Teenagers are all about “I.” And in Ayn Rand’s slim novella Anthem, this word is outlawed. Thus, students have an instant affinity for the downtrodden main character Equality in the novel.
Themes in Anthem
Rand’s novella is perfect for the 9th or 10th grade English class. Students in these grades can’t get enough of Rand’s tale of oppression by authority and its counterpart individual freedom of expression.
Another perk to teaching this novella is that the Ayn Rand Institute sends out free classroom sets of the novel to interested teachers. The Institute’s website gives all the information necessary for teachers to receive copies of this novel, as well as The Fountainhead and Atlas Shrugged.
A Creative Project for Anthem
One creative project that teachers can have students do after reading this novel is to create an “anti-brochure” of the society described in the novel. The brochure should describe the city for a visitor coming to it for the first time.
Because the society is such an oppressive one, students can have a lot of fun – and learn more about the themes of the novel – by describing its tourism assets, that are not really assets.
Here are some key components the assignment might include:
- Map of the city with key geographic features on it
- Tourist attractions and main buildings
- Pictures and/or drawings of points of interest
- Names of key officials (council members, etc.) & quotes about city from citizens
- List of 5 rules of the city
- Schedule or Calendar of Events
- A slogan or motto for the city
Students can also be instructed in mood, tone, and atmosphere by creating a mood for the brochure that is appropriate to the novel. The use of color, font style, symbolism, photographs, and other designs should reflect the atmosphere of the novel.
If computers are readily available, students can use brochure-making software to create the project, although a hands-on art project with paper, cut-up magazines, glue, and colored pencils works just as well, also.
Evaluation of the Project
The brochure can be evaluated on these and other criteria that the teacher might include:
- Details relate and have relevance to details in Anthem
- Creativity and originality of ideas and design
- Inclusion of all items listed on the assignment sheet
- Mood appropriate to the novel
- Correct use of grammar and spelling; proofreading
The novel only takes a few days to read, and an excellent audio version, complete with evocative sounds and music, is available. Teachers will also find the free study guide useful. The guide includes traditional question and answer activities, along with other creative projects, such as linking Anthem to poetry, song, and myth.
Shaun Perkins - Shaun Perkins, teacher, poet, storyteller, porch-sitter, beekeeper, gardener, writer, has been a high school and university teacher for ...
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