English 10
Name:________________________________
Anthem Discussion Guide – Ch. 1
I.
Equality 7-2521’s Society – Describe each of the following aspects of Equality’s society. For each of your answers,
provide a quote from Anthem (and pg. number) to demonstrate that answer.
Quality of Life
Education
Technology
Social Relationships
Political Structure
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II. Equality’s sins, transgressions, and curse – For each quote from Anthem, explain why, in a collective society like
Equality’s, the offenses mentioned in the quotes are considered evil sins worthy of punishment. Use the page numbers
provided to reference the context of each quote.
1. “It is a sin to write this. It is a sin to think words no others think and to put them down on a paper no others are to
see. It is base and evil” (17).
 Why does Equality’s society consider this an evil sin?
2. “We were born with a curse. It has always driven us to thoughts which are forbidden…For we are not like our
brothers” (18-20).
 Why does Equality’s society consider being different a curse?
3. “But we must never speak of the times before the Great Rebirth [the “Unmentionable Times”], else we are sentenced
to three years in the Palace of Corrective Detention” (19).
 Why mustn’t the members of Equality’s society ever speak of the “Unmentionable Times”? In other words,
why are they “unmentionable”?
4. “This is a great sin, to be born with a head which is too quick. It is not good to be different from our brothers, but it
is evil to be superior to them” (21).
 Why does Equality’s society consider being superior to others a great sin?
5. “We were guilty of the great Transgression of Preference. We preferred some work and some lessons to the others”
(22).
 Why does Equality’s society consider simply preferring one type of work/subject area to others a sin?
6. “International 4-8818 and we are friends. This is an evil thing to say, for it is a transgression, the great Transgression
of Preference, to love any among men better than the others, since we must love all men and all men are our friends”
(30).
 Why does Equality’s society preferring the company of one person to others a sin?
III. The Crime of Standing Out – Equality and “Harrison Bergeron”
7. How are Harrison and Equality similar? In what ways are their societies alike?
8. How are Equality, Harrison, and their societies different?
9. Both Anthem and “Harrison Bergeron” are satires that use exaggeration to ridicule collectivist/communist societies.
Give at least two examples of how each story uses exaggeration to reveal the flaws of group-based societies.
Anthem
“Harrison Bergeron”
10. The society in Anthem and the society in “Harrison Bergeron” both try to remove all competition from society. Even
if it were possible to eliminate all competition from our world, would such removal be a good thing? Why? What
role does competition play in business, sports, or education?
11. What is the difference between believing all people should be treated equally (under the law) and believing that
everyone should be “equal every which way” (that is, the same)?