Anthem

In Ayn Rands, Anthem, at the conclusion of the novel Equality(the protagonist) renames himself Prometheus, and his lover, the golden one, is renamed Gaea. I found this to be one of the most interesting premises of the story, with the Allusion to Greek mythology.
The name Prometheus is from the Greek Titan, of the same name, who "stole" fire from the gods and gave it to man. It is for this reason that it is interesting that Equality chose this name for himself, because he has given the world "fire" in the form of his "light", and has been punished into a pseudo-exile for it ; but it is also a symbol of hope, that like Prometheus he had given the humans hope which is made manifest through the light, but also in the knowledge that the acts of Equality have changed the way humans will perceive the world. It is also in this way that Prometheus(Equality) serves as a messiah type character, because by liberating himself from the chains of the society, he can then go on to spread the revelations he has made to others, and teach them the truth.
On the other hand Gaea, is the god of the earth, and known as the "mother" god. It is to this end that "the golden one" will fit this model issued by her name, in that she will be with Equality together most likely as a motherly figure, who is now free to experience the earth, without the boundaries of the city.
In essence, the choosing of the names Prometheus and Gaea are very significant in interpreting the ending of the book, because the names chosen imply a hope that they are going to make a difference in the world now, like those who came before them with the same name.

"I know not if this earth on which I stand is the core of the universe or if it is but a speck of dust lost in eternity. I know not and I care not. For I know what happiness is possible to me on earth." is one quote i found to be intriguing. It is obviously talking about the fact that happiness is found only on earth, because that is where the people are, and with the people one can ascribe a purpose. Also, it is to this end that I believe it is trying to make the point that the happenings of the universe, make one have a sense of "cosmic insignificance", and that the things that really matter are not of the intangible world but the material world that we live, that will make us happy.

Overall, I think Anthem was actually a very good story. I liked that its plot was simplistic, but with purpose. Also, it was short and to the point, and managed to hold your attention for all 100-some pages. Although it has a lot of good ideas in it, perhaps a bit more details about life in the civilization/"city", would have made the story have more of an impact. All in all, a solid story, 3.5/5 stars, in my opinion.