Equality 72521 was taught as a child to recite a pledge
which states: "We are nothing. Mankind is all. By the
grace of our brothers are we allowed our lives. We exist
through, by, and for our brothers who are the state. Amen."
What do you think happens to the personality and sense of
individuality in a child when he is taught that he is
"nothing?" How do the people in this story seem to feel
about their lives? How is Equality 72521 different from
the others? Give specific examples.
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74 comments:
I think that he will act like he is nothing. He would just become a burden to others because he is taught that he is nothing. They will lose their personality and become bland. If they feel like they are nothing, they will be pushed around by others.
They seem to enjoy their lives. They think they around doing this for the people around them. It is not only for them, they do this only for others.
Equality feels that not everything is for their brothers. He wants to do something for himself, like learn science. Equality is one of the people who thnks outside the box. He is treated differently because of his vast curiousity.
If a child is taught that he is nothing of course he would grow up thinking that same thing. When you're a child you are influenced very easily by your peers, that's why you will believe anything that they say because you look up to them.
Of course the people in this story don't think of themselves as important. They are part of the big picture and don't realize that one of them can make a difference. That they on their own are special, too. Equality of course is different because that teaching didn't stick in his head when he was younger. He wants to make a difference and he wants to discover new things in the Home of the Scholars.
I think that because of the children being taught that they are "nothing", the way they look at themselves everyday will be in a negative way. Their self-esteem will drop, and they will feel like as if they aren't loved or apreciated. They won't have their own unique personality, and they won't be happy. They will always feel empty inside. The people in this story feel as if they were brought to this world just to work and worship their brothers. Equality is different from the others because he likes to write and do experiments. He would like to go out in the real world, and experience new and exciting things.
I think that a child should grow in an environment where individuality is embraced. This is important because a child needs to express himself in his own way, which allows him to grasp his own understanding of the world around him. Teaching a child that he is nothing, affects him serverly. It limits the possibilities of a growing child to almost nothing. The human mind is capable of almost anything; it should never be controlled by anyone.
Making people feel that they are all one, and cannot live without the other is wrong. People need to live in an enviroment of individuality and open mindedness. People should be allowed to express themselves freely so that they can mold their own personality and individuality. I believe that the people in the story feel that they are living a normal life, because they were taught about those things ever since they were born. The majority of everyone thinks that they are living correctly, and everyone else knows that they are being limited to what they are capable of doing. Equality is different because he sees things in a different perspective. He thinks that the life he is living is wrong, and he wants to be free of it. He wishes to live a life of individuality and learning.
I think that if they are thought that as children,that they will feel depressed and feel like nothing.They probably won't see much joy in life and will act as if nothing. They won't have much individuality and they won't be unique. After a while,life may seem a burden because they are empty inside and are not satisfied with their life.
They may feel unimportant or loved because they are here to help with the needs of others.It will make them each want to be like everyone else and to follow the crowd. Equality is different though. He is creative. He likes to write and learn. He loves science and he likes to know things. He's curious and he likes to think and question.
He also is different from others because he is taller than them and he's different.
I think that if they are thought that as children,that they will feel depressed and feel like nothing.They probably won't see much joy in life and will act as if nothing. They won't have much individuality and they won't be unique. After a while,life may seem a burden because they are empty inside and are not satisfied with their life.
They may feel unimportant or loved because they are here to help with the needs of others.It will make them each want to be like everyone else and to follow the crowd. Equality is different though. He is creative. He likes to write and learn. He loves science and he likes to know things. He's curious and he likes to think and question.
He also is different from others because he is taller than them and he's different.
When a child is told he is nothing, then he will never strive to do his best. He will never try his hardest to succeed. The people in this story go about there lives like zombies. They don't think or react to anything. They do what they are told and nothing more. Equality is different because he thinks about questions. He wants to learn about the nature of the world around him. He also has feelings as you can see when he meets Liberty.
I believe they treat the people as if they are robots. They teach them certain things, such as the pledge like programming them. If all they know their whole life is that they are nothing, they will surely believe it. The people probably have no self esteem and think they amount to nothing, just like their brothers. They probably don't think of their lives as what it's meant to be, but a schedule to be followed.
