From this quote, Equality recognized the freedoms he didn’t have, creating a turning point for the story to unfold. “The sacred word: EGO”(105) is represented as a word for greed, glory and the reason for living throughout the story. The term “ego” doesn’t always mean pride, it means
What makes one person different from another? Is it height, weight, and color of skin, or is it personality, family, and attitude? These differences can define a person and separate them from those around them. These differences make a person an individual; however, in Ayn Rand’s novella Anthem, Equality 7-521 is anything but an individual. He spends his days sweeping the streets and his nights sleeping in a white room with ninety-nine of his brothers.
When he and International were working they came across a very unusual object. After further investigation they discovered that it was something left behind from the “Unmentionable Times.” Despite it being against the law, Equality decided to further examine it, “as if the skin of our hand were thirsty and begging of the metal some secret fluid beating in its coldness.” (Rand 33). Equality knows it is a great risk and he could be killed for it yet, his curiosity took over him.
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.
Adam Choquette Period 7 Mr. Coulter Honors English II March 3, 2016 Breaking Man’s Chains In the last chapter of Anthem, Equality reflects, “The best in me had been my sins and my transgressions”(98). He no longer holds the belief that society is simply ‘misguided’ or that they are ‘forgiving’. Instead, Prometheus embraces individuality, rejecting the concept that, “We are all in all and all in one” held by his former society (19). “I am done with this creed of corruption,” Equality declares, no longer willing to slave for his brothers (97).
She tells him she wants to go with him and only be with him, calling herself as one since she has no knowledge of the word “I.” They leave their society behind. Once they find a home for themselves, they begin their life together. Equality continues his learning with materials they find in their newfound home, in the Uncharted Forest. After he figures out the ‘I’ word he thinks, “And when I understood this word, the book fell from my hands, and I wept, I who had never known tears.”
During the novella, Equality 7-2521 undergoes a journey to express individuality. Equality 7-2521 states he is a great sin to the community since he is capable of great deeds: “This is a great sin to be born with a head which is too quick” (Rand 21). Born into a community, where it is told to be different from your brothers, is a sin. Equality 7-2521 consistently believes he is a sin to the society
Robert Frost once said, “If society fits you comfortably enough, you can call it freedom”. Most people can relate to this quote, but what if an individual does not agree or feel comfortable in his or her social system? In the novella Anthem, Ayn Rand shows her willingness to leave an unjust society through Equality leaving his community, purposefully breaking laws, and pursuing his discoveries. The first way Rand proves that she does not agree with her society, is through the main character of the book, Equality, running away from his society. Rand states that Equality’s actions that she will do what it takes to leave her society.
With the rejection of his creation, "It must be destroyed!"(Rand, 27) it turns Equality 7-2521 to turn against his society and run away with the light bulb. He renders into the Uncharted Forest believing that no man would follow him here in which he uncovers the unknown that the Great Rebirth has hidden away. Before long, the Golden One accompanies Equality 7-2521 in his awaited journey to find a home that contains the long lost manuscripts and books that he presently reads. This results in him to rename himself Prometheus and brings the plot to a close with himself finding his true identity and what he has always believed to be a curse to be a gift that helped him to unveil the long lost word
Equality disregards the fact that what he has been doing if forbidden in his society and takes his invention to the World Council of Scholars. But, before he can take his invention to the council, he is caught in the act of creating the glass box and is taken to he Palace of
We worked with it, we tested it in more ways than we can describe, and each step was as another miracle unveiling before us. We come to know that we had found the greatest power on earth” (53). This shows that Equality answered his questions about the unknown force to the best of his abilities. With everyone having the same mindset, different groups of people and different nations could come together because there would be no disagreement between them.
With all of his experience that nobody has known in at least a century he is extremely capable of deciding whether of his choices are right. His personality keeps him from giving up hope and giving up on his society and his companion but keeps him curious enough to keep searching for something better in life. Equality has aged to the point where he thinks he needs to change the world and will try to do so. Most would believe that Equality’s actions were righteous and could not contemplate that his actions were
The novel Anthem by Ayn Rand is a great example of dystopian literature. The natural world is banished, independent thought is restricted and citizens live in a dehumanized state showing that Anthem is a true example of dystopia. The uncharted forest is very mysterious to the citizens of the city and no one ever enters into the forest because there is beasts that will kill them. “The uncharted about which men must not think. ”
Quotes Explanation Equality is going against the government, first he broke the rule of fighting with his brothers then he did not tell about the tunnel then he fell in love. A science-fiction novel “Anthem” by Ayn Rand. Something about this is interesting, “We raised our head and stepped back. For we did not understand what had made us do this, and we were afraid to understand it”(Rand 57-58). Liberty did not want to go against the government and do a sin but she still fall in love Equality.
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