Anthem Symbolism Analysis

Many people see deeper than what is seen on the surface. They have something in life that means more to them than what others see. These people decide to not judge a book by it’s cover. Some people only see what is on the skin. They look at everything and see it for what it is seen as by their two eyes. They feel that there is nothing more to see than what they are shown. They believe symbolism is a real thing, but personally do not have any symbols in their life. Others believe that symbolism is not a real thing and it should not be. They feel that objects should be seen for what it is and should not have a deeper meaning. These people cannot see past the surface, even if they wanted to. Ayn Rand’s dystopian novel Anthem has several symbolic …show more content…
The light represents more than one thing. “We made it. We created it. We brought it forth from the night of the ages” is when Equality 7-2521 first discovered the light that later became a significant part in the book. (Rand 59) This symbolizes Equality 7-2521’s knowledge because he lived in a society where he had to think and act like a collective and he discovered something that could potentially change everything. The Council of Scholars does not allow one to think of themselves as an individual and stand out from others, therefore they do not allow one to try to do anything that would make them do so. Discovering something as crucial to society as light is showed how knowledgeable Equality 7-2521 truly is. Not only did light symbolize Equality 7-2521’s knowledge, but it showcased hope as well. “We can give our brothers a new light, cleaner, and brighter, than any they have ever known. The power of the sky can be made to do men’s bidding. There are no limits to its secrets and its might, and it can be made to grant us anything if we but choose to ask” shows that light gave Equality 7-2521 hope that there was a whole world out there that they did not know of and a world that the Council of Scholars hid from the society. (Rand 60) Discovering this light was hope for Equality 7-2521 because he always stood out, even as a kid, and his discovery gave him hope that he could give others something that could improve their life. Although Equality 7-2521 had hope for individualism, he thought like a collective. “We must not keep our secret to ourselves, not buried under the ground. We must bring it to the sight of men” reveals how selfless Equality 7-2521 was because he had just discovered something that could possibly be life changing and he did not think of keeping it to himself. (Rand 60) The light symbolized the selfless part of Equality 7-2521 because even though he was starting to think