However, Equality is different from his brothers. Physically, he is much taller. Mentally, he is much smarter but it's not a good thing because the similarities must be kept and there is no individuality. He is also much more curious. Equality also loves some over others and prefers work over other. Lastly, he also decided to keep the secret of the tunnel and not tell others meaning he definitely does not follow the rules.
We all know children at a young age can be easily corrupted and manipulated because they don't understand fully the sense of right and wrong. When a child at such a young age is taught that they are nothing, he will instinctively believe that it is true, and that there is no individual, but a whole, and the knowledge that since they are nothing, there is a something greater than them.
In this story, it seems to me that the people feel that their life is like one little bolt in a huge machine that can easily be replaced. Together, they function as one people, and there is not one different individual. The only person with some individualtiy is Equality. He thinks, reads, fears, and has feelings. He's been writing in a tunnel, he's fallen in love, he's made a friend, and he's stolen from his brothers. Those are all transgressions that Equality has made that makes him different.
I think the personality and identity of a child disappears from a person when they grow up learning that they are nothing.They will have nothing ,not even a self-esteem.
And if they would actually find them selves they would have to be strong to break out of what they grew up learning.
The people in this book seem to be happy with their lives and i think it is pretty much clueless of what they are learning.I think Equality was one that had a strong selfesteem and he found his way into curiosity and hopefully he will uncover all the secrets that the community is hiding .he starts his curiosity by first eyeing liberty and then the tunnel and he starts playing with his schedule and i think his curiosity will lead him to more and more.
I completely agree with ChristineA's comment. Now that i think of it, they do operate as one large machine.
One thing that has me thinking is... those that run the city or those that know of the Unmentionable Times think of themselves as a brother with no thoughts or feelings too?
I agree with gabriel in the fact that they will nevber strive to nothing in the outcome and they will grow up to be like zombies.
And if you dont strive to nothing you wont have goals if you dont have goals you wont have pride and you need pride in your work.
I agree with chelsea in that Equality wants to do something for himself. And no one else has ever thought of doing something for themself .I belive the people or should i say "robots" dont even notice themselves and think about them selves.
I agree with don in the fact that they should not learn to live with eachother they should learn to be their own persons if something ever happens ( talking in real life) they wont be capable of anything they would be too scared and someone must be strong from within not just because he has brothers living with him.
I believe that if from a young age you are taught that you are not an individual that you are part of a crowd it will strongly influence the way you look at yourself later on in life.Now,the people in Anthem do not see themselves as an individual because they have been taught that they are a crowd and that no one may stand out.Equality is different not only by his physical features but by his intellectual features as well.Like when he is in class he finds the lessons to be relatively easy and he wants to be challenged.Another is when he prefers to study science over any other subject.
I agree with Melissa when she said,"I think that because of the children being taught that they are "nothing", the way they look at themselves everyday will be in a negative way. Their self-esteem will drop, and they will feel like as if they aren't loved or apreciated."
Children now a days are extrmely influenced by what other people think of them.
Christine is absolutely right when she says that the only person that functions as a real person is Equality.He is the only one that is not afarid to show his true emotions and to express that he is different.
I agree with Gabriela when she says that if we treat a kid as a "nobody" they will not have any interest in doing better. They wont be motivated to do give their 100 percent at everything they do.They know they can do better but their is no reason to show that they can because no one will have any appreciation for what they did.
i think that when your a kid one of the most important things to teach your kids when there growing up is to be themselves. kids must learn at a young age not to be like everyone else and to be leaders not followers, at least that is what was instilled in me when i was little. unlike most of us in the book you grow up believing that you are nothing that basically you are put on this world for basically no reason and that individuality is wrong. I can honestly say that there is know way that a kid can develope social skills learn to be himself or grow the way he needs to living this way. whats happeninmg in this book is that basically there taking away every persons identity. being yourself is your identity and without that you really are nothing. equality is much smarter than that though he wants to be different and he wants to be himself. the rest of the people have been brainwashed to the point that they only do what there told like robots. equality wants to rise above that he is curious and that is why they dont want him learning but he is slowly because whenever somebody has the will to learn, they may not find it, but it will find them.
