The word ‘ego’ has a very broad and clouded meaning. Even though the dictionary defines it as a person's sense of self-esteem or self-importance; most of us use it today to describe someone who is overly confident or only cares about themselves. Today, we all are so afraid of thinking of ourselves to avoid being labeled as an egoist but in reality, it is not a bad thing to have an ego. In the novel Anthem, by Ayn Rand, the main character lives in a society where egos don't even exist. He runs away and soon discovers what it means to have an ego. Equality 7-1521, later known as Prometheus, is the main character and can be defined as an egoist. Being an egoist is a good thing because it can give you confidence, leadership skills and the ability
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In another of Rand’s works, one of the main characters delivers a speech called The Soul of an Individualist. In this speech, he said “His vision, his strength, his courage came from his own spirit. A man’s spirit, however, is his self. That entity which is his consciousness. To think, to feel, to judge, to act are functions of the ego.” (Rand 2). This excerpt from the speech applies very well to Equality in Anthem. Equality’s vision was to make his light and it took his courage to present it to the council. The way that Equality thought and acted in this novel all reflected his ego. This ego that he had is the main reason why he had the confidence and self-worth in himself to carry out all the things he did. Equality’s ego was crucial to his success. It gave him the confidence to not only endure the struggles of being sent to jail and tortured, but it also gave him the confidence to make his light and present it to the council. Ever since Equality was a child, he knew that he was more gifted than the others. All of the other kids in his school were less gifted than he was. He wanted very badly to be a scholar and even though he was assigned to be a street sweeper, he knew deep down that he had the skills needed to do anything he set his mind …show more content…
Prometheus, who Equality renamed himself after, was a Titan in Greek mythology. This Titan was given the job of creating mankind by Zeus. In order to accomplish this task he was given, he had to have a good ego so that he could command mankind well. With his ego, Prometheus was able to make decisions that benefited mankind. For example, Prometheus was able to return fire to mankind even after it was taken by Zeus. Prometheus from Ayn Rand’s novel also possesses similar qualities to the Prometheus of early Greece. Equality’s ego enables himself to lead others and make smart decisions. This ego that he has gives him the drive to create a new civilization and teach others about his
In another of Rand’s works, one of the main characters delivers a speech called The Soul of an Individualist. In this speech, he said “His vision, his strength, his courage came from his own spirit. A man’s spirit, however, is his self. That entity which is his consciousness. To think, to feel, to judge, to act are functions of the ego.” (Rand 2). This excerpt from the speech applies very well to Equality in Anthem. Equality’s vision was to make his light and it took his courage to present it to the council. The way that Equality thought and acted in this novel all reflected his ego. This ego that he had is the main reason why he had the confidence and self-worth in himself to carry out all the things he did. Equality’s ego was crucial to his success. It gave him the confidence to not only endure the struggles of being sent to jail and tortured, but it also gave him the confidence to make his light and present it to the council. Ever since Equality was a child, he knew that he was more gifted than the others. All of the other kids in his school were less gifted than he was. He wanted very badly to be a scholar and even though he was assigned to be a street sweeper, he knew deep down that he had the skills needed to do anything he set his mind …show more content…
Prometheus, who Equality renamed himself after, was a Titan in Greek mythology. This Titan was given the job of creating mankind by Zeus. In order to accomplish this task he was given, he had to have a good ego so that he could command mankind well. With his ego, Prometheus was able to make decisions that benefited mankind. For example, Prometheus was able to return fire to mankind even after it was taken by Zeus. Prometheus from Ayn Rand’s novel also possesses similar qualities to the Prometheus of early Greece. Equality’s ego enables himself to lead others and make smart decisions. This ego that he has gives him the drive to create a new civilization and teach others about his