The Character Of Equality 7-2521 In Ayn Rand's Anthem

Equality 7-2521 just wants to be different from everyone else. In chapter 6 of the novel Anthem Equality 7-2521 hopes lie on

Even so, our protagonist, Equality 7-2521 presents his new invention to the Council, standing by himself fueled by his own ideas- something forbidden by the society. Victoria Woodhull did the same thing, advocating for her causes although they were opposed by many at the time—even

Based on a man named Equality 7-2521, Anthem, written by Ayn Rand, tells his story as a captive. He was not ordinary like everyone else but was very different in many aspects. He was said to be cursed due to his great height, his intelligence, and his forever wandering mind. Equality 7-2521 was smarter than the other students he learned with. According to the Councils over the captives, everyone should be one or in unity.

The rules that Equality 7-2521 first lives by are extremely regulating and forceful. Throughout the novella, the reader is introduced the government orientated society where the ideals of the whole are far more important than the ideas of the individual. There is a law against personal preferences including subjects in school and people. The laws control the ideas of the population, and that all their ideas must be shared, and they are put there to restrict the people.

In Anthem by Ayn Rand we follow Equality 7-2521 as he goes against social customs to rediscover electricity. He knows that this is a sin because he is merely a street sweeper and isn’t worthy of being a scholar. Equality 7-2521 commits other sins as well, he shows favor towards International 4-8818 and Liberty 5-3000 even naming her the Golden One. After showing his rediscover to the World Council, Equality 7-2521 is disregarded for only the scholars are worthy of innovation. Before he can be fatally punished Equality 7-2521 flees into the Uncharted Forest, and is saddened because he knows that he will never see the Golden One again but also thankful for she deserves better than the Damned.

In the novel Anthem by Ayn Rand explains that the way societies have their rules set up are only to make their society the way they want it. Anthem takes place in a society that is in the future where no one has their own rights. In this society there lives a very powerful man, Equality 7-2521 that wants to make a difference in the society. He starts out as a Street Sweeper chosen by on of the Council men but later on discovers something new. In Anthem they never speak of the unmentionable times.

It is well known throughout the society that “We [the people] are one in all and all in one. There are no men, but the great WE, One, indivisible, and forever,” (19), yet Equality spend two years’ worth of his nights thinking separately, and working alone in the hole that he and International 4-8818 discovered. Equality also is guilty of the Transgression of Preference due to his favoring of International, and Liberty 5-3000. Another action seen as a sin to his society is Equality’s creation of the light. The light was created in solitude and “What is not done collectively cannot be good,” (73).

From the past to the present, society has struggled with the concepts of conformity and individuality. Often times, people find comfort and safety in being like everyone else because they don’t feel alone. On the other hand, individuality seems to be encouraged by society by telling everyone to be themselves, yet people are ridiculed for standing out. In the novel Anthem by Ayn Rand, the conflict between conformity and individuality is present in Equality’s quest for freedom when he convinces International 4-8818 not to report their discovery of the tunnel, when Equality meets the Golden One, and when he presents his invention to the house of scholars.

Smarter than any of his other brothers, Equality rapidly starts to realize what his cities council is trying to do to take away his rights as a human being. This short novel, Anthem, by Ayn Rand, a man by the name of Equality 7-2521 was a more intelligent than his other brothers in the community, and he was not content with sitting around letting the council try to brainwash everyone else, so he breaks several laws in the process of trying to discover new things that the council is trying to hide from him and his brothers. The council was not aware of these things and they were not going to let him try to do anything against them. To try to prevent anything detrimental from happening, they assigned him the job as a street sweeper where he couldn’t use any of his quick-witted mind against them

Equality-72521. With an inquisitive nature, an innovative mind, and latent desire, Equality withholds the traits of a visionary who advocates for individuality. Every step Equality takes, is one away from the public-spirited system. Another towards personal identity. Each step is an internal struggle, due to the communist machine’s brainwash and eloquent reprogram of Equality’s instinctive mind.

From the beginning to the end of the story Anthem, written by Ayn Rand, Equality is limited to any type of freedom in his strict society. He was limited to writing, interacting with others, and even self expression, for they are looked upon as sins. Although Equality believed he sinned at the beginning of the story, he realized his society was limiting him to any type of discovery, this including the Unmentionable Times and the Unspeakable Word. This gave him the push to be his own person and take a stand against the people whom he calls “his brothers.” Equality’s final actions are correct, for his actions speak more as an act of curiosity, rather than a sin.

The idea of social conformity goes too far based on the punishments of the society. After being caught spending time alone in his tunnel and being sent to the palace of corrective detention equality writes, “They tore our clothes from our body, they threw us down upon our

Just a Street Sweeper Imagine waking up every morning just to go sweep the same old boring street over and over again. It would feel depressing or distressing. These emotions describe the exact feelings Equality 7-2521 felt everyday. He was just a street sweeper who was not allowed to unleash his curiosity because of his dull and lifeless vocation. Equality was looked down upon all because of his simple little job.

Throughout history humans have looked upon light as a symbol of truth and their source of hope and strength. Ayn Rand uses the light as a symbol of truth in her book Anthem. The main character, Equality lives in a dark society where he symbolizes the light. His rebellious nature and discovery of the electric lightbulb makes him an outcast which leads to his discovery of egoism, an idea that had become extinct and outlawed. Ayn Rand uses Equality’s discovery of light and his relationship with the rest of society to help readers infer the light’s symbolic meaning as the truth of egoism, a truth that cannot be destroyed.

“If there is a way to do it better…Find it” (Thomas A. Edison). Certain humans in the world are born with the trait of resilience, a trait seen in Anthem’s main Equality 7-2521 and Thomas Edison, the talent to leap back after an obstacle falls in the way. Thomas Edison failed thousands of times trying to create the modern day light bulb. During his creation people scrutinized him, and when he failed told him that he was uneducated. “This was the only thing which moved, for the lips of the oldest did not move as they said: “Street Sweeper.”(1.29).