It's very easy to make a child believe anything. Children don't know the difference between right and wrong, so if someone tells a child that they will always be "nothing" their entire life, that child will most likely believe it. Children learn through words and example. They tend to act like their parents, or in this case, like their elders. Equality, on the other hand, was born with the gift or curiosity. When he heard this pledge, he began to question it, unlike most others that see themselves as a tiny part of something enormous. They see themselves as a people instead of as an individual person.
I completely agree with Gabriel. If someone is told that they are "nothing" they won't strive to do their best in life. They will keep doing what others tell them to do because they are taught that they are "nothing" and that is all they will ever be.
If a child was taught that he is nothing, it would have a negative impact on him. He wouldn't think of himself to be of any importance and he would feel that he doesn't have a purpose on earth. He wouldn't have a personality of his own and no imagination or creativity. I think that the people in this story seem to think that they are living normal lives. Since they grew up and were taught to live this way, it is nothing out of the ordinary for them. Equality is different from all the others in the story. He has a mind of his own and likes to think for himself. He wants to make a difference in the way people think and live and he wants to experience new things in new ways.
I agree with Alyse that when you are taught to believe something at a young age, it will later affect you in life. If you grow up with a thought that you believed to be true, it would be hard to think otherwise later on in life.
I think that the child's personality gets lost when they grow up with this mentality. Everyone deservess the right to be whoever they wish to be. Although, in this story, the people seem to feel that if you aren't like the rest of us, you were considered to be a strange person and depending on how strange you were, hoorible things would happen to you.
Equality is different from the others because he goes to the beat of a diffferent drum. He begins to show his own indevidiaulity by acting in certian ways. One way is that he sets Liberty apart from the rest of the girls around them. He also discovered a tunnel from the unmentionalbe times and did not report it to the world council.
I agree with Stefanie in the sense that they think of their lives as a schedule thats needs to be followed. Since they and their brothers are "nothing" then their life must be "nothing" as well. They have a daily schedule that must be followed for the duration of their life. It's nothing but something telling you how to live.
I agree with elizabeth because you learn you action mainly from the people around you. Depending on what they do, you will most likely follow.
I agree with marissa in the fact that when you hav no personality, you hav either a lack of self-esteem or no self-esteem at all for that matter.
I agree with Chelsea that he will become a burden to others because he was taught to act as nothing. I also agree with her when she said that they would lose their personality and become bland because they don't think of themselves to be important.
I think Christine makes a good point when she says that each individual person is "like one little bolt in a huge machine that can easily be replaced." Like I mentioned earlier, the people think of themselves as a tiny part of something enormous. What Christine explained is exactly the point that I was trying to make.
I agree with stefanie in the way she said they treat the people like robots. The world council has a structured life for you and if you dont follow orders, the will fix it but whatever means possible.
I agree with MelissaA when she said their self esteem would drop. If they were taught to live as nothing, they wouldn't feel confident in themselves.
i agree with Chelsea eventually people become bland with this kind of life
I think that a person who is taught that they are "nothing" has no individuality or personality. If they are nothing then why should they care if they have different opinions or diferent ideas. No one would listen to them anyway. In the story, they rest of the characters care of nothing but following their schedule of life. They don't question.
Equality is different. He doesn't believe he is nothing. That is why he qestioned. He wanted to be a scholar but was denied the job. He risks his life every night for three hours just to learn. He steals vials, scripts, candles, etc.
I agree with Stefanie. If a person is taught they are nothing, they will believe it because that is what they are taught. They are also treated like robots.
I agree with Christine that Equality has gone beyong the usual transgressions by being himself. Also, if a person is only taught one thing then that is what they know. Last, they all do think they are one when they are many.
I agree with Brontie. She says that they lose their personality if they grow up thinking that.He does, like she said,"March to the beat f a different drum."
I think Brontie makes a great point when she states "I think that the child's personality gets lost when they grow up with this mentality. Everyone deserves the right to be whoever they wish to be." This makes a great point, how would they learn it, if it isnt around them?
I strongly believe of what Adrien said that a child doesnt know whats right from wrong.
