Summary Of Ayn Rand's Anthem

In Ayn Rand's story Anthem, the protagonist Equality 7-2521 has a power unlike no other within their collectivist society. One day when Equality was working as a street sweeper, he finds an old abandoned underground railroad tunnel from the Unmentionable Times long ago. This is where he conducts his experiments that fill him with pride and joy. Equality dreams how his new invention that he brought into existence can change the world, but helping mankind is not his true motivation behind his passion to create. Throughout the story, Equality's true motivation is him trying to find his inner self and his identity as an individual.

Also, through Equality’s view, the reader can hear his voice and the “archaic language” Rand used for a futuristic setting in order to show the regression of humanity by forming to a completely collective society (Short Story Criticism). The importance of “we” becomes especially profound when, near the end of the story, Equality discovers “I”. The reader instantly sees a change when he says, “I am. I think. I will.

For Liberty is so beautiful and “glowing” that she cannot be ignored. It, however, is against the commandments of Equality’s brotherhood to peruse her, as it would unbalance the mutual emotion between all men by creating preference. In a wretched battle of nature vs nurture, Equality finds that despite these regulations, he cannot stop himself from yearning for Liberty, whom serves as “blade of iron” cutting through to the undeniable truth that Equality is a selfish being, generally motivated by his own personal

It is base and evil. It is as if we were speaking alone to no ears but our own. And we know well that there is no transgression blacker than to do or think alone.” (Rand 1.1) So ends the end of this essay, Equality’s moral assessment in his life was worth the risk he took to be independent. His name is Prometheus, and his girlfriend’s name is Gaiea.

As he gains independence and freedom, Equality also discovers the beauty of the power of his mind. By the end of the novel, Equality has become a true man, proud, fearless, cheerful, and independent. He has also learned the wickedness of his society and in addition to rejecting them. In following Equality on his quest to find himself, Anthem illustrates the wrongs of collectivism

At the beginning, he reveals the unique features that make him an outlier in society and how these features and thoughts are not accepted. Equality 7-2521 begins by talking about how in his society, “it is a sin to think words no others think,” in addition to how it is not allowed to “put them down upon a paper no others are to see” (Rand 2). Equality 7-2521 reveals how the society he is living in has no freedom or individualism for people, and they must abide by society’s rules, or otherwise, they are punished. Equality also shows how society believes in conformity rather than individuality, and has taken freedom away from the individuals living in society, brainwashing them into society’s values. Later on, in Anthem, Equality brings a new concept to the World Council of Scholars, which is against the law but uses society’s ideas to brainwash them into listening to him plead for acceptance.

Through recounting his life, Equality 7-2521 is able to recognize how he always had an inner voice that was suppressed by his society because it was telling him to be an individual and put his personal wants above the wants of his fellow brothers. In a world where no one is able to think privately, Equality 7-2521 breaks away from the only moral belief system he has ever been taught and

“...For I have lived in the city of the damned, and I know what horror men permitted to be brought upon them.” (103) In the novel “Anthem” by Ayn Rand, Equality 7-2521 has been raised in a totalitarian world. Everyone thinks of the whole, never themselves. It is forbidden to do otherwise. Equality has always struggled with fitting in.

In response to the choice of Street Sweeper, Equality thinks, “We knew we had been guilty, but now we had a way to atone for it” (26). With his intelligence and curiosity, Equality would do much better as a Scholar. The government punishes him for being different, and as a result, they can’t see him become advantageous. They are blinded by their beliefs on

Equality recalls when he was younger and watched the execution of someone his society only labelled as “The Transgressor” (50). The Transgressor was burned at the stake for speaking “the Unspeakable Word”, “one single word which is not in the language of men, but which had been” (49). As Equality recalls the incident, he remembers that the Transgressor was not like other men. He was proud and smiling, even as he was burned. Equality also feels that the Transgressor tried to communicate this Unspeakable Word to him, but “the flames rose and we could not guess the word” (50,51).

This made Equality find out who he is and gave him the chance to be an individual. Equality’s views and mindset changes through out the book. He was born in a society where people are named by numbers. A world where people are used as machines. In this world the word “I” is out of existence.

Equality has a philosophy that should be adopted by everyone. He values individuality. He recognizes how important choice is and how it makes it meaningful life. The three main traits he portrays are being his own person, how choice is paramount, and, the importance of following his gut.

Equality breaks these rules and escapes his suffocating home to create his own society of independent people. In Equality’s new world he will have complete freedom and no rules holding people back from learning and growing.

There's so much emphasis on putting others before oneself that people often forget to look out for their own needs, as shown in this book. Ayn Rand successfully captures the negatives of an overrated ideology and presents an unorthodox perspective on the matter. In conclusion, Equality's true motives behind his work are much more selfish than they first appear to be. Equality strives to fulfil his own personal desire rather than contribute everything to society, and this isn't necessarily a negative thing.

However, since the council fails to recognize this idea, Equality has two options: either face imminent execution or flee. By choosing the latter and fleeing into the Uncharted Forest, Equality finally is, in a physical sense, free from the rule of collectivist society. Now he is alone in the forest, alone with his thoughts. He decides where he goes, when he sleeps, what he eats. However, he is still not fully