ipl-logo

Equality 7-2521 Character Analysis

957 Words4 Pages

“We were born with a curse. It has always driven us to thoughts which are forbidden. It has always given us wishes which men may not wish. We know that we are evil, but there is no power or will in us to stop it” (18). Equality 7-2521 is born into a society in which individuality is a crime. Each man and woman born is expected to be as all others are.
Gifts and talents are especially shunned. Equality has been taught that “it is not good to be different from our brothers, but it is evil to be superior to them” (21). To his societal disadvantage, Equality 7-2521 is gifted with a great intelligence and a burning curiosity to understand. It is for this reason that the Council of Vocations assigns him to life as a Street Sweeper. The Council wishes …show more content…

Equality’s greatest strengths and personal qualities were intended to be restricted and abhorred. Indeed, Equality and his gifts were abhorred, but he found a way to circumvent each restriction, consciously or not. And, though he maintained use of his strengths and kept a strong spirit, Equality was never able to permanently influence the society because, as a Street Sweeper, he was no longer part of the great WE.
The Council of Vocations mandated Equality to life as a Street Sweeper in order to limit his intellectual opportunities. They placed him in a position where he would be isolated and likely demoralized. They removed him from a society that he wanted to be a part of.
These actions and purposes are undoubtedly sinister. But the predominant reason? The
Council of Vocations assigned Equality the job of Street Sweeper in order to allow their collectivist society to continue uninterrupted. Oppressing Equality’s individuality was the means of achieving that end (making said end sinister as well). The right of the people to self-advancement was withheld, and the Council of Vocations achieved their ultimate goal of preserving their

Show More
Related

  • Equal 7-2521 Character Analysis

    152 Words  | 1 Pages

    Ayn Rand depicts characters that make important choices; her characters select from alternatives available to them — significant and sometimes life-and-death issues. Equality 7-2521 is the most obvious example, but not the only character in the book to make such choices. He chooses to wonder about the Unspeakable Word when he could (and, according to this society, should) decide not to. He chooses to conceal both the existence of the tunnel and his experiments, refusing to bow to the Councils ' will. He chooses not to tell his captors where he has been though they torture him.

    Read More

  • Summary Of Ayn Rand's Anthem

    530 Words  | 3 Pages

    “It is not good to be different from our brothers, but it is evil to be superior to them” (Rand 21). Equality cannot prevent himself from having certain abilities, but he is punished for them, even where these abilities could benefit the collective. Equality does not have the freedom to be his best self.

    Read More

  • Similarities Between 1984 And Anthem

    761 Words  | 4 Pages

    Equality truly believes in what he is told, and he accepts it. He talks about how he feels that he is cursed, and that he is a bad person, “Such would have been our life, had we not committed our crime which changed all things for us. And it was our curse which drove us to our crime. We had been a good Street Sweeper and like all our brother Street Sweepers, save for our cursed wish to know. We looked too long at the stars at night, and at the trees and the earth.”(29).

    Read More

  • The Theme Of Cursed Freedom In Ayn Rand's Anthem '

    459 Words  | 2 Pages

    Mackenzie Alpert Mrs. Mennenoh DCE 152-515 21 January 2023 Cursed Freedom In Ayn Rand’s Anthem, Equality 7-2125 is portrayed as both an independent, benevolent hero and a selfish narcissist. Equality was born with an exceptional intelligence curse in a collectivist society, but this is a sin because no man can be smarter than his brother. To accommodate, Equality sought to hide his curse by purposely forgetting his lessons, pretending to act like others of average intelligence, and intentionally misunderstanding his teacher’s content (Rand 21-22). Equality’s initial attempt to assimilate to his peers portrays his humble, good character.

    Read More

  • Equality 7-Anthem, By Ayn Rand

    111 Words  | 1 Pages

    Equality has the right to change his mind about the law because it isn 't a far law to everybody. It 's ironic that Ayn Rand called equality 7-2521 because he actually never really finds equality. From the being, he never understood why he was different and why he always got in trouble. He changes his mind about how society is wrong because at the end he learns in self-rights, much more technology, and the meaning of life should be. When equality was assigned with street sweeper he figured it was from his sins.

    Read More

  • Summary Of Individuality In Ayn Rand's Anthem

    1128 Words  | 5 Pages

    But nature tells Equality that his DNA is nothing save himself. Nature tells Equality that individuality is man’s birthright. Man’s one true victory. It

    Read More

  • The Road To Individualism In Anthem, By Ayn Rand

    452 Words  | 2 Pages

    Equality lives in a collectivist society, which is a society that believes, “that man must be chained to collective action and collective thought for the sake of what is called “the common good.” Therefore, Equality being the person he is, struggles with being an individual. He knows it is against the law but he enjoys knowledge so much, it confuses him. He states, “And in our heart-strange are the ways of evil! - and in our heart there is the first peace we have known in 20 years.”

    Read More

  • The Pros And Cons Of A Dystopian Society

    249 Words  | 1 Pages

    There is equality but at a cost of one’s free will. In addition, for all to be equal, the extraordinary are equipped with handicaps to bring them down to a even

    Read More

  • Moral Assessment Of Anthem Essay

    792 Words  | 4 Pages

    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

    Read More

  • Anthem Essay On Equality

    559 Words  | 3 Pages

    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

    Read More

  • Choice In Ayn Rand's Anthem

    459 Words  | 2 Pages

    Anthem Essay “The secrets of this earth is not for all men to see, but only for those who will seek them,”(52). Equality 7-2521 leaves for his own sake. He was told many things about the unmentionable times, not to go into the uncharted forest, and not to speak the unspeakable word,”I”. He grew up with his brothers as one and referred each other as “we”.

    Read More

  • Equality 7-2521 In Anthem, By Ayn Rand

    628 Words  | 3 Pages

    Intelligence. Something that Equality 7-2521 has a great deal of. Ayn Rand, the author of Anthem, suggests that Equality 7-2521 knows that he is too intelligent to be a street sweeper, and he tries to prove his intelligence through his experiments so he can be “willed” into the Home of the Scholars. She shows this through his time in the Home of the Students when Equality is punished for his quick head, his love for learning, and the idea of learning, and when he escapes to the tunnel to work on his invention. Equality knows he is intelligent when he is punished in the Home of the Students because of his quick head.

    Read More

  • Dystopia Exposed In Ayn Rand's Anthem

    452 Words  | 2 Pages

    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. ”

    Read More

  • Equality Theme Of Freedom

    1362 Words  | 6 Pages

    The Word ‘We’ is as lime poured over men, which sets and hardens stone, and crushes all beneath it, and that which is white and that which is black are lost equally in the grey of it” (Rand, 1946, p. 97). Equality 7-2521 words generate the notion that a collective society destroys humankind 's potential, while avoiding others gifted personalities. Equality is a 21 year old who defies societal norms and grabs tightly on to his curse of individualism, while living in a collectivist society that demands obedience from the group. Throughout the story, Equality progresses, as he reaches for his independence and rebel against the dictatorship of the government. As a result, Equality is faced with conflicts, internally and externally.

    Read More

  • Differences Between Mencius And Hsun Tzu

    797 Words  | 4 Pages

    In Man’s Nature Is Good and Man’s Nature Is Evil, Mencius and Hsun Tzu argue about the true meaning of human nature. Mencius believed that humans are inherently good and Hsun Tzu believed that humans are naturally evil. Is it possible humans can be both good and evil? When it comes to whether human nature is good or evil, most people will choose one or the other.

    Read More

More about Equality 7-2521 Character Analysis

Open Document