"It is a sin to write this" How is this oppening statement of the novella Anthem, by Ayn Rand, significant?

Answer 1

Boy - did the previous poster ever misread THAT book: Ayn Rand a communist!!!!!!!! Yikes, she was the exact opposite.
"“It is a sin to write this. It is a sin to think words no others think and to put them down upon paper no others are to see....
There is no transgression blacker than to do or think alone.” So begins Anthem, whose theme is, in Ayn Rand’s words,
“The meaning of man’s ego.” Anthem projects a completely collectivized society, a society in which the word “I” no longer exists.
Anthem is not just a story about the individual being swallowed by the collective. It is also an identification of how that can happen, what ideas people must first accept before such a totalitarian society can take hold. And Anthem is not merely a story about the horrible, depressing life of people in a collectivist society; it is also about the triumph of the individual’s independent spirit, the triumph of those who reject the ethics of collectivism."

Far from being a collectivist, Rand was a great believer in the individual (and his/her ego.) Can't say I like her work at all (How about THIS title: The Virtue of Selfishness), but while she was no "Christian", she certainly was no socialist.
The opening statement is significant because it sets the tone for the setting of the story, a dystopian world in which an individual's identity is is stripped away and he/she is totally submerged into "society."

When the story begins, sometime in the distant future, the hero (known only as Equality 7-2521) is a young man in his late teens or early twenties. Speaking in the first person plural (Anthem is his diary), he describes his society and hisattitude towards it.
The society is controlled by the World Council, which directs every aspect of every individual’s life. Each citizen’s life hasbeen controlled from birth: he is conceived in the Palace of Mating. Instead of living with his parents, he first lives in the Home of Infants. As he grows older, he moves to the Home of Students, then to a special home for those of his assigned
vocation, and, finally, at old age, to the Home of the Useless. Citizens are constantly barraged with propaganda from the leaders, who preach the glory of working for one’s brothers and the duty of fulfilling “the needs of society.” The alternativeis death: “If you are not needed by your brother men,” proclaim the Teachers, “there is no reason for you to burden the
earth with your bodies.” It is clear that the citizens have accepted the morality of altruism, which advocates sacrifice to others. As a consequence, the leaders do not rule by physical force or even by the threat of force: they don’t need to. The citizens have no personal desires—they have either given them up voluntarily or never formed them. Citizens obey the
leaders without question. Those who have any doubts about their society feel guilty that they do.

For MUCH more, please see the web site below.

Answer 2

Because the point of the book is, naturally for Rand, thuroughly communistic in its belief that there is no real sin, only dangerous behavior that endangers the common good.

.... in other words, people aren't sinners. There are good and bad actions, but whether an action is good or bad is based on how it effects society. Sin is a religious idea, and Rand believed unresolvedly in the evil of all forms of theism.

..... Epilogue: Sometimes, people should DO THEIR OWN HOMEWORK, and if they're dumb enough to believe anything off the web from a complete stranger, they deserve an F.

Answer 3

wat??????