Anderson, 8th ELAR, LDMS
Anthem Class Discussion/Spiral Notes:
Questions
Chapter I.
I. What is the main character’s name?
II. Name two sins (great transgressions) committed by the main character?
III. How long did he live in the Home of the Infants?
IV. How long did he live in the Home of the Students?
V. What does he discover one day?
VI. Who keeps his discovery a secret? Describe this character.
VII. What does he do each night after the discovery?
Ch. II.
I. What is the name of the new character? Describe her.
II. What does Equality 7-2521 rename this character? Why?
III. Name any sin Equality has committed in this chapter.
IV. How often are children born? Do they know their parents?
V. Describe the Unchartered Forest and what happens to men there.
VI. What do you think the “Unspeakable Word” is?
VII. What happens if you speak this word?
VIII. Foreshadow! Can you identify it in this chapter?
IX. What does Equality call the Transgressor in the last sentence of this chapter?
Chapter III
I. What does Equality discover?
Chapter IV
I. What does Equality tell Liberty?
II. What does she tell Equality?
III. What phrase do men never speak to women?
IV. What does this phrase mean for Equality and Liberty?
Chapter V
I. What does Equality decide to do with his discovery?
II. When does the Council of Scholars arrive?
Chapter VI
I. The story stops and goes back in time filling us in on events that happened prior in the novel. What
literary element is this?
II. Why was Equality questioned by the Council on page 63?
III. What was his consequence?
IV. Why was escape easy?
V. How does this chapter connect with Saint of pyre (reference pg. 64-65)?
Chapter VII
I. Outline four of the Council’s reasons for rejecting Equality’s invention.
II. What are the real reasons behind the Council’s rejection and fear of the gift?
III. What does Equality mean, at the beginning of the chapter, when he says “We are old now, but we
were young this morning”?
Chapter VIII
I. What is Equality experiencing for the first time in this chapter, and what does he feel as a result?
II. Explain why Equality laughs when he remembers that he is “the Damned”.
III. What does the Unchartered Forest symbolize in Anthem?
Chapter IX
I. Liberty contrasts Equality to his fellow men. Paraphrase this passage.
Chapter X
I. Describe the house and its contents in your own words, and explain why Liberty and Equality find it so
strange and unique.
Chapter XI
I. What great discovery does Equality make in this chapter?
II. Explain the following quotes in your own words, and apply each of them to your life:
“Whatever road I take, the guiding star is within me.”
“For the word ‘We’ must never be spoken, save by one’s choice and as a second thought.”
III. What does Equality now realize is the proper goal and purpose of his life?
IV. In what ways is “I” like a god?
V. Reread the incident with the Saint of Pyre. What was he trying to communicate to Equality?
Chapter XII
I. Why do the main characters rename themselves? Why weren’t they allowed to choose names in their
old society?
II. What does Prometheus plan to do in the future?
III. Prometheus reaches the important realization that “To be free, a man must be free of his brothers.”
Cite several examples from the novel that illustrate the truth in this statement.
If you have not finished reading the novel, make that a priority! Please make sure the following is in your
spiral.
Literary elements in the concluding chapters:
*theme (the moral or lesson to the story).
Possible themes include:
*Individual voice is important in a society.
*You cannot control a person through fear or hate.
*You cannot control a person’s feelings.
*flashback (going back in time giving the reader information about previous events)
Make connections between our mythological research and the end of the novel (Prometheus and
Gaea).
*symbolism (something concrete that represent something abstract)
Symbols – what do they mean?
*candles – the past, ignorance
*electricity – the future, progress
*light - knowledge
*the forest – Eden, paradise
*Equality 7-2521 – ironic symbol for inequality
*Liberty 5-3000 – ironic symbol for captivity
*scholars – the ignorant
*Prometheus – the bringer of light
*Gaea – the earth mother who will bring forth a new race
Vocabulary:
abyss – n - a bottomless hole, a vast expanse or depth
approbation – v – official approval, praise or commendation
baseness – n - the quality of lacking higher values
discern – v - to differentiate between two or more things
furrow – n - to make wrinkles or grooves
portal – n - a doorway (especially a large one)
sieve – n – a utensil for sifting or straining
tarry – v - to delay in coming or going, to linger
virtuous – adj - having excellent morals; righteous
whim – n - a sudden and impulsive action
Responses
Chapter I
1. Equality 7-2521
2. Sins: he spends time alone; he has a friend; he is smart; he has a secret (discovers a tunnel); he steals;
he writes.
