The book Anthem by Ayn Rand and the passage By the Waters of Babylon by Stephen Vincent Benet are very similar in themes. The both talk of the “old times” and the main characters in both (Equality 7-2521 and the priest’s son) are searching for knowledge of the past. They are the only ones that are not afraid. It is shown in both that we fear the unknown. Human’s rarely like to take great risks or chances. We will also talk badly of things we don’t know anything about. Rumors and myths destroy our own opinions. All of this is proved in Anthem and By the Waters of Babylon.
Anthem is a book that is supposed to be a future world that doesn’t know about the past. They don’t have the technology that we do now. They lost it all. The world is all comformity and unity. No one is to be different, everyone is typically the same. They are all assigned jobs and everything is done in an orderly fashion. Equality 7-2521 is the main character. He is assigned to be a street sweeper, although he truly wants to be a scholar. Scholar’s invent things and basically are the brains of the whole community. Equality 7-2521 has a thirst for knowledge, knowledge of anything and everything. He finds a tunnel (could have been a subway) and he hides there to read and learn things. He also performs experiments. These are all considered highly illegal in his community. He eventually re- invents the light bulb.
When he presents it to the scholars they are shocked and angered all at the same time. They don’t really know anything about this invention but they think it is stupid that a meer street sweeper would even present himself in front of the scholars. They are so angry at him so he ends up running away. I believe that the true feeling that they felt was fear. They don’t know anything about this invention. I think anyone would be scared of it at first, if they’ve never seen anything like it before. How do you capture fire inside a small glass and produce light like that? People take for granted all the inventions and technology we have. The first time the light bulb was presented I’m sure it was shocking but the scholars were also scared that a simple street sweeper could know more then them.
They were the high and mighty of the town. No one was supposed to know anything, no one was supposed to have any knowledge but them. For humans being so smart the scholars didn’t invent much. Even with the remains of some past inventions they didn’t have much. This was because they were afraid to take chances. Besides they were all supposed to be the same. One person couldn’t go away from the others to figure something out for themselves. Another way that they showed fear of the unknown was the “uncharted forest”. It was the uncharted forest because they were too afraid to search it and look for anything, more land to build on, wood to use for numerous things, past technology. If no one was to take a risk then we would have nothing.
We would know nothing about the earth, we would have nothing to eat, nothing to travel on, we probably wouldn’t even be here if people were too afraid to reproduce. I can’t imagine how people would function without taking chances. Equality 7-2521 was not like his brothers, he wanted to see what was out there, he wanted to learn. The girl he fell in love with, as he calls her “the golden one”, even said “Your eyes are as a flame, but our brothers have neither hope nor fire. Your mouth is cut of granite, but our brothers are soft and humble. Your head is high, but our brothers cringe. You walk, but our brothers crawl. We wish to be damned with you, rather than blessed with all our brothers. Do as you please with us, but do not send us away from you.” (Chapter 9 beginning). She feels the same as Equality 7-2521. She wants to see what the rest of the world has to offer. They both want to take chances. They are not afraid.
By the Waters of Babylon, this passage was a little bit odd to read. It was the same idea as Anthem but a little bit more of a twist. It was supposed to be of a future time when everyone was gone from the past and all the past technology was gone. The people of this time were superstitious and had all these weird ideas. The main character which no name was given to in the passage was simply put as “the priest’s son”. These people believed that spirits were all over. They believed that all the houses that people used to live in were full of spirits and ghosts and they called them “dead places”. The priest would go in these dead places to find metal for them to use.
Only priests could touch this metal or the son of a priest otherwise the person would die. They were crazy superstitions but once one person decided all these crazy rules everyone else was too afraid to see for themselves. There is also “the place of the gods”. This is a most sacred place where no one must go, the gods walk there. The son of the priest goes on a journey though. A journey to learn what’s out there and to learn of all the myths he’s heard of these places. He says in the beginning “It is forbidden to cross the great river and look upon the place that was the Place of the Gods-this is most strictly forbidden.” (166).
By the end he does all of this. He does not show any fear even though everyone else believes in all of this. It is a big deal to go past what everyone else tells you and do what u believe you have to. Fear is a big obstacle to overcome for anyone. He goes on the long journey and getting through many obstacles he makes it to the Place of the Gods. He realizes that they weren’t gods they were only human. He says “If I went to the Place of the Gods, I would surely die, but, if I did not go, I could never be at peace with my spirit again.” (169). He realizes the risk he is taking, but he knows he must take it. He is the only one that knows there is much to learn and he isn’t afraid to see what is out there for him and everyone. The future is dependent on knowing the past.
So in both cases the main characters were the only ones to see past this fear and learn something. They learned things no one else could learn unless they went through all the same that they did. Humans generally do fear the unknown, it’s a big set back for technology and the future. Equality 7-2521 and the priest’s son were leaders and in their time they would be rebels but at least they were happy with themselves.