Week # 3 – Connection Captain – Giulia
The book Anthem, until now, is all about equality forever and for all. This theme I just mentioned, reminds me of something that happened to me once in a camp. I was in NR, nine years old. In this camp, we had an activity that we had to improvise and act out something bad that was happening in our society. My group and I decided to act out communism, specifically from Cuba. (We thought that was a bad thing, but not everyone thinks this way. Communism, therefore, is not necessarily bad, it just depends on the angle that you interpret it.) So we did this improvised scene and in the end (it was a competition by the way) we won the "Best Act" prize, out of the eight other groups.
Four years later, I had the chance to start reading this book, which has something in common with my experience; it's theme, equality. After I read the short sinopse of Anthem, the first thing that came up to my mind, and I'm not joking, was this time in NR. The whole idea of both matched perfectly together, and now, looking back I figured that my group and I were actually acting out some parts of this book. Crazy, I'd say, right. Well, in out act, we showed a conversation between the people of this society, which had no names whatsoever. A conversation between a "cop" or "supervised of the people" with a man from that community. And lastly, a conversation between the ruler of the city and his people. This reminded me of when Equality was talking to Liberty. The talk they had was very similar to the one in our "play", in which two people were talking about their feelings. It was a short talk with short sentences, a quick glance into each others eyes, and a very meaningful "bye" in the end, as if they were never to speak to each other again. They were similar in this aspect.
I clearly remember how our play was and I certainly think that it was identical to how these people in Anthem are treated. All equal, lonely, and "puppeted". This word I just invented, is just to get you to relate these people to puppets; moved around by one powerful ruler that get everything he/she wants and shared nothing with the people. That's how I connected this book to my improv little play from camp.
For those who don't know, this is the flag of Cuba, and the face of a man on it, is Fidel Castro's.
Giulia,
ReplyDeleteI thought your connection was very interesting being that you shared your own experience, but I believe that you could not call the two scenes identical because, firstly, they are set in different time periods, and secondly, acting out a scene from a real problem that is happening around you is very different than living the problem. I think it was nice for you to compare the two actions together. I hope you can understand what I am proposing. Thank you for making me think deeper about this.
Julia Jacob
Within reading the first few sentences I immediately wanted to clear something up with you and for those reading this book. The statement you made is untrue, “The book Anthem, until now, is all about equality forever and for all.” This statement became untrue in the first few sentences in chapter five, “We made it. We created it. We brought it forth from the night of the ages. We alone. Our hands. Our mind. Ours alone and only. We know not what we are saying. Our head is reeling. We look upon the light which we have made.” These were the first few sentences and these statements are clearly not for all. I know this because if they were for all he would not be a breaking a rule, “We shall be forgiven for anything we say tonight.” This quote means he believes that he will be forgiven for breaking the rule saying things that are not for all.
ReplyDeleteYou are right Cian, and thanks for correcting me on that I think I meant to say that the dictator, or ruler of this society,wanted his people to be equal for ever and for all. I had the right idea, only I frazed it the wrong way. You are right the people are completely different here in this community, no doubt about that, only they are treated as to be all equal with no difference between them. And the exceptions, like Equality, tend to be seen as people who were born to outsmart all the others, when really, he is just the same as all the other people, but he has a min of his own. With this, I mean that he is more independent than other people, but he is really just as "normal" as them. Something I learnt here, was that to be different is a sin. (In this book.) Thanks again for commenting on my post, you helped me to push my thinking forward.
DeleteGuilia,
ReplyDeleteI really liked your post. One thing that really stood out to me was that you said you were thinking about communism at nine. Wow! You must have been a mature 9 year old. Something that I really found interesting was that idea of the people in anthem being almost like puppets. I kind of agree with this idea. I do not think that they are puppet like exactly but more trained. A puppet has no mind yet the citizens of the society in anthem strive to please their brothers, if only to not be punished. Great post!
Katie
I agree with Katie. People aren't treated as puppets. There are many rules and if you dare to break them you will be brutal punishments. People fear of these punishments. They don't know any better then to please/strive their brothers. A puppet wouldn't have any mind, people would be controlling them, what they think and what they do. Yes, I know there are some parts of being a puppet because they do what the brothers ask them to do, but (an example is) Equality they do sins without being caught they think about women in their minds. Meaning they have a mind to make their own discions. I also agree with Cian, I was going to mention the same thing until I read he wrote similiar thing what I was thinking about. You can see how the "forever and all" is true for the beginning of the book where Equality didn't know anything yet. But, when they find their hole and make discovers this quote changes. They are breaking the rules to figure the past out, and hope for one day to be forgiven for their sins and they will use their creations. I believe they won't use their creations or be forgiven. What you think? What do you predict?
ReplyDelete