Reflections on The Anthem by Ayn Rand

"Man—every man—is an end in himself, not the means to the ends of others. He must exist for his own sake, neither sacrificing himself to others nor sacrificing others to himself. The pursuit of his own rational self-interest and of his own  happiness is the highest moral purpose of his life."

 

This is a brief taste of Rand's philosophy of Objectivism, which is primarily self-focused. Equality 7-2521 begins to live on the edge, that is, for himself right from the beginning, in his desperate keening to be sent to the Home of the Scholars. This was his first recorded self-centered thought in the novel, and despite his desires he is not sent there, but to the Home of the Sweepers. He begins to take more and more selfish actions after he gets there, by venturing down the tunnel although it is forbidden and beginning to work on his lightbulb for his own purposes and thoughts of fame. Eventually, he leaves his town with his forbidden partner and discovers the word "I", after which he begins to live life for himself rather than for his borthers.

 When a character acts selfishly against the prevailing vice(s) of the dominant social order, true virtue exhibits itself?

 

Equality 7-2521 acted selfishly against the entire social norm of his people; he begin to live for himself. And while characteristics such as independence, knowledge, and male/female love emerge and are exhibited as a cause of this, are they really virtues compared to what emerges when one acts selflessly? In The Pearl, virtues like loyalty and determination emerge from selflessness, but I'm not sure what has emerged from selfishness could really be considered virtues, albeit beneficial and for the greater good. 

Reflections of The Pearl

It was thought that the magnificent pearl would bring Kino and Juana great prosperity; a new home, clothes, education for their son, and a proper marriage. However, the editor of the book outlines a paradox that makes that assumption unrealistic: evil comes out of good.


The discovery of the pearl was crucial to the survival of Kino and Juana's son, Coyotito, after he was stung by a scorpion and needed medication. And eureka, a pearl like no other was discovered, and it was rumored to be worth unimaginable riches. A find that was undoubtedly good; however soon the reality of the earth swept in and brought forth evil.

 Many tried to steal the pearl, Kino and Juana watched their house burn before them and their canoe be broken, Kino was forced to kill a man and their son Coyotito was murdered in direct result of the pearl. Something that was seemingly beautiful brought not brightness but darkness to their world, and the evil that Juana sensed from the beginning emerged from the pearl.

When Kino and Juana return to the village, Kino peers into the pearl and sees all the evil that had been brought to him because of it. He had once described it as "the great pearl, perfect as the moon" (pg 30), but he now said "The pearl was ugly; it was gray, like a malignant growth" (pg 121).

When a character acts selflessly against the prevailing vice(s) of the dominant social order, true virtue exhibits itself.

Prevailing vices of the dominant social order:

• Poverty and discrimination that was among Kino's people
• The scorpion that attacked Coyotito
• Selfishness and jealousy of the townspeople, the doctor, and the pearl buyers
• The loss of much because of the pearl (home, canoe)

Virtues exhibited:

• Kino's loyalty to his family and Juana's loyalty to her husband, even though he made decisions she did not agree with.
• Kino's determination to achieve success and settle for nothing but what he deserved for the pearl.
• A sense of family above all else 

Throughout the novel, we watch Kino's family struggle and suffer because of the pearl, and yet he is completely selflessly driven to ensure that Coyotito will have a bright future. As a result, we see loyalty, determination and a family priority emerge and drive the characters through the troubles they encounter.