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American
Literature: Romanticism Student Midterm Samples 2013 2. Short Essay 2b. Choose a previously-read literary text, American or otherwise, Romantic or otherwise; apply course terms & themes / objectives; comparisons-contrasts, connects-disconnects, learning outcomes. |
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Meryl Bazaman
Anthem’s
Prometheus as Byronic Hero
In all that was left of humanity there was
only one man who dared to think, seek, and love. He, Equality 7-2521, came close
to losing his life because his knowledge was regarded as a treacherous
blasphemy…he had rediscovered the lost and holy word
-I. - Ayn Rand, Anthem
How can the gothic Byronic hero construct be applied to
modern dystopian literature? Do aspects of the construct perpetuate the same
aspects of this gothic function in romanticism or does the construct mutate to
incorporate novel phenomena? Applied to
Ayn Rand’s dystopian novelette Anthem,
the character Prometheus (born Equality 7-2521) appears to best encompass the
Byronic hero. Consistent with the known attributes of the Byronic hero,
Prometheus possesses distinguishable physical and mental traits, internal
torment and active compulsion for the forbidden, and shares the role of the
benevolent outcast shunned despite his all too apparent exceptionality. However,
Rand’s Prometheus also modifies current Byronic hero qualities. Whereas, the
Byronic hero is typically portrayed as dark and handsome; this Byronic hero is
punished for his exceptional height and knowledge. Furthermore, while the
Byronic hero can possess any number of combinations exhibiting his compulsions,
searching behaviors, and sins, reason and logic drive Prometheus’s psychology
and behaviors. In addition, the separateness of Prometheus stems not only from
societal perception but how he (Prometheus) perceives his role as an individual
in a collectivist society, with the very structures of that collectivist
dystopia amplifying that distance. Unlike other variations of the Byronic hero,
any intention or good will Prometheus could have is inextricably bound to the
destruction of the collectivist society; ergo, Prometheus, in spite of his
well-intentioned appeals and ability, could only entertain the notion of
standing apart because his acceptance into the society would ultimately mean the
destruction of said society.
Yet, before this destructive aspect of the Byronic hero can
be assessed, let us observe how Rand’s Prometheus redefines Byronic hero
physicality. As Byronic hero, Prometheus should possess physical features that
mark him as extraordinary. However, Prometheus never indicates explicitly if he
has the Byronic “dark, handsome
appearance” (Dr. White notes). Instead, he
articulates the Byronic hero’s physical extraordinariness by noting how his
height is exceptional accordingly: “We are six feet tall, and this is a burden,
for there are not many men who are six feet tall“(Rand, 18). Clearly, while
Prometheus’s height alone does not mark him as beautiful, it does mark him as
distinguishable from his immediate peers. That
is through this simple consequence of a distinct physicality; Prometheus is
immediately set apart from his early community. Through his height, Prometheus
exemplifies how extraordinary he is by standing above and apart from his peers
with a height that has grown beyond (exceeded, my addition) his brothers’ bodies
(18).
This distinguishing growth, however, is not the only Byronic hero marker
that allows Prometheus to stand above and apart from his dystopian society.
Rather, Prometheus is marked by a “brilliance” (Dr. White Notes), which if read
through the norms and moirés of his society, is blatantly “self-destructive”
(Dr. White Notes) if the self must only consider what is good for the
collective. That is when divulging his intellectual capacities; Prometheus
reveals the following:
… learning was too easy. That is a great sin, to be born with
a head, which is too quick. It is not good to be different from our brothers,
but it is evil to be superior to them. (21)
That is in the collectivist society of Prometheus’s youth,
the simple existence of his individualistic brilliance made him deviant. Unable
to control his quickness or ease of learning, Prometheus disrupts the uniformity
necessary for the collective to function. If the collective must maintain
sameness to function, Prometheus’s variability destroys any possibility for
maintaining the requisite sameness; hence, by possessing brilliance and an
aptitude for knowledge, Prometheus chips away at the validity and applicability
of having a collective self.
