The infamous founder of all Apple products once said, “Innovation distinguishes between a leader and a follower.’ In the restrictive cutthroat world shown in the novella, Anthem, citizens are forced from birth to obey every rule no matter the consequence. However, one individual decided to betray the norm. His name is Equality 7-2521. This character has a motivational drive and mindset like no other in his community without a doubt. He has a passion for doing the unthinkable and unimaginable driven by an unstoppable force and does not obsess over what others thought of him or his actions. Society today could use more people similar to Equality, but it would have its strengths and weaknesses. Some benefits include more leaders, confident actions, …show more content…
He helped humanity in his time and altered the way things worked out. The rules did not apply the same way anymore. It is smart of him to believe to put others first before himself. In class, a speech was displayed on the board from TedTalk.com about altruism and the positives and negatives of it. Showing the true meaning of what an altruist is. Ayn Rand’s character, Equality, acts and feels exactly how these people feel. An altruist is a person who is unselfishly concerned for or devoted for the welfare of others. This is how Equality acted in the beginning of the book but towards the end, he turned into more of an egoist. An egoist is the complete opposite of an altruist. An egoist is a self-centered or selfish person. At the end of the novella, Equality was brasher and started using the word “I” in his monologues about how everything was going to change because of the amazing thing that he discovered and did all by himself. That was wrong of Equality to do because his friends helped him along the way in his journey and did not quit on him even though they could have been killed. His friends really helped and Equality was not as sincere and grateful for them as they were for him. There was definitely a huge shift in his character traits in the last two chapters of the
As stated in Anthem, “For we did not understand what had made us do this, and we were afraid to understand it” (Rand, 1995, p. 58). This explains that Equality didn’t even understand why he made the choices that he did. Equality chose to change his life, but he really doesn’t know why he did it. Equality
In Ayn Rand's story Anthem, the protagonist Equality 7-2521 has a power unlike no other within their collectivist society. One day when Equality was working as a street sweeper, he finds an old abandoned underground railroad tunnel from the Unmentionable Times long ago. This is where he conducts his experiments that fill him with pride and joy. Equality dreams how his new invention that he brought into existence can change the world, but helping mankind is not his true motivation behind his passion to create. Throughout the story, Equality's true motivation is him trying to find his inner self and his identity as an individual.
In Ayn Rand 's novelette, "Anthem," in a society that is controlled and everyone is equal, there is a man that is brilliant name Equality 7-2521, he is very different from the other people there, he discovers the power of the sky and is punish but he escapes to the forest to make his own society that is all the people will be unique. Our society is made out of different kind of people,independent thinkers, daring innovators and successful entrepreneurs. They think different and have different perspectives on the world. These independent thinkers,daring innovators and successful entrepreneurs are outstanding but sometimes there accepted or turned down. But without these outstanding people where would the world, the technology that has advance.
He defies his society just by having a personality and opinion. Equality knows what he is doing is wrong but he can’t help but wanting to be someone, not a brother in the community. He compares himself to the scholars and knows that he shouldn't have gotten the job of a street sweeper. “No single one can possess greater wisdom than the many Scholars who are elected by all men for their wisdom. Yet we can” (3.7).
Equality has always been one step ahead of his superiors, and understands that the others in his previous society are the real Damned ones. Equality is able to continue growing from the harsh experiences he suffers through in his previous society. Equality continues to chuckle at being Damned, since he ran away with his invention into the Uncharted Forest, all the while free from living in a society burdened by altruism and conformity. Not only can he quench his lifelong thirst for knowledge, Equality can continue to bring back the advancements of the Unmentionable Times. Equality learns to think for himself, and to not let others creep into his mind and prevent him from achieving what is deemed as impossible.
In Ayn Rand’s novella, Anthem, mankind is a philanthropic machine. The brotherhood nobly works together to achieve a common goal. In doing so, each man is asked to disregard his own personal means and goals. For every decision must be a collective thought and every advancement, a joint action. However, one man in this machine malfunctions.
Equality acted against the society because he was a street sweeper doing a Scholar’s job. This is what he had to say about what Equality had done. “ How dared you, gutter cleaner,” spoke Fraternity 9-3452 “,to hold yourself as one alone and with the thoughts of the one and not of the many?” ( Rand 72 ). Equality begs for them to keep the light, but the world council is stuck to their collective ways.
Equality 7-2521 can free himself from collectivism because he was independent. In the novel Anthem Ayn Rand makes us comprehend that Equality had and inner struggle and
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
In the final chapters of the book, after Equality and The Golden One have discovered their new house and proposed to build a new life, they read books in its intact library and so discover the forbidden word, “I” (94). This discovery prompts Equality to radically overhaul his entire way of going through life, aligning it to Rand’s Objectivist philosophy. His focus on himself, illustrated through his obsession with the word I is show in the last two chapters of the book, where he latches on to the idea that devoting one’s life to only oneself is the only appropriate way to live life. Rand shows this with statements from Equality such as, “I owe nothing to my brothers, nor do I gather debts from them”(96). Equality is proclaiming that his life will be best lived in a purely selfish manner, where he will not take care of anyone else, but will not ask anyone to take care of him either.
Individuality allows every person to be themselves and be different from each other. However, In Ayn Rand’s novella Anthem, Rand describes a society where the people were not allowed to openly be themselves, or else they would be punished for being different. The main character, Equality, notices he is different slowly throughout the novella, but kept continuing to be like everyone else for awhile. These rules exist in this society to strip human individuality in order to achieve total equality.
There are no men but only the great WE, one, indivisible and forever”( Rand 19). For this purpose, it can be inferred that they know, no one will ever defy them. Because of this, Equality uses it to his full advantage. Constantly his keen for insights does not hinder his spirit. Equality differentness from his “brothers” doesn’t affect him.
So long a road lies before us, and what care if we must travel it alone!” (54) In this statement all Equality cares about is his invention and he is still trying to expand his
There's so much emphasis on putting others before oneself that people often forget to look out for their own needs, as shown in this book. Ayn Rand successfully captures the negatives of an overrated ideology and presents an unorthodox perspective on the matter. In conclusion, Equality's true motives behind his work are much more selfish than they first appear to be. Equality strives to fulfil his own personal desire rather than contribute everything to society, and this isn't necessarily a negative thing.
Equality does this by when he first falls in love with Liberty, he is obsessed. However, when his invention is rejected by the council, he starts to realize he doesn’t need to be in a group and in result, starts to love Liberty less. When he understand individuality fully, he becomes very selfish and doesn’t care for Liberty at all and thinks of her as an object. Equality felt he needed to be with a group and with Liberty. Through his journey he discovered that he doesn’t need to be with a group and can be independent.