Prometheus and Gaea
Prometheus and Gaea: Ayn Rand’s Choice of Characters
Throughout Greek mythology Prometheus is known as the fire bearing Titan who rebelled against Zeus and saved the world from his curse of a heatless and lightless punishment. Like wise, Equality in Anthem also rebels against his government in response to seeing the corruption within it. These similarities show how their lives exemplify the ideal of individualism. Furthermore, Gaea, the goddess of earth, is comparable with The Golden One from Anthem; both would be seen as the beginning of a new race. In particular, Prometheus and Equality’s trails and experiences correlate to each other and elicit the motives behind their audacious actions. Ultimately, Ayn Rand changes the names of her characters to Prometheus and Gaea as their lives parallel the lives of Equality and the Golden One both with similar trials and sacrifices for the sake of mankind. Prometheus and Equality’s rebellion are similar. They both passionately desire prosperity for their human race and are willing to rebel against a higher power to achieve it. Initially, their rebellion against a higher power is quite similar: “The rebel Prometheus, who had taken such a personal risk for mankind, now was faced with getting the fire back down to earth.” (Pontikis; Prometheus; Mythology’s Original Rebel). Furthermore, Equality rebelled against the higher power that threatened his humanity: “ ‘You fools!’ we cried. ‘You fools!’ ‘You thrice-damned fools!’” (Rand, page 75). Here Equality calls the highest power, the Council of the Scholars, “Thrice-damned fools” because they reject his offering to humanity. Later, Equality vows to protect his chosen brothers and start a new rebellion race that would be based off individualism and loyalty. He wanted to create a new race of humans, a race that would be superior to the people that he grew up with. He would add things that would make them like gods relative to that of the past humans, such as individualism and
Throughout Greek mythology Prometheus is known as the fire bearing Titan who rebelled against Zeus and saved the world from his curse of a heatless and lightless punishment. Like wise, Equality in Anthem also rebels against his government in response to seeing the corruption within it. These similarities show how their lives exemplify the ideal of individualism. Furthermore, Gaea, the goddess of earth, is comparable with The Golden One from Anthem; both would be seen as the beginning of a new race. In particular, Prometheus and Equality’s trails and experiences correlate to each other and elicit the motives behind their audacious actions. Ultimately, Ayn Rand changes the names of her characters to Prometheus and Gaea as their lives parallel the lives of Equality and the Golden One both with similar trials and sacrifices for the sake of mankind. Prometheus and Equality’s rebellion are similar. They both passionately desire prosperity for their human race and are willing to rebel against a higher power to achieve it. Initially, their rebellion against a higher power is quite similar: “The rebel Prometheus, who had taken such a personal risk for mankind, now was faced with getting the fire back down to earth.” (Pontikis; Prometheus; Mythology’s Original Rebel). Furthermore, Equality rebelled against the higher power that threatened his humanity: “ ‘You fools!’ we cried. ‘You fools!’ ‘You thrice-damned fools!’” (Rand, page 75). Here Equality calls the highest power, the Council of the Scholars, “Thrice-damned fools” because they reject his offering to humanity. Later, Equality vows to protect his chosen brothers and start a new rebellion race that would be based off individualism and loyalty. He wanted to create a new race of humans, a race that would be superior to the people that he grew up with. He would add things that would make them like gods relative to that of the past humans, such as individualism and