3. 5 years (V years)
4. 10 years (X years)
5. He discovers an underground space where he now hides. We know that it is a subway station leftover
from the Unmentionable Times.
6. International 4-8818 keeps his secret. This character is his best friend. International 4-8818 laughs a
lot and likes to draw, both which are crimes.
7. Each night he sneaks away from the group to his secret place and performs experiments with the items
he has collected/stolen.
Ch. II
1. Liberty 5-3000; She is beautiful, according to the main character. She has blonde hair and dark eyes.
She’s 17 and she is tall and “thin as a blade”.
2. The Golden One because she has blonde hair.
3. Sins: He renames Liberty 5-3000 as Golden One; He speaks to the Golden One; He looks for her
each day and waves at her; He prefers her over other people; He sings.
4. Each winter children are born and they do not know their parents.
5. The forest is a natural forest that people do not enter. Men are said to starve or get eaten by animals if
they go out there. Also in the Unchartered Forest are ruins from the Unmentionable Times.
6. “I”
7. Their tongue is cut out and they are brought to the center of the community and burned to death.
8. It is foreshadowing that Equality 7-2521 may find out the Unspeakable Word.
9. He calls the Transgressor the “Saint of pyre”. Saint – n. a person recognized through the canonization
process as being holy; Pyre – n. a (Greek means “fire”) a heap for burning a dead body as a funeral rite,
or a pile of material to be burned.
Ch. III
1. He’s discovered electricity!
Ch. IV
1. He tells Liberty that he’s named her the “Golden One”.
2. She tells him that she’s named him the “Unconquered”, meaning ___________.
3. Never have men said “our dearest one” to women because it shows preference.
4. This phrase confirms that they have deep feelings toward one another.
Ch. V
1. Equality decides to tell the Council of Scholars.
2. They are arriving within 30 days.
Ch. VI
1. You should know this! It’s FLASHBACK!
2. He was questioned because he was not with his group and not back in time. You are never supposed to
be alone!
3. Taken to the Palace of Corrective Detention for about a month. He is whipped, beaten, etc. while he’s
there. He does not disclose where he was….. “The light…the light…the light…” is his only response.
4. There were no guards and the door locks were old. He was able bust through them with ease and ran
back to his tunnel.
5. IMAGERY IN CHAPTER VI! This chapter relates to chapter II because of the reference to fire “A
flaming grill kept dancing before our eyes, and we thought of nothing save that grill, a grill, a grill of red
squares, and then we knew that we were looking at the squares of the iron grill in the door….”
The Transgressor in Ch. 2 was tied to a stake and burned. Equality is also tied to a stake and sees
“flames” which is actually his blood. Both of these characters are unashamed of their crimes.
VII.
1. 1) pg. 73, paragraph 1, 2 and 5
2) pg. 73, paragraph 9
3) pg. 74, paragraph 1
4) pg. 74, paragraph 2
2. The Council does not understand his invention, and therefore fear it.
3. Equality was hopeful in the morning, but in the evening after the events of the day he was exhausted,
discouraged and alone.
VIII.
1. For the first time in this chapter he is experiencing nature and he is happy! He swings from a branch, he
rolls across moss, throws leaves, etc (pg. 78 and 79).
2. Equality laughs at the irony of being called “Damned” as this new place has not proven to be dangerous
and he’s never been happier.
3. The Unchartered Forest symbolizes a new beginning, free of control and free to make choices.
IX.
1. The Golden One tells Liberty that he is stronger, smarter, and more confident than all other men (pg. 82
paragraph 8 – continues to the top of page 83).
X.
The find a house! Within this house there is/are:
mirrors and light bulbs, pg. 90 paragraph 2
a bedroom, pg. 90 paragraph 3
clothes, pg. 91 paragraph 1
books and bookshelves, pg. 91 paragraph 2
a kitchen, pg. 92 paragraph 3
XI.
1. They discover the word “I”.
2. Answers will vary.
3. Equality now realizes the proper goal and purpose is to treasure his own thoughts, wills and freedoms.
(pg. 95 last paragraph to pg. 96 top of page).
4. The word “I” is like a god because he now respects (aka worships) his self identity.
5. The Saint of Pyre was trying to communicate the word “I” and all that it stands for as far as being an
individual and not giving up on what you believe in.
XII.
I. They rename themselves to represent their individuality and new beginnings. In their former society,
names were assigned and renaming is a transgression.
II. Prometheus plans to read all of the books in his library, home and return to the city and get his friends.
III. To be free, one must recognize their individuality and self-identity. No longer is the main character
under the control of anyone else!