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. By doing so, he captures his freedom from the detrimental and contagious dictatorship. As Equality begins the stage of curiosity and the idea of learning at a young age, he is forced to conform to societal rules and regulations, not being more intelligent than his brothers, as they are equal. The first struggle that is against him is the power of education and learning. He …show more content…
His grit in challenging societal norms and the struggle of being an outsider connects to him being the only bright light in a society full of darkness and fear. He tests a society that prefers ignorance and refuses to accept the moral teaching of his society. This is shown from multiple counts of conflicts and struggles, from his passion for learning, to him being rejected by the House of Scholars, to them rejecting his invention of the light bulb, to the struggles of uncovering the unspeakable word. Throughout the story, it is evident and beyond obvious of the struggle to free himself from the collectivist society. Prometheus embraced and embodied the philosophy that “To make that the highest test virtue is to make suffering the most important part of
This book, written by Ayn Rand is about Equality 7-2521, a young man who was quite brave. He was twenty-one years old and was six feet tall. He had broken and went against many laws. However, one law that he did not break was the law that disallowed him to refer to himself as “I” or “me”.
In the dystopian society that Equality 7-2521 lives in he could be punished for thinking for himself. He wanted to leave the society to find his happiness. His two friends wanted the best for him, and objectivism not being selfish. In the society Equality 7-2521 faced the troubles of not being able to to think for himself and have independence. While he is trying to find his own happiness he meets two people who are just like him.
Smarter than any of his other brothers, Equality rapidly starts to realize what his cities council is trying to do to take away his rights as a human being. This short novel, Anthem, by Ayn Rand, a man by the name of Equality 7-2521 was a more intelligent than his other brothers in the community, and he was not content with sitting around letting the council try to brainwash everyone else, so he breaks several laws in the process of trying to discover new things that the council is trying to hide from him and his brothers. The council was not aware of these things and they were not going to let him try to do anything against them. To try to prevent anything detrimental from happening, they assigned him the job as a street sweeper where he couldn’t use any of his quick-witted mind against them
In fact, despite living in this regimented society, he seeks individuality, suffers for his idealism, and comes of age despite disillusionment. Equality possesses an inner quality that causes him to seek individuality. To begin, seeking individuality is forbidden in his society, so he is forced
As he gains independence and freedom, Equality also discovers the beauty of the power of his mind. By the end of the novel, Equality has become a true man, proud, fearless, cheerful, and independent. He has also learned the wickedness of his society and in addition to rejecting them. In following Equality on his quest to find himself, Anthem illustrates the wrongs of collectivism
Equality 7-2521 starts the novel as misguided, who has just never understood that he is not quite the same as everyone around him. When Equality 7-2521 incidentally returns late to the Home of the Street Sweepers, he postponed to tell his Home Council where he has been, and is thrown into the Palace of Corrective Detention, where he 's beaten. "Take our brother Equality 7-2521 to the Palace of Corrective Detention. Lash them until they tell" (64). The refusal to account for himself, based on how the Elders treated him and his lightbulb , was strengthening the thought of "self", which until this minute was truly not understood.
The Path Towards Equality In Anthem, Ayn Rand creates a world where unbroken laws erase individuality and displays the plea for control against anarchy in the world. The laws created prohibit individuals from standing out from one another, prevent individuality, and create a uniform “we” in order to keep people from thinking about themselves. Equality envisions a society that will not only destroy this “we” but it will also create a world of choice from the individuality gained with the word “I”. The pride that Equality grained throughout the story and his numerous transgressions will help direct his society in the direction he wants it to go.
Although equality is an attribute that many countries have been trying to achieve for years now, Kurt Vonnegut uses equality against the characters in Harrison Bergeron. He makes it so that every character is equal in any possible way, from how smart they are to what they look like. Because of this, everyone and everything in their society is average. The author uses a society in need of help to assist him when explaining that equality in every possible way is not always the best thing. The theme in the short story, Harrison Bergeron, by Kurt Vonnegut is that people do not need to be equal in every possible way but the different strengths and weaknesses in each person makes them equal.
When one is confined to society and held captive against their ego, it is imperative that they learn to eulogize their own individuality, and learn to improve themselves. In Ayn Rand’s novella, Anthem, Rand uses Equality 7-2521 to communicate the importance of the individual. Equality has always had his own sense of individuality that causes him to stand out and defy the social norms. His individuality allows him to persevere and diverge from collectivist society.
Equality 7-2521’s perspective on society shifts due to his realizations. In the novel “Anthem,” all of the members of a collective society conform to a set of regulations where everyone is equal and together at all times. However, Equality 7-2521 decides to commit the most significant sin by working alone and having his own thoughts, which he never regrets. Equality 7-2521’s eventual assessment of his sin is correct because he often feels safer on his own, and isolation causes him to make incredible discoveries. While working and thriving by himself, Equality 7-2521 feels the most content compared to being surrounded by his brother men.
Throughout the novella, Anthem, Ayn Rand creates a collectivist society that displays a futuristic perspective of the “Dark Ages” during the corruption of the government. Born into a society that despised individuality, Equality 7-2521 faces several hardships. While growing up Equality 7-2521 notices his differences from his brothers, including his growing curiosity to learn more. Though this goes against what his society was taught to be, which is equal to one another. No one is allowed to be better than the next person.
In the novel Anthem by Ayn Rand, she characterizes Equality 7-2521 as a brother living in a Dystopian society. Equality shares his traits and his belief on the transgression that he holds. Collectivism makes him portray a different way towards the rest of the society. He exhibits curiosity, intelligence and loneliness so the reader can identify Equality as a symbolic figure in the novel. This is what outcasts him from the rest of his brothers mentally and physically.
Imagine living in a world with you nothing made you unique. In Anthem by Ayn Rand, that is how Equality 7-2521 has lived his life. The society had thought of Equality as an outsider because his physical appearance was different from his brothers. “There is evil in your bones” (18). For his entire life, Equality has been frowned upon his physical and intellectual differences.
I am not a bandage for their wounds. I am not a sacrifice on their altars” (95). As Howard Roark mentions in his speech, individuals need other individuals in order to earn recognition for their visions. Because of the brainwashed humans in his previous society and the abrupt transition into a new one, Prometheus only saw an extreme or the other: collectivism or individualism. However, by the end, the hero becomes a true individual, unveiling the secret to having eternal happiness and voicing his plans for the future: “I shall call to me all the men and the women whose spirit has not been killed within them and who suffer under the yoke of their brothers” (101).
From Prometheus's myth, society can glean valuable lessons. Firstly, Prometheus's defiance of the gods and his willingness to challenge the established order reflect the human desire for freedom and the pursuit of knowledge. His actions symbolize the capacity for human progress and the importance of questioning authority in the face of injustice or oppression. Secondly, Prometheus's punishment serves as a cautionary tale, warning against the repercussions of excessive ambition and hubris. It reminds society of the delicate balance between innovation and recklessness, emphasizing the need to consider the consequences of one's actions.