Equality 7-2521 In Ayn Rand's Anthem

Equality defies the government he thinks he’s helping but later then discovers that he is really not helping at all. He believes he alone has created the light.(59).He has found the material for making the lightbulb in the tunnel where he was hiding.(52). He’s

Equality 7-2521 is introduced to us as the main character and narrator of Ayn Rand’s beautify written novel, Anthem. He is a twenty-one year old street sweeper for the council of vocations, who displays an extraordinary amount of intellect and pride. His ambition in life is to join the council of scholars as a scientist, but the scholars fear he has evil seeping through his bones. To break his spirit they assign him to work as a street sweeper and discourage his mental intellect. He has always been a man a little too curious of his surrounding and discovers a secret tunnel on his way to the theater with International 4-8818. Eventually Equality 7-2521 will begin to passionately develop many experiments in his hidden sanctuary at night.

1.Significance of "Equality 7-2521" and why this character refers to himself as "we". "He is a young intelligent and curious man, that ealizes his place in this world is not just," Our name is Equality 7-2521, as it is written on the iron bracelet, which all men wear on their left wrists with their names upon it. We are twenty-one years old."

The novella, Anthem by Ayn Rand, Is written in the first person point of view. Although the reader may be tricked due to the fact that the author commonly uses words such as, we, were, and our. In the first chapter of the novel, Equality 7-2521, the main character, says “Our name is Equality 7-2521, as it is written on the iron bracelet which all men wear on their left wrists with their names upon it” (6). Equality 7-2521 is not talking about a group of people when he says “our name”, he is only talking about himself. Yet, the society which he lives in (a post, Dark Age version of the world) does not allow him to use the word “I” along with the word “ego”, unless he wants to be punished by death. This becomes clearer to the reader at the end

Throughout the novel, Equality 7-2521 grows farther and farther from the society in which he lived. With the discovery of the tunnel, he begins spending less time with his peers and more time alone making discoveries. After he is exiled, he grows even further apart by changing his name to Prometheus, who stole fire from the gods and gave it to humans, very similar to what Equality 7-2521 did to bring electricity the civilization. When Equality 7-2521 reads the books in the house and discovers the word “I”, he finally completely detaches himself from his past society, and begins living individually, not collectively with his brothers. From the beginning of the story Equality 7-2521 believes that he is evil and struggles to realize that he isn’t evil.

Set in a dystopian society in the future, the novella Anthem written by Ayn Rand is all about being a collective society which doesn’t believe in individualism. Ayn Rand constructs a society in which individualism is a transgression. The government enforces the idea of collectivism to the society. They believe that in the human race each person is not single. The protagonist, Equality 7-2521 wants to be an independent person. He wants to be free. As stated in the novel, “To be free, a man must be free of his brothers.” This statement means that in order to be successful, he has to be his own person. As the novel goes on Equality 7-2521 learns to be an independent man and frees himself from the society which forces collectivism.

"Over the portals of the Place of the World Council, there are words cut in the marble, ... 'We are one in all and all in one. There are no men but only the great WE, One indivisible and forever'".

A captivating novelette in which a man’s priority is to serve only for his brothers, Ayn Rand’s Anthem illustrates a society that has suffered the ghastly consequences of collectivism. She depicts an oppressive culture in which the word “I” is unheard of and men belong to the collective “We.” Men’s lives are determined through the Council of Vocations, a group that maintains a powerful dictatorship by subjugating the public from the beginning of their lives. The idea that “If you are not needed by your brother men, there is no reason for you to burden the earth with your bodies” (Chapter 1) has been forced into average mindset of the vehemently maintained society. In contrast, Rand mocks the totalitarian civilization through the main

Since “everything” is already known, this discourages the advancement of technology and any other advancement in their society. A strong example of this is right after Equality discovers his light box, “This discovery haunted us. We followed it in preference to all our studies. We worked with it, we tested it […] and each step was as another miracle unveiling before us” (Rand 53). As Equality continues his work on the light box, he is shocked at each new discovery he makes. The technology is so new to him, he believes this is the source of lightning. Equality then says, “And now we know that metal draws the power of the sky, and that metal can be made to give it forth” (53). In Equality’s twenty-three years of life he never knew that metal draws lightning. This quote tells the reader specifically that they have no knowledge of electricity in their community. Because of the restrictions placed on technology, the citizens of the city have a difficult time increasing their

Ayn Rand’s novella, Anthem, depicts a totalitarian society that oppresses the ideology of individualism. Within these societies children live apart from their families and grow up without any inherited characteristics of being an individual. Anthem is an example of this kind of society because it showcases the link between a totalitarian dictator’s power to the oppression of individualism found in a children that live apart from their families. Totalitarian Dictators enforce the arrangement of children living separate from their families because it oppresses individualism and allows for a better grasp of beneficial control over a society.

In the book Anthem by Ayn Rand, nature is portrayed as a safe haven, and it is something that Equality can experience without thinking twice. Nature is an escape, a place to be you, a place to be unique. Everything in the society is sheltered and unknown, Equality describes nature in a different way than he described anything else in the book. There is a sense of relief, and it is like Equality lets his guard down and is free to be himself for a short amount of time as he describes nature. Equality describes the sky with great detail. He explains the three different colors of the sky at three different times of the day. “The sky is green and cold in our windows to the east” (Rand 27). He pays great attention to detail and the vivid colors and the way the sky looks at various times. Equality feels a sense of relief throughout the book through nature. Individuality is

n. They also use the term “I and I” instead of “We” to emphasize the equality between all people, in the belief that the Holy Spirit within all people is what makes us all the same.

“We are nothing. Mankind is all. By the grace of our brothers are we allowed our lives. We exist through, by and for our brothers who are the State” (1.16).

This novel displays exactly what Ayn Rand’s theory of Objectivism does not support in order to expose the weaknesses of her opponents ways and express the importance of self improvement. She puts forth for the reader the faults of a collective minded society as the leaders and society within Anthem attempt to control mans body and mind. Towards the close of the novel, as Equality 7-2521 discovers the sacred word he also comes to understand the perks of self improvement and striving to advance as an individual. The leaders and society attempt to accomplish the tyrannical end to their dictatorship through their control of mans body and mind by hiding the past and maintaining a collective

Imagine a world where everyone is equal; living a life that feels almost programmed. Humans may not realize the impact freedom, technology, and independence has on our daily lives; however, Anthem by Ayn Rand demonstrates the importance of these rights. The story portrays the life of a young man, Equality 7-2521, living in a society that is built on severe rules and laws. These laws are designed to eliminate individuality, resulting in an extremely controlled environment. Due to the laws, Equality 7-2521 rebels against the society. For example, Equality 7-2521 was given the job as a Street Sweeper but realized life was unchallenging for him, and was punished for going beyond his limitations. Equality 7-2521 understands that solitude is