Summary Of Anthem By Ayn Rand

“Do as you please with us, but please do not send us away from you” (83). This quote from the character Liberty 5-3000 (Golden One, named by Equality 7-2521) in Ayn Rand’s novel Anthem, shows the reader that Liberty 5-3000 wanted nothing more than to be with Equality 7-2521 even if it takes away her freedom. The partnership between the two characters have a different relationship from other novels. Anthem, shows the reader that the character Liberty 5-3000 is a fierce and as independent as a person can be in their society; which is different because they live in a communist society (doesn’t allow independence). Liberty 5-3000 used to be almost like Equality but as the novel progresses the Golden One starts to obey Equality’s every demand and give herself to Equality to an extreme; which is not common in most relationships in novels.

In the novella Anthem, written by Ayn Rand, set in a future where the government controls your life from birth to death. A small group of people rebelled against the government by running into the Uncharted Forest, which acts as the boundary of the city. Few people leave the city into the Uncharted Forest because of the dangers in the forest. The few people who have gone into the Uncharted Forest have burned their own path into the forest never to return. Those who entered the Uncharted Forest have stories told about deaths at the hands of monsters and beasts. Ayn Rand’s characterization of the men who entered the Uncharted Forest before Equality (MWEUFE) exhibit individuality through their actions, intellect, and spirit which shows their desire to free themselves from the oppressive society.

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.

No “I” and no “you”, just “we.” How could we live in a world like that? Ayn Rand’s book shows a twisted and different form of collectivism. Everyone is told what they have to do for the rest of their future. Children are not even allowed to know who their parents are and are never given the chance to meet them. Although, only one shines in the society that no one else may see until now. Equality finds it difficult to find individualism in his life and in the rules of his society. Equality eventually finds individualism in escaping, to a haven of his own, from his odd society. Equality can then find peace with himself and can live in a more individualistic life in his newfound house with “The Golden One” in the forbidden and

As the story goes on, Equality 7-2521 commits another crime by falling in love with a woman. Her name is Liberty 5-3000, who he later nicknames the Golden One, and he met her in a field while on duty sweeping the streets. Love is another forbidden thing in society because they’re not supposed to care for anyone more than another. In this part of the novel the reader also learns about something called the Unspeakable Word. It is a word from before the Great Rebirth and if anyone were to even whisper it, they would be immediately punished by death. The novel keeps progressing and when Equality 7-2521 writes his thoughts again, the reader finds out that he had been experimenting with some items he had found in the tunnel and created a source of light by using wires. He makes up his mind and decides to show the Scholars from his community and from other communities his invention and he hopes that his job will be changed from Street Sweeper to Scholar. However, he loses track of time and when he remembers to check, it’s way past the hours given for free time. He gets out the tunnel and hopes to sneak back into town unseen but unfortunately he is caught. When asked about where he was, he did not give up his location and as punishment he is whipped. When he was asked again, he still refused to tell them where

Collectivism is a very common theme in Ayn Rand’s writing. From Anthem to The Fountainhead, her opinion is very clear: individualism is the source of freedom and joy, while collectivism is the root of sorrow and slavery. In Anthem, the main character, Equality 7-252, has grown up in a collectivist society that has remained strong for centuries. In that society, no one has had the choice to do what they want to do, love what (or who) they love, and simply be who they are. That society praises the idea that men live only for each other. Living for oneself is evil, a Transgression. The idea of “I”, “Me”, and “Mine” has disappeared, dragging the precious words along with it. Throughout the plot, Equality 7-2521 is seen both unintentionally and intentionally defying his society. At first, he condemns himself, describing his evil acts and mind and labeling his different mindset as a curse. “We were born with a curse. It has always driven us to thoughts which are forbidden.” (Rand 18) He is also condemned by others, for things he cannot control. He is taller than most other people, he has preferences for what he wishes to become, and he has ideas and opinions. Yet when his life assignment is Street Sweeper, he rejoices. He sees that as a way to pay penance for his sins. Later on, however, he embraces his individuality. “I am. I think. I will.” (Rand 94) He is the first to accept the idea of individuality for centuries, and helps others accept it, too.