I agree and disagree with Melissa A. because how can there self-esteem drop if they dont know anything else but they are "nothing but as a whole something?"
I think that the opposing is true. If they see everyone around them acting like if they were nothing, how would they be taught the sense of individuality and have a personality of there own?
I think the people in this story feel like if there life is pretty useless if they can't learn the knowledge of the Unmentionable Times or anything in that matter. You see many examples of this throughout the first two chapters. For example, the male that was burned for finding out of the Unspeakable Word, had a grin apon his face with satisfaction that he find out this word.
Equality is different from the others because we see that since birth he was given a different mentality to think for his own. He has the desired to learn beyond the schooling he recieve at the House of the Students.
I think that when a child is taught that he is nothing, he becomes emotionally disconnected from the world and from himself. His personality becomes bland and insensitive. The people in the story don't really care about their lives. They dont look at it as precious because everyone's is exactly the same. They think of it as another thing they have to put up with.
Equality is different from the others because he sees a purpose in life. He wishes to become something of himself and to change the world around him. He questions things and physically looks different from everyone around him. He always wanted to be an individual.
When something like this is drilled into the minds of anyone, they believe it. Children especially are easy to turn to a way of thinking. They are taught not to have any personality at all and are the same as everyone else. Their sense of individuality is shot down. They think that they are nothing and that they exist only to serve their brothers and die. Honestly, I think all this would be really depressing.
In this story you never know exactly what they are thinking, because they are afraid to say anything, lest others disagree with them, for all must agree with all. You can, however, uncover how they must feel from the way they act. They walk around with no purpose, no dreams to follow. Certain ones obviously feel that their life isn’t going well, like Fraternity, who cries unexplainably at random and Solitary, who screams at night.
Equality is different from the others in many ways. To begin with, he is physically different; he’s very tall. He is also smarter than most. In addition to this, he wants and he chooses for himself. He has a friend and likes a girl, which is a sin. Lastly, while he cares that he breaks the rules, true to his upbringing, he is willing to break them so he can do what he wishes and have some happiness in life.
Responses
stefanie- i agree entirely. they do treat them like robots, and they program them into their way of thinking their whole lives. they wouldn't see themselves as anything special, just a body destined to serve his/her brothers.
cristine- i agree with how you said that children are easily manipulated, and these people take advantage of them so they can use them when they are older.
gabriel- i agree that if you think you are nothing, you strive for nothing and become nothing.
In response to Adrian, it is very easy to make a child believe anything. They definitely took advantage of that.
Stacey brings up a good point that i agree with. I don't think they're self esteem would drop. I think children believe adults, especially if the rest of their peers think the same. The child will follow the others and not question if he is more than nothing.
I agree with Eddie when he says that children are taken away their identity when they are taught those things. Just like him I was taught always to be myself and like nobody else. With no one to tell kids that of course they're going to lose their identity. It's inevitable except for Equality.
i think it reallly affects a child in that situation. As a child you would lose a lot of things and experiences. one big thing would be individuallity. the people in the story do not complain about it beacuse they were taught not to question things. equality has always been different from his hight to the way he thinks to his ability to question things.
I completley agree with Melissa A when she says that people would begin to look at themselves a different way. In the novel, no one is truly happy because of this.
i a gree with chelseal because he loses all emotion because he dosent feel anyomore
Stefanie is right when she says that they're programming them like robots. They have no choice, no personality, and thus that results in no individuality.
i agrre with elizabetho because if you are taught nothing you would never think to think
i disagree with melissaa because if you are taught nothing it doesnt mean you will get depressed you may loose emotion but depression comes from sadness which is anemotion
i agree with elizabeth that if a child is taught that he is nothing he will grow up thinking he is nothing.
i agree with brontie that everyone should grow up the way they want to. No one should be told how to live their life.
i agree with Micheal in disagreeing with Melissa, because at this point these kids don't get depressed anymore they grew not having identities so to the m its second nature Micheal brought up a good point. on the other hand if any of us were to end living a life like that out of no were we would be. we would either be killed for being rebellious or we would kill ourselves emotionally or physically
i agree with marissa that if children are taught that they are nothing, they will look at themselves in a negative way. No one deserves to be taught that they are nothing.
