Sin is one’s belief of wrongdoing. Not everyone’s view of sin is the same. In the novella Anthem, by Ayn Rand, Equality 7-2521’s believes individualism is a sin (in the beginning). His viewing is wrong because individualism is what drives humans to differ from one another, and is overall a good thing, not a bad thing. However, Equality views it as a bad thing because he has been “brainwashed” through his entire life by society to believe that. Throughout the novella, his idea of sin slowly develops and changes into the correct view of sin. Equality goes from believing individualism is a sin to believing that individualism is all-mighty and powerful throughout the story of Anthem. This is revealed through love, realization of individualism, and the overall development of what Equality believes sin. …show more content…
He falls in love with a beautiful girl named Liberty. Equality views her as being different from others. However, Equality and Liberty’s love was not allowed in their society. But, Equality loves her anyway. As the narrator says, “For men are forbidden to take notice of women, and women are forbidden to take notice of men. But we think of one among women, they whose name is Liberty 3-5000, and we think of no others” (Rand ). This quote shows how their love was forbidden, but Equality had affection for Liberty anyway. He was being an individual when doing this which is why their love was so vital and influential in Equality’s development of viewing sin. Love is vital in the development of Equality’s beliefs on
This essay will be discussing whether or not the character Equality 7-2521’s assessment of his sins towards throughout of the book he’s from, Anthem. His assessment (that he doesn’t care about his sin, as it was decided a sin by a government he sees as immoral and corrupt) is in my opinion, correct. This thought stems mainly from the fact he documented his thoughts throughout the book, and the documents could potentially inspire other people to do the same thing he did, which Equality would probably like. At the beginning of Anthem, Equality feels ashamed with many actions of his, specifically calling many of them evil, sinful, or a “transgression”.
A Sinner’s Journey Anthem a dystopian fiction, by Ayn Rand takes place in what seems like the future. Equality 7-2521 is surrounded by plain old buildings, in which contain certain types of councils. Equality bent the rules, he was different and did not know how be like his brothers. Thinking alone and thinking outside the box were prohibited. When Equality and International 4-8818 went out one day they stepped upon a underground tunnel, and for the first time experiencing the works of electricity.
As the novella progresses Equality transforms into an individual who isn’t afraid to flaunt his individuality. “When I shall have read all the books and learned my new way, when my home will be ready and my earth tilled, I shall steal one day, for the last time into the cursed City of my birth.” (Rand 101). Thus doing so Equality wants to educate himself and bring the others to his new home in order to create his own society where people are free to be themselves. There he and the others will embrace the word “I” and be free to become
Throughout the book Equality 7-2521 challenges the idea that everyone is and must be the same. Instead he acts on his own. In the book everyone is supposed to be equal alongside their brothers. That means that no one is more important, intelligent, and so on than their brothers and by being so it is an evil in the world.
Someone needs to arouse Equality’s primal instinct that has been buried by his camaraderie, and her name is Liberty. “Their body was straight and thin as a blade of iron. Their eyes were dark and hard and glowing, with no fear in them, no kindness and no guilt. […] They threw seeds from their hand as if they deigned to fling a scornful gift, and the earth was as a beggar under their feet” (49). For the first time Equality feels desire and knows pain.
Anthem’s opening line, “It is a sin to write this,” creates a significant theme of guilt within Equality’s own mind, and it injects the theme of the importance of purity and morality by provoking Equality’s eventual assessment and recognition that society’s view of sin does not reconcile with his
When Equality made the lightbulb and it showed him the truth, the truth of freedom, acceptance, and individuality. Freedom is a very important theme in Anthem, the lightbulb showed Equality the freedom he could have. At first, Equality wanted to show the Scholars what he has made but they disapproved and sent him away. (Rand 64) That made him realize how different he was and how wrong the society was so he left into the forest.
Though their love is romantic, it is also a symbolic representation of individuals’ longing for the ability to express emotions. Equality’s love for Liberty inspires him to take action against the oppression of society to protect his individual freedoms, even if it means risking his own well-being. This makes him noble since he is willing to sacrifice his own comfort and security for the sake of love and freedom as he sleeps “In the midst of [a] ring [of fire], and the beasts dare not attack [him]” rather than sleeping in society on a bed (Rand 84). As they live in the forest, Equality and Liberty learn to be free from the constraints of society because they have each other for support. This independence is a large factor in their rejection of the collectivist society and drive for individual freedoms.
Written by Ayn Rand and published in August of 2008, Anthem, is about a boy named Equality 7-2521. Equality is an extremely curious character wanted nothing less than to be recognized. Equality lived in a world where everything a person did was picked for them by the government. Rand based her book of her
A system of monstrous tyranny holds individuality captive making true happiness rare. When one is muted by society’s harsh regulations, they suffer internally and externally. In the novella Anthem, Ayn Rand creates a character named Equality who feels tremendous sorrow for the way his life is, but will eventually locate the power behind his own voice. He will use his experiences to guide his acts of defiance and overcome opposing obstacles. Dispar and the negative attitude of others pushed Equality to become determined to transform his life.
In Anthem by Ayn Rand, there are many uses of symbolism throughout the entire novel. Specifically, the quote (found on page 52) “The secrets of this earth are not for all men to see, but for those who will seek them.” is a great example of this. Equality 7-2521, a street curious street sweeper discovers a new way to create light and control electricity while working underground late at night. Equality then returns several times, experimenting and improving this newfound power.
Equality has changed his views on the society and leaders by the end of the story. Where he is critical of the leaders and denouncing them in moral terms. He started to be critical because they would tell them they are nothing, hiding things from the “Unmentionable times”, their moral terms. Equality 7-2521 has changed his mind and become very critical of the leaders of his society, denouncing them in moral terms. I think Equality was correct to do so because the leaders or teachers were telling the society that they are nothing and mankind is all.
Even though there are billions of people that walk this Earth, everybody is their own individual with their own ideas and personalities. Because of this, it is hard to imagine a world where personality and individuality do not exist. But Ayn Rand’s Anthem does just that; she paints a society in which no one is an individual. Anthem’s society is that of conformity, which means one must be complacent with the rules and laws of his/her society. Sure one could see this as a good thing, but throughout Anthem, Ayn Rand shows that conformity is not as good as it sounds, but rather the worst way to live.
Ayn Rand’s Anthem starts by Equality 7-2521 saying “It is a sin to write this.” Throughout the story, Equality’s views and mindset changes, he realizes that he is different from his brothers and its ok to be different. He discovers that if something is legal it is not certainly right. His eager for knowledge taught him the word “I” abandoning the word “We”.
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.