Sometimes, I enjoy reflecting back on books that I was assigned to read in past English courses. One that fascinated me was Anthem, by Ayn Rand. The novel is full to the brim with quotable material. I can just flip to a page in the book in front of me and immediately be drawn to some insight that I did not fully realize the first time I read it.
When the protagonist, Prometheus, is investing himself in his work, he is far from the other members of his society. On a basic level, Prometheus does not fully understand the importance of his work. “We alone, of the thousands who walk this earth, we alone in this hour are doing a work which has no purpose save that we wish to do it.” (36). In examining this quote, one can see the brilliance of its basal meaning , that Prometheus has taken advantage of his new freedom, as well as its deeper meaning, the higher purpose of his work.
From working alone in secret to gaining an advanced understanding of the motives of people around him, Prometheus’ thoughts and actions reveal that he has taken advantage of his newfound physical and emotional freedom. He has broken away from the drudgery of his previous life and the doldrums that surround the rest of society, as he expresses when looking upon his face for the first time, “Our face was not like the faces of our brothers, for we felt no pity when looking upon it.” (80). Free from the prison surrounding his former comrades, Prometheus looks upon himself with pride and confidence. Looking back, he feels disgust for the empty and complacent life he once shared with his comrades. With breathtaking imagery, Prometheus lauds the exhilaration of discovery, “For this wire is as a part of our body, as a vein torn from us, glowing with our blood.” (61). By comparing his invention to a the system of life in his own body, he connects to his work and emphasizes its necessity to his intellectual growth. Throughout the novel, the changes in Prometheus’ behavior illustrate the freedom he has won.
Prometheus’ work holds a far higher purpose than a mere hobby. A part of its importance is that through working, he begins to understand the value of his work, as evidenced by the illuminating comparisons he makes, “We wish nothing, save to be alone and learn, and to feel as if with each day our sight were growing sharper than the hawk’s and clearer than rock crystal.” (36). The reader can feel the excitement coursing through Prometheus’ entire being as he makes discoveries and innovations. Prometheus learns what it is to lose himself in the passion of an important work. As the Committee feared and Prometheus began to understand, his endeavor was the sort that fuels discoveries and revolutions. As the young pioneer came to understand, “The power of the sky can be made to do men’s bidding. There are no limits to its secrets and its might, and it can be made to grant us anything if we but choose to ask.” (60). This quote embodies the intensity of the force that Prometheus has harnessed, the force that the Committee fears and hates; the force of knowledge. As the Committee is all-too aware of, education is the key to revolution and therefore the primary enemy of the controlling government. Through his work, Prometheus abandons his assigned purpose and comes to choose his own: to learn, and consequently to help free others from oppression.
Prometheus eloquently expresses the essence of knowledge and discovery with his early thought, “We alone, of the thousands who walk this earth, we alone in this hour are doing a work which has no purpose save that we wish to do it.” (36). During Prometheus’ hours spent working in solitude, he attains a clarity about his work and about his purpose in life. He understands that his purpose can be assigned to him by no man but himself, and that his work in gaining knowledge gives him the purest joy he has ever felt. He feels this joy for no man but himself, and makes this work his purpose.
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