many freedoms we have in our society that we may take for granted. Being an individual and expressing your feelings means everything in our world and to have that taken away would be awful. I also agree with how well written the novel was and the language that was used. Since the word "I" was not aloud to be used the words put in place were very well thought out. I really enjoyed this novel as well.
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