Anthem Ch. 1-6 Flashcards

WebQuest Questions: 

What happened to Ayn Rand when she was 12? 

Her father’s pharmacy was seized by the Bolsheviks during the October Revolution, and her family fled to Crimea. 

Why was Ayn Rand almost expelled from her university? 

She was considered "not proletarian enough" because her family was wealthy and lost everything to the government. 

What was Ayn Rand's opinion of America? Be specific. 

She believed America was unique for valuing individual rights and seeing people as individuals, not part of a collective. 

Why did Rand change her name? How did she come up with her first name and last name? 

She changed her name to protect her family from the KGB. "Ayn" was inspired by a Finnish writer, and "Rand" was short for Rosenbaum. 

List TWO works of literature that Anthem has been compared to. Include both the author & title. 

1984 by George Orwell and Brave New World by Aldous Huxley. 

Chapter 1 

1. What literary genre does Ayn Rand use to tell the story of Anthem? 

Dystopian fiction 

2. Describe the setting of the story. Be specific. 

The story takes place in an unknown future date where mankind is controlled by an oppressive society during a Dark Age. 

3. Use the search engine of your choice to find the following definitions: 

Sin - immoral act 

Transgression – violation or offense against a rule/law 

4. What two sins has the narrator committed in the first paragraph? Are these the narrator's greatest sin? Refer to paragraph two. 

Writing in his journal and being alone. No, there is a greater sin not mentioned yet. 

5. Describe the setting mentioned in the third paragraph. Use specific words & phrases from the text. 

The setting is a dark tunnel, only lit by the flame from a candle. The walls are cracked with water running down them.  

6. When the narrator uses the words "we," "our," & "us," who is he truly referring to? 

Himself 

7. Why does Equality use plural pronouns versus a singular pronoun such as "I"? 

Because individuality is forbidden in society. 

8. What did the narrator steal from the Home of Sweepers? What would happen to him if he were caught stealing this item? What does Rand want the reader to infer about the society that Equality lives in? 

He stole a candle to work and write. If caught, he'd be sent to the Palace of Corrective Detention for 10 years. This shows the harsh punishment for breaking rules. 

9. Rand wanted Equality to stand out from his brothers. Explain how she accomplished this by contrasting Equality's physical attributes to those of his fellow men. How old is Equality? 

Equality is 6 feet tall, which is unusual for his society. He is also smarter and asks questions. He is 21 years old. 

10. What is the curse that Equality was born with? 

Having his own thoughts 

11. What is the purpose of the motto that's carved into The Palace of the World Council? 

To promote selflessness, society's core ideology. 

12. What was the Great Rebirth? 

It marked the end of the Unmentionable Times and the start of the new society. 

13. How long are children in the Home of Infants? 

5 years 

14. How was Equality different from the other children in the Home of Infants? 

He fought with his brothers, which was forbidden. 

15. Where do children go when they have aged out of the Home of Infants? 

The Home of Students 

16. Why was Equality not happy in the Home of Students? 

He was smarter than the others and bored because he wasn’t allowed to learn more. 

17. Why do Equality's teachers disapprove of his quick mind? 

His intelligence is superior to the others which is a sin, and he asks too many questions. 

18. Explain why Equality wants to be like Union. 

Union is not very smart, and Equality thinks acting like him will avoid trouble. 

19. What job does Equality hope to be assigned to by the Council of Vocations? 

A scholar 

20. Inference: Why do you think the Council of Vocations assigned Equality the job of street sweeper? Is it due to error, incompetence, or a more sinister motivation? Explain. 

The Council assigned him this job to suppress his intelligence and control him. These acts are sinister because they don’t want smart people to think for themselves. 

21. How does Equality react to being given his profession? 

He is happy, believing it will help him atone for his "sins." 

22. Describe the setting of the Home of Street Sweepers. 

A plain gray house on a narrow street with clean halls and 100 beds. 

23. Explain a typical workday for Equality. 

They wake up 30 minutes to dress and eat breakfast, work for 5 hours, have a lunch break (30 minutes), work for 5 more hours, have dinner, and attend the Social Meeting and City Theatre. 

24. How much time passed between when Equality received his job assignment and when he committed his great crime? 

Two springs 

25. How old are you when you are sent to the Home of the Useless? What are these people called? 

Forty; The Old Ones (45-Ancient Ones) 

26. In this chapter, Equality states that it is very unusual for men to reach the age of 45. Offer an explanation as to why life expectancy is so short in his society. 

The hard labor and lack of hope shorten life expectancy. 

27. Why was International sent to the Home of the Street Sweepers? 

He broke rules, like Equality, and liked to smile and draw. 