Stephanie makes a lot of sense when she says there programing them like robots because they are.
I agree with don because i think that a child should grow up in a caring and loving environment. If not, then he wont learn how to find his own way in life.
I agree with stefanie on how they are being programmed like robots. They are not allowed to think or act as they wish. They only do what they are told.
I agree with eddie on his point that everyone must learn to be themselves and to be unique from a very early age. Because this new society is depriving them of this privilege, this way to learn, then it's like they're not even human.
i agree with chelseal. If the people are taught that they are nothing,they will lose their personality and become bland like she said. They will act like they are nothingg.
I also agree with don. A child should grow in an environment where indivduality is embraced as don put it. I think its true that its important for a person to understand themself and who they are as a person. If not they will most likely feel empty inside.
I agree with melissa. If a child is taught they are nothing,their self-esteem will drop.I think she's right. Also I agree on the differences between Equality and others. He likes to write and to learn new things. He likes to discover and to know.
I agree with elizabeth because everyone is innocent and needs guidance as a child. There education and beliefs are dependant on the teachings of their elders. I believe that only someone of true candor and personality can over come what they were taught to be true. Equality was able to see through there lives and is trying to live his life the way he wants to.
I partly agree with Melissa, because if a child is taught how to live. He will think that it is the correct lifestyle and therefore have no problem with it. I think that the only problem is is that if a person grows to realize that they are living a lie, like Equality for instance, then there life wouldbecome utter confusion.
I agree and disagree with Gabriel. I think that people are only heavily impacted in the sense of life transition and depression when they are imprisoned to live this lifestyle at an older age. I disagree with him, because if babies are born into that civilization, and raised into its beliefs, then it is going to think it is all true. The people living there are living a life to the extent of what the Council allows them to do. They would all be capable of a more complex lifestyle but the Council wishes to maintain order and their primitive lifestyle. I agree with him about his thoughts on Equality. It is true that Equality is a "different" person from the rest. He thinks differently, he looks different, he stands out from the rest of the people. I think he is a very inteligient, and unique human being who I believe can really make great discoveries for the world. In the eyes of the Council, he is a walking transgression because he is a person of pure individuality and personality.
As a child who is raised as nothing they would show no emotion. That child would become an outcast from others. Individuality is what makes each person special.
The people seem to enjoy their lives because they were taught to be one. So we think that there lives are unusual, but its just a normal day for the people in the novel. Equality has individuality, he thinks for himself and has that human nature to learn. This is what makes him different because he thinks.
I agree with chelseal because if a child is nothing he would become a burden. i also like the fact she included there personality if they were nothing
i agree with elizabetho because it is true that your peers affect the way you grow. But not all the time are you influenced by your peers. For example equality was not influenced by his peers
i disagree with melissa because if you are raised the same way as everybody else you will not feel negative.
As a matter in fact you will fill the same.
responses:
adrian:
I agree with adrian on his idea that the children do not know right or wrong because it's like what I said. I also agree that Equality was born with curiousity, the main reason he commits the trangsressions he does.
alexis:
I agree with alexis when she says that the people in the story think they are living normal lives. Since their fragile conscience was manipulated to think that what they're doing is right, it seems absolutely normal to them, when to us, it it totally wrong.
brontie:
I agree on her idea that the people in the story would think that they're strange if they aren't like everyone else. I agree because it's true, they live as one because no one wants to be indivual because they know its wrong and because they know the feeling of being different must be horrible, an embarassment nobody likes to face.
I agree with Adrian when he said that, "Children don't know the difference between right and wrong, so if someone tells a child that they will always be "nothing" their entire life, that child will most likely believe it." Children these days, especially when they reach adolesence, are influenced and pressured very easily.
I agree with Don when he says that, "a child should grow in an environment where individuality is embraced." This is very inmportant and healthy for a child. He needs to grow in an environment like this so he can be more positive about himself and how he looks and thinks.
Stefanie is right when she says that Equality is very different from his brothers, he is different physically and mentally. I like the way she pointed that out. Equality is smarter and curious. He also learns about love, and what it feels to care and think about someone so much.
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