Question

Our world is filled with quotations that bring us insight, provide an interesting thought, or give an important perspective. Take a moment to consider the quotations listed in the prompt. Choose one. In a short paragraph, explain your interpretation of the quotation. Consider these questions:

What does this quotation mean to you?
Why do you think the author or character wrote or stated it?
Be sure to use specific examples or textual evidence from research, the readings in this class, or your own experiences and knowledge.

Prompt:

Topic 1: In Anthem, Chapter 2, author Ayn Rand writes from the narrator’s perspective:

It is forbidden, not to be happy. For, as it has been explained to us, men are free and the earth belongs to them; and all things on earth belong to all men; and the will of all men together is good for all; and so all men must be happy.

Topic 2: In “The Monkey’s Paw,” Part 2, author W. W. Jacobs describes the old man’s hesitation with using the monkey’s paw to bring back their dead son:

“WISH!” she cried in a strong voice.

“It is foolish and wicked,” he faltered.

“WISH!” repeated the wife.

He raised his hand. “I wish my son alive again.”

The talisman fell to the floor, and he regarded it fearfully. Then he sank trembling into a chair as the old woman, with burning eyes, walked to the window and raised the blind.

Answer 1

Ayn Rand's quotation from 'Anthem' critiques forced collectivism and the contradiction of prescribing happiness in a so-called free society, emphasizing individual freedom.

The quotation from Ayn Rand's Anthem presents a paradox in a society where happiness is mandatory, suggesting an imposed uniformity that is contradictory to the nature of freedom and individual will. The quote, "It is forbidden, not to be happy.

For, as it has been explained to us, men are free and the earth belongs to them; and all things on earth belong to all men; and the will of all men together is good for all; and so all men must be happy," reflects a dystopian worldview where the collective will supersedes individual desires.

This imposition conflicts with personal autonomy, as the collective determines what is considered 'good for all.' Ayn Rand may have intended to critique the idea of forced collectivism and highlight the importance of individual freedom and happiness, challenging readers to assess the cost of uniform happiness.