28. Explain why it is considered a transgression to be friends with someone in Anthem's society. 

It creates inequality, which is forbidden. 

29. What physical sickness does Union have? 

Convulsions (seizures) 

30. What does Equality & International find when they are gathering papers & rags that had blown behind the theatre? 

They find an iron bar leading to an underground tunnel. 

31. What does Equality begin to do every night when he is supposed to be at the City Theatre? 

He sneaks into the tunnel. 

Chapter 2: 

1. Whose name does Equality wish to write and speak? 

Liberty 5-3000 

2. What home is Liberty part of? What is her job in society? 

Home of the Peasants; she plants crops. 

3. Describe Liberty's physical appearance. 

Her eyes are dark and glowing, and her hair is golden. 

4. Before Liberty & Equality speak to one another, how do they communicate without talking? 

They raise their hands as if shielding their eyes from the sun, but they are waving at each other. 

5. Explain why it is a transgression for Liberty & Equality to speak to one another. 

They belong to different houses, and it's a sin to speak outside one's profession except at the Social Meetings. 

6. What name does Equality give Liberty in his thoughts? Why does he rename her? 

The Golden One; he sees her as different. 

7. What age are women and men sent to the Palace of Mating? 

Women: 18; Men: 20 

8. Find TWO examples from this chapter describing the ways in which this society tries to destroy each individual's mind (and self) by annihilating personal choices, desires, and values. 

No one can speak their thoughts, and all must be happy. No choice in mates. 

9. On p. 19 of the PDF (p. 46 of the novella), Equality notices the body language of his brothers as he is getting undressed and ready for bed. He says: "A word steals in our mind, as we look upon our brothers." What is that word? 

Fear 

10. Using the text on p. 19 of the PDF (p. 46 of the novella), fill in the blanks. 

“Fear walks through the city, Fear without name, without shape. All men feel it and none dare to speak.” 

11. Explain the following terms: 

a. The Great Truth - the belief that humans are fragments of the whole, not individuals. 

b. The Unmentionable Times – days in the past when people had individual rights. 

c. The Uncharted Forest – a heavily wooded area outside the city symbolizing society's refusal to explore new ideas. 

d. The Evil Ones - the capitalist leaders before the collectivist regime. 

12. Explain the flashback Equality has at the end of chapter two. What impact did it have on his life? 

He recalls seeing the Transgressor of the Unspeakable Word burned alive for speaking a forbidden word, feeling a connection and a responsibility to find the word and protect it. 

13. What word do you think Equality is struggling to recapture? 

"I" 

14. Why do you think this word is punishable by death in this society? 

It emphasizes individuality, which threatens the collective ideology. 

Chapter 3: 

15. What secret does Equality discover in this chapter? 

Electricity 

16. What was Equality doing when he first noticed this power? 

Dissecting a frog 

17. How has Equality's attitude about society and his own personal sins changed since the beginning of the novella? 

He no longer feels guilty for thinking and now takes pride in his intellect. He previously felt that he deserved to be a Street Sweeper to serve as a punishment for his “sins.” Now, he believes he should be a Scholar because of his discovery. 

Chapter 4: 

18. What name does Liberty give to Equality? What can you infer about Liberty by her word choice? 

The Unconquered. This shows Liberty is starting to think for herself, like Equality. 

19. What does Liberty offer to Equality in this chapter? Be specific. 

She gives him a drink of water from her hands. 

20. Why does this interaction startle both of them? 

Because they touch for the first time. 

Chapter 5: 

21. What does Equality create in this chapter? 

A light bulb. 

22. Equality understands that his invention will benefit mankind greatly; however, this was not his main motivation for his experiments. What is the primary source of his “great joy?” 

His joy comes from achieving independence and discovering knowledge hidden from others. 

23. Who does Equality plan to show his creation to? How does he think this group will react to his creation? 

The World Council. He believes they will accept it as his redemption and let him join the Home of Scholars. 

24. Explain the following simile: "For this wire is as a part of our body, as a vein torn from us, flowing with our blood." 

The wire is like a vein in his body, showing how deeply connected he feels to his invention. 

25. Equality is suddenly interested in seeing his own image. Why now? What emotions is he feeling? 

He feels personal pride and realizes he values being a unique individual. 

Chapter 6: 

26. Explain why Equality is not able to write in his journal for thirty days. 

He is locked in the Stone Room under the Palace of Corrective Detention. 

27. When Equality awakes from being knocked unconscious, he smiles instead of being in fear for his life. Why does Equality smile? 

He didn’t reveal his secret about the light to the government. 

28. Why is it so easy for Equality to escape from the Palace of Corrective Detention? 

No one had tried to escape before, so there was little security.