The Road To Individualism In Anthem, By Ayn Rand

The Road to Individualism Every great heroin will face a plethora of conflict in their journey. For Equality, it is not any less. Equality faces internal and external conflict in his path to heroism, faces conflict with others, but also himself. As his desire for a new life grows, more problems arise.
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.” (Rand 37). This is an internal conflict Equality is facing with himself. Along with internal struggles, there is external struggles.

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. He still chooses to even though it is forbidden which eventually causes a problem for him once he is found out. Throughout all the issues though, he manages to remain an individual.
Equality is the protagonist in this dystopia and he handles his trials along the way with pride, dignity, and beauty. He is unique and more intelligent than the rest of his peers just based on the premise that he can understand conflict and somehow manage to solve his issues. Just like ever good hero, he faces internal and external conflict on his