    Equality, a very curious main character, wants the experience of feeling valued not only within himself but also from others. The feeling of accomplishment and knowledge is what he is deprived of in his collectivist world and what many seek to feel. Individuality distinguishes one from others which is why each and every one is unique and why Equality feels he is different. This difference is due

Novelists create science fiction novels that represents what today’s society could possibly look like if the government has too much power. Today’s society would fall into a state of corruption, where nothing belongs to a single person and everything is owned by the government. It would be a place where people cannot openly voice their thoughts or opinions without getting in trouble with the powerful government. Ayn Rand’s science fiction novel, Anthem, depicts a dark vision of the future world where individuality is not permitted to exist. The main character, Equality, sets himself aside from the other people living in society. He knows that he is different, but with a sense of naivety, he finds his independence wrong, but he cannot help it. Liberty, the female character in which Equality has feelings for, also finds herself to be different from others and follows Equality’s path. In conveying the insidious corruption of the collectivist society of Anthem, Ayn Rand uses dramatic and situational irony.

The fiction novel Anthem by Ayn Rand, begins as equality takes a journey to individualism. He begins by writing how wrong he is to be writing what he is, how much of a sin it is. To be thinking as his own, and as an “I”. Ayn Rand is from Russia, which is a communist society. As Rand was growing up in this time frame, she had made the time to give herself an education which was frowned upon as she was a woman. She was not given a sense of “I” it was the normal thing for women to stand back and watch. To continue deeper into the book, Equality's eventual assessment of his writing on his own, changed from being a sin to being and individual activity, from the beginning to the end of the book.

Equality meets up with his love, the Golden One, they journey deeper into the woods

Equality 7-2521 would sneak away to their secret tunnel everyday when the town citizens were at the town meetings. Equality 7-2521 would steal scrolls and supplies from the House of Scholars, they studied and learned lots of new, different, and exciting things.

Equality contemplates, “I wonder, for it is hard for me to conceive how men who knew the word “I”, could give it up and not know what they lost” (103). This quote narrates the discovery of one of the most essential words used to identify as a single, original person, I. Equality realizes the tragedy of the loss that his previous society created before his lifetime and really ponders why and how this could happen in a very separate world. Equality readies himself to be an individual person as a result of feeling strongly against the beliefs of his previous society. Equality excitedly states, “We made a fire, we cooked the bird, and we ate it, and no meal had ever tasted better to us. And we thought suddenly that there was a great satisfaction to be found in the food which we need and obtain by our own hand” (79). In the past, Equality had never done anything to express his originality because of the law stating otherwise, so when given the opportunity to finally understand his own strengths and weaknesses, he takes it. He disregards the law and excitedly grasps the concept that he isn’t supposed to be a follower like his peers were, he was meant to be a leader. Disagreeing with the law was a main point of Rand’s novella, promoting personal

Happiness could be seen as the goal for humanity, which is what causes the world to move forward. In each person’s unique way, they would be attempting to reach happiness, and this would cause humanity to progress. However, each person cannot know what the true form of happiness really is, and can only strive to what they think to be the ultimate idea of happiness. Different people would go about attempting to be happy in different ways, and some of these ways would be more successful than others. A person who was raised in a family with certain morals and beliefs may experience happiness by following strict rules set by the family, while another may find happiness by breaking those same rules. In the interpretation for the perfect happiness, there is diversity as to how the happiness could be achieved.

People travel through life with what seems like a single goal: to be happy. This may seem like a selfish way to live, however this lone objective is the motivation behind nearly all actions. Even seemingly selfless deeds make people feel better about themselves. That warm feeling experienced while doing charitable acts can be described as happiness. But what is authentic happiness? There is an endless possibility of answers to this question, and man seems to be always searching for the solution. Although one may reach his or her goals, there is always still something one strives for in order to be happy. In the book Stumbling on Happiness, Harvard psychologist Daniel Gilbert takes the reader through

A quote from Book 1, chapter 4, lines 17- 22 says, “this is pretty much agreed about by the majority of people, for most people, as well as those who are more refined, say it is happiness, and assume that living well and doing well are the same thing as being happy. But about happiness – what it is – they are in dispute, and most people do not give the same account of it as the wise.” This quote is explaining how happiness is the ultimate goal of humans. This is a good example of human ideal because if you are truly happy then what else is there to be accomplished? People may find joy in small things but are not finding true happiness.