"Many words have been granted me, and some are wise, and some are false, but only three are holy: 'I will it!'" (94-95)
Quote/ Theme Analysis:
This quote expresses the significance of personal freedom and decisions in Anthem. The main character (I really can't think of their [his?] name at the moment), has finally come to realize that he in fact can think for himself, contradicting the goal of this dystopian society in the first place. This has been a common theme in several of the utopian/dystopian books we have read so far this year. In Fahrenheit 451, Anthem, We, and The Handmaid's Tale, the main character is distinguished from the rest of the society by one central factor: their ability to transcend the rules and structures of the robotic societies in which they live. Although knowledge and the ability to recognize what is real and what is not is important to the main character of Anthem, what is more important is being able to decide for oneself how to learn, what to think, and how to live without restrictions and oppressions of the "utopian" society that is intended to eliminate these necessities of thought.
This quote expresses the significance of personal freedom and decisions in Anthem. The main character (I really can't think of their [his?] name at the moment), has finally come to realize that he in fact can think for himself, contradicting the goal of this dystopian society in the first place. This has been a common theme in several of the utopian/dystopian books we have read so far this year. In Fahrenheit 451, Anthem, We, and The Handmaid's Tale, the main character is distinguished from the rest of the society by one central factor: their ability to transcend the rules and structures of the robotic societies in which they live. Although knowledge and the ability to recognize what is real and what is not is important to the main character of Anthem, what is more important is being able to decide for oneself how to learn, what to think, and how to live without restrictions and oppressions of the "utopian" society that is intended to eliminate these necessities of thought.
Reflection:
Well, I definitely enjoyed the simplicity of this novel in comparison to We. I find that I enjoy books more when I can actually fully understand the story and be able to analyze it without having to work around complex sentences and unclear plots, because at that point all I am doing is trying to figure out what the author is trying to say, and it takes away from the meaning of the story. Although the style was very different from any book I've ever read before (the main character(s?) referring to themselves in the plural, as a unit) and this concept was a little confusing to begin with, I ended up liking how the author used this "unit" of people to refer to a single character as it emphasized the absence of individuality in so-called "utopian" societies.
1 comment:
I like the quote you chose since it's pretty important in the book! And I agree that the simplicity of Anthem was nice after reading We. And it was very confusing when one person used the word 'we' to talk about him or herself!! I liked when Prometheus finally learned how to say 'I", it made the rest of the book much better to read!!
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