Equality 7-2521 Chapter 1 Analysis

When Equality 7-2521 is assigned the job of a street sweeper, he replies to the council that, "The will of our brothers be done.” (Rand, 26) Equality 7-2521 wanted to be a scholar, but accepts the assignment of a street sweeper because he is still contributing to the group. In this society, even being genetically unique is considered selfish for standing out. "This is a great sin, to be born with a head which is too quick.” (Rand, 20) Just because Equality 7-2521 is smarter than his fellow men, he is looked down upon. He is scorned for being tall as well, which shows the irrational view this society has towards

During his childhood, he was blessed with an individual spirit and the intelligence to understand the knowledge of the world. In spite of this, he reckoned his abilities as transgressions. He acknowledged that the way of life was that “Everything which comes from the many is good. Everything which comes from the one is evil” (Rand 85). Equality strives to accept the totalitarian society and consequently, he desperately struggles to disregard his abilities and subdue his desires. The grisly effects of society are portrayed immensely through the profound sense of guilt he suffers while committing the Sin of Preference. He continually recites that, “We are nothing. Mankind is all. By the grace of our brothers are we allowed our lives. We exist through, by, and for our brothers who are the State. Amen” (Rand 21). Gradually, his aspirations contradict with the dogma of society. He discovers that he finds more joy committing the Sin of Preference rather than restraining himself from happiness, which ultimately, allows him to elude his conscious premises. Equality’s belief that “[he] [has] torn [himself] from the truth which is [his] brother men… [he] knows [this], but [he] [does] not care” (Rand 76) marks his complete triumph over collectivism. Prior to his transformation, he belonged to a society in which the Sin of Preference revoked all rights for any desire, which ultimately disallowed citizens to think for freely. If permitted to do so, no

“ … He will be taught reverence for his own spirit.” (Rand 100). Equality felt like he was sinning in his old society, and then the Council gave him a way to pay for it. “We knew we had been guilty, but now we had a way to atone for it.” (Rand 26). Equality wanted those who were suffering in the old society to join him, so they would not feel as he had felt under the oppression of the Council. “I shall call to me all the men and women whose spirit has not been willed within them and who suffer under the yoke of their brothers.” (Rand 101).

You shall do that which the Council of Vocations shall prescribe for you." (Rand 22). In the book, Rand describes how the Council keeps its subjects manipulated, maintaining obedience through their strict teaching. The main character Equality 7-2521 demonstrates how people are not allowed to follow their own path and are victims of a repressive system, which rewards complacency and discourages freethinking. In this society everyone must be just like everyone else. According to Equality 7-2521, individuals have no identity of their own. In this society no one is allowed to choose what they do with their lives, or even to think about what they want to do in the future. The Council of Vocations punishes Equality 7-2521 for being "different," which means being intelligent and loving science. Instead of being made a scholar, which is what he really wants, Equality 7-2521 is made a street sweeper. The irony is that Equality 7-2521 would better serve society as a scholar because of his great intellectual gifts, but that would make individuals capable of distinguishing and separating themselves from the Council. In another instance, Rand emphasizes the idea of control over knowledge and vocabulary since “We are one in all and all in one. There are no men but only the great WE, One, indivisible and forever" (Rand 19). All names are

1.Significance of "Equality 7-2521" and why this character refers to himself as "we". "He is a young intelligent and curious man, that ealizes his place in this world is not just," Our name is Equality 7-2521, as it is written on the iron bracelet, which all men wear on their left wrists with their names upon it. We are twenty-one years old."

Every citizen believes the way they are living is correct and that there is no problem with the society. “This was the only thing which moved, for the lips of the oldest did not move as they said: ‘Street Sweeper’(Anthem)”. Equality 7- 2521 feels differently when he knows that he is extremely smart and is given the job to be a street sweeper. Throughout the story, Equality 7-2521 learns to realize that the society is brain washing every single citizen. “The locks are old on the doors and there are no guards about. There is no reason to have guards, for men have never defied the Councils so far as to escape from whatever place they were ordered to be (Anthem).” Any citizens who were supposed to be locked up would never to attempt to even escape because they knew they would be put to death, however, escaping was easy for Equality

All his life he had been told that it “is a great sin, to be born with a head which is too quick. It is not good to be different from our brothers, but it is evil to be superior to them” (21). The Teachers made Equality believe that everything he did was wrong, and because they were appointed by the Councils, he believed them to be correct. The appointing of all things by the Councils relates to the Supreme Court. This situation relates to the moral sin in society. Everything is controlled. When Equality turned fifteen, the Council of Vocations appointed him the job of a “Street Sweeper”; it pleased him. This happiness did not last because he was unsatisfied. He always craved more, and one day, a gift was given. Equality 7-2521, with fellow Street Sweeper International 4-8818, uncovered an underground tunnel that was used for subways during the Unmentionable Times, which gave Equality hope. This underground tunnel became everything to Equality because it gave him peace, and it became the one of the many reasons why he was able to break free from being controlled by the leaders of his time of the Great

Equality 7-2521, who decides to change his name to Prometheus in the final chapters of the novella, had his own vision of a perfect society. Upon discovering “I” while he is reading in the house, Equality 7-2521 becomes aware that he is the center of his own universe, and nobody has control over his actions now. He says, “I understood that centuries of chains and lashes will not kill the spirit of man nor the sense of truth within him” (Rand 58). It is