Furthermore, Prometheus also exhibits the Byronic hero traits of being
“haunted and tormented by a secret sin” and capitulating to the “allure of the
forbidden” (Dr. White’s notes); however, Rand’s text modifies these traits by
having them driven by reason and logic. During his existence among the
collectivist society, Prometheus demonstrates how logic and reason frame the
relationship between his disposition and
mens rea as such:
We were born with a curse. It has always driven us to
thoughts, which are forbidden. It has always given us wishes, which men may not
wish. We know that we are evil, but there is no will in us and no power to
resist it. This is our wonder and our secret fear, that we know and do not
resist. (18)
Interestingly, while Prometheus’s brilliance, allows him to
understand the relationships between his “sinful” disposition, thoughts, and
actions, he still capitulates to what is considered by law in his collectivist
society “forbidden.” Therefore, as a
Byronic hero in a dystopian novelette, Prometheus demonstrates how reason and
logic can function in a similar capacity to secret sin and desires for the
forbidden, resulting in the hero to act in a way that contradicts the law of
society. Driven by this “cursed” disposition, Prometheus forms intrusive
thoughts that propel him towards destructive action “… And questions give us no
rest.” We know not why our curse makes us seek we know not what, even and ever”
(24).
Yet, despite Prometheus’s visible and mental distinctions, his flawed mind,
restlessness, and risky behaviors, the character attempts to plea with the
society that he is not accepted or rewarded by. Upon his discovery of
electricity, Prometheus recalls the following interaction between the scholars
of his society and himself:
‘We give you the power of the sky!’ we cried. We give you the
key to the earth! Take it, and let us be one of you, the humblest among you. Let
us all work together, and harness this power, and make it ease the toil of men.
Let us throw away our candles and our torches. Let us flood our cities with
light. Let us bring a new light to men!’
But they looked upon us, and suddenly we were afraid. For
their eyes were still, and small, and evil.
(70-71).
Like the Byronic hero, Prometheus “appeals to society by
standing apart from society” (Dr. White’s Notes) only to be proven “superior yet
wounded or unrewarded” (Dr. White’s Notes). Despite
his offer of a resource that would ultimately benefit the plight of men in his
community, Prometheus’s work is openly shunned and disregarded by the scholars
with their “still,” “small” eyes, eyes directly in opposition to Prometheus’s
own tall stature and dynamic energy. Then, not only is Prometheus physically and
characteristically different from these scholars; he functions at a higher
reasoning level. Able to fully
reason how his individual progress can actually elevate the society as a whole,
Prometheus is directly at odds with the scholars, whose primary concerns are
based on maintaining the appearance of an equalitarian society, despite the
realities that the status quo is inefficient and restrictive. Although
Prometheus’s individuality is considered abhorrent by the collectivist scholars,
Prometheus’s individualism actually reveals itself to truly embody the best
interests of all individuals within the society.
However, despite his offering of an innovation that can provide “the
power of the sky” and “key to the earth”, Prometheus’s noble intentions are
discounted because of law, communal order, and communal expectation. Prometheus,
unable to surrender to this limiting groupthink first by exhibiting anxiety and
later through the action of abandonment, finds that he unequivocally “stands
apart from society” despite being its “superior”.
In appearance, aptitude, and action, Rand’s character Prometheus exemplifies the
Byronic hero. By applying this gothic construct to Rand’s work, the pervasive
influence of romanticism character expectations are made apparent based on the
consistency between the original Byronic hero definitions and how these original
definitions remain applicable in Anthem.
Furthermore, innovations to romanticism are evidenced in
Anthem through the application of
Prometheus’s new psychological markers, modifications to themes of
individualism, and reevaluation of distinctive heroic appearance and temperament
markers. While these modifications
further broaden what constitutes the Byronic hero, they also broaden the
construct. However, despite this broadening, the Byronic hero does an acceptable
job unifying old definitions with new. Still, despite the innovations, the
Byronic hero remains distinct, rebellious, and inspiring. The Byronic hero
continues to offer a romanticist construct beneficial for evaluating the role of
characters in a modern, dystopian text.
