Anthem
(Ayn Rand)
When an artist prepares to engage in a major oil painting project she will draw many sketches. She will study the subject from more than one angle. She must experiment with light, composition, colour and texture before first touching the final canvas. Anthem is one of Ayn Rand's sketches written shortly before pouring herself into The Fountainhead. Set many centuries in the future, Anthem describes a society built from extreme collectivism and communism. In this future world individuals do not exist. All is done for the good of the group. Science and art are dead. People are instructed what to think, feel and do everyday of their lives.Our hero, Equality 7-2521, is driven by a desire deep inside himself to seek something more meaningful, truthful and honest in his existence. He is assigned to the position of street sweeper as his daily job. In his travels he meets a young girl that he grows very fond of. These feelings are against the law. People are not allowed to love another individual. No partnerships of any kind exist. Even making babies is a state controlled task assigned to appropriately aged people once a year. Equality 7-2521 finds an old subway tunnel and uses it as a laboratory and a place to study every night. He experiments with old stuff he finds inside the subway tunnel. He is successful in building a weak battery and making a primitive light bulb glow.This simple understanding of electricity is far beyond anything in use in his society. They are burning candles for light. He hopes that World Council of Scholars will be impressed with his discovery and promote him to the status of Scholar. Instead he is forced to run away into the Unchartered Forest. I first saw the name Ayn Rand on the inside cover of a rock album. Ifyou ever get a chance to pick up Rush 2112, take at look at the lyrics and you will see a note at the bottom that reads - With credits to thegenius of Ayn Rand. Well, I eventually picked up her books and read everything the woman ever wrote. Anthem is a lovely peek inside the developing mind of a brilliant writer. Reading this book is like having a chance to flip through a sketch book belonging to Monet or Pissaro.
Resumos Relacionados
- Fountainhead
- Atlas Shrugged
- The Big Book Of Experiments: An Encyclopedia Of Science
- The Big Book Of Experiments: An Encyclopedia Of Science
- The Fountainhead
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