Line Illuminator - Ivanna Hidalgo

Ivanna Hidalgo

Anthem by Ayn Rand

Line Iluminator

Week 3 - Part 5 - 6

“Men never see their own faces and never ask their brothers about it, for it is evil to have concern for their own faces or bodies.” (Page 44)

"The Man in The Mirror." HEY Helping Every Youth Torontos Youth Magazine. Web. 26 Oct. 2014. <http://helpingeveryyouth.com/magazine/man-mirror/>.

     To begin with, I edited the original picture to a faceless man because this is the image I think of when Equality 7-2521 talks about his unknown identity. After reading this quote, I got the understanding that in this world, society has a peculiar restriction which is seeing their own reflection. They cannot ask what they look like, and in no way seeing it for themselves. Therefore, this image represents how people can't see their bodies or faces caused for a strange matter. My question is why can't men and women see their own selves. Is it because the Council knows that it would affect the people? Is it because people are just not used to it? As this man looks at himself, there is nothing but a white outline of a face. Wouldn't that be the way people feel? Blank? For example, when any one these personages talk to people, they think their face is just a big, continuous blur because they have no idea at all of how they look like. Additionally, something I realized is if other people can see your face, then how come looking at yourself is evil. Others can see you, and others know how you look like; however, you don't know how you look like. As for this man, he only appears blank in his own reflection, but he is not blank himself. In another words, people look at the man in the image, and obviously does not emerge as a blur; although, when he tries to picture himself, he is invisible. As another point, I've wondered why doesn't Equality 7-2521 come into physical contact with his face? As for that way, individuals could have a small sense of how they look like. I came out with this conclusion because I noticed how the man in the image was putting his hands over his unknown face, as if he were to find something new and momentous.

“The second blow stopped the first, and for a second we felt nothing, then the pain struck us in our throat and fire ran in our lungs without air. But we did not cry out.” (Page 47)

"KEEP CALM AND Don't Cry, Stay Strong." - KEEP CALM AND CARRY ON Image Generator.  Web. 26 Oct. 2014. <http://www.keepcalm-o-matic.co.uk/p/keep-calm-and-don-t-cry-stay-strong/>.

     Firstly, I thought the content itself that came from the image is really significant because it tells people how not crying makes you stronger. I chose this image not because I utterly agree with it, but because it's a puzzle piece completing the meaning of the quote in Anthem. In my opinion, this was one of the most important quotes in this chapter because it said something about Equality 7-2521's personality. This told me that he didn't cry because it is known that men don't cry, but because he is a person who always meant to stay strong and crying wasn't one of his defenses. Even though he was being tortured by a lash, one of the things he didn't do was cry out when he was in one of he worst life experiences. As in for the meaning of the image quote, crying can make you stronger and powerful, yet it can't get you to a strait solution. Consequently, Equality 7-2521 realized that crying out at that moment would have not been the best choice by then because it would get him absolutely nothing. Something I learned about Equality 7-2521 throughout the book is that he is someone with a bitter personality caused to his previous experiences. Especially when he saw the man burning right in his eyes. As a result, he learned how to keep calm and stood strong during his paralyzing event.