Anthem by Ayn Rand

This webquest is designed to be an introduction to Anthem by Ayn Rand, which is a dystopian fiction novella published in 1938. 

"It is a sin to write this. It is a sin to think words no others think and to put them down upon a paper no others are to see. It is base and evil. It is as if we were speaking alone to no ears but our own. And we know well that there is no transgression blacker than to do or think alone."

These beginning lines are spoken by the narrator of Anthem, Equality 7-2521. 

As you complete this webquest, you will be learning more about the world of Anthem. You will be using this as an introduction to get familiar with it before you begin reading. 

Your goal is to go through the webquest and answer all the questions provided. Make sure you read each source thoroughly and be prepared to discuss what you've learned. 

Read this webpage and answer the following questions: 

1. What is collectivism? What did Ayn Rand think about it? 

2. Write a brief description of Equality 7-2521.

3. Write a brief description of Liberty 5-3000. 

4. Identify and briefly describe 5 themes of Anthem. 

Read through the definitions of vocabulary from Anthem found here.

5. Record 5 terms and their definitions (in your own words).

6. Based on these words, what can you tell me about the story and its genre? 

Read this page about dystopian literature. 

7. In your own words, what is a dystopia? 

8. What are a few characteristics of a dystopia? 

9. Give an example of a dystopian novel. What makes the society in the novel a dystopian one? 

Explore the Ayn Rand Lexicon. Click on "Objectivism" and read the contents of that page. 

10. What is objectivism? 

11. What are the four "pillars" of objectivism and what do they mean? 

Be prepared to participate in the discussion in class. You will be required to turn in your answers to the webquest questions following our discussion for 15 points and will be graded on completion and thoughtfulness/effort of answers (1 point for each question completed and 4 points for effort). 

Congrats! You have completed the webquest! I hope you learned a lot about Ayn Rand and Anthem, and are excited to read it and go more in depth with the text. 

Why should I care?? 

Imagine you live in a world where your individuality is stripped away and your only purpose is to serve the greater community. Every aspect of your day is scheduled and you're not allowed to do so much as smile without reason. You have no say in what job you get, who you spend your time with, what you study; really any aspect in how you live your life. You can never be alone. You cannot even use the word "I" but must always use the royal "we."

How does that sound? Like a nightmare? This is the world that you'll enter in as you read Anthem. According to Ayn Rand, perhaps this is the world that our society is moving toward. 

This webquest was created by Kara Daugherty for EDUC 308.