Question

Read the excerpt from Anthem. Perhaps they cried out in protest and in warning. But men paid no heed to their warning. And they, these few, fought a hopeless battle, and they perished with their banners smeared by their own blood. And they chose to perish, for they knew. To them, I send my salute across the centuries, and my pity. The imagery of “a hopeless battle” helps to develop the theme that group thinking limits man’s potential because it gives details of how violent societies can be when faced with overwhelming obstacles. suggests that the group with the larger numbers always wins the battle. implies that the narrator will also be killed for questioning authority. depicts the collective society as a destructive force that represses the independent thinker.

Answer 1

The right answer is: Depicts the collective society as a destructive force that represses the independent thinker. Ayn Rand, the author of "Anthem", is one of the most controversial authors and philosophers of the twentieth century throughout her novels and lectures, Rand introduces her audience to her philosophy, Objectivism, which encourages people to be selfish and live a better life. To achieve this, you should do whatever you want, but without creating victims. To Rand, selfishness means to work hard, earn self-esteem, pursue the happiness and grow by treating others with the same value.

Written in 1937, Rand intended to use Anthem as a critic of collectivism, the philosophy that individuals exist only to contribute to the well-being of the society. In the novel, individualism has been erased and the world is crumbling.