Equality 7-2521 In Ayn Rand's Anthem

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In the dystopian novel “Anthem” by Ayn Rand, the author uses the Council as an example of those who possess complete knowledge. They lead the community with their wisdom and are always right in their conviction, which is how they manipulate the City. The character Equality 7-2521 is introduced as one who believes that despite the requirements of the Council to obey, he cannot compromise the morals that are significant to him, so he wrote, which he believes “is a sin to write this. It is a sin to think words no others think and to put them down upon a paper no others will see. It is base and evil.”(Rand 1) This textual evidence suggests that while Equality 7-2521 sees the Council as the city’s dictators, he has wronged them by committing a …show more content…

We know that we are evil, but there is no will in us and no power to resist it.”(Rand 2) Equality-7-2521 had struggles with remorse across the entire chapter due to the wrongdoing he committed against the supposed mentors in his life. He believes that by biting the hand that fed him, they ended up in the tunnel, penning this letter. Proceeding into the Novel, Equality 7-2521 was viewed as someone with a burning curiosity, so he was sent to the Home of the Sweet Sweepers and that’s when they made a groundbreaking discovery, they saw “iron rings as steps leading down a shaft into a darkness without a bottom.” We shall go down,” said the character International 4-8818.” “It is forbidden,” they answered. We said: “The Council does not know about this whole thing, so it cannot be forbidden.”(Rand 9) Finding an excuse to enter the shaft, Equality disregarded the Council without feeling guilt or ashamed of doing so, illustrating how her perception of the Council had changed over the story, revealing two different characters. Clearly, Equality's quest to discover who she truly is has dug up a huge hole for her, which is enabling her to learn more about the hidden aspects of the society they live

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