Download Anthem Summer Reading Guiding Questions

Anthem Summer Reading
Guiding Questions
Directions: Please answer the following questions on your own sheet/sheets of paper as you read
through Anthem. Please keep them handy and bring them with you for the first six weeks.
A. The novel Anthem explores the conflicting voices Equality hears and internalizes.
Brought in the form of the word “we,” these voices dictate his values and beliefs. As the
novel progresses and he moves toward a stronger sense of individualism and identity, he
begins to consciously reject all voices that drown out the voice of his own heart and
thoughts. What is the relationship between Equality’s use of “we” from the start of the
book to the middle and then at the end? How is Equality’s point of view related to the
“we” addressed repeatedly throughout the book?
B. In different parts of the book, various forms of religious diction are used to exemplify the
idea of individualism. What are some examples of religious diction? What kind of
imagery does this create for the reader? How does this relate to what Equality is going
through? How are each of these ideas attributed to the concept of individualism?
C. Rebirth can be defined as the process of being born again or experiencing a kind of
revival; this can be applied to Equality and Liberty’s experiences in the book. How do we
see a transformation occur within the characters of Anthem? At what point does it start?
Is there more than one change? Does the change ever end? Why is this a significant
concept within the text?
D. The mythological characters of Prometheus and Gaea become prominent towards the end
of the novel. Who were these people according to Greek mythology? Why would Ayn
Rand choose to associate these mythological characters with her own? For what purpose
do we see them used? Referencing mythology in the text can be classified as what kind of
literary device?
E. After reading the poem “Invictus” by William Ernest Henley, think about connections
that can be made between Henley’s speaker and that of Equality. What similarities can be
identified between the two? Are there any differences? What connections can be made
between the poem’s speaker and that of Equality in regards to determination, hardship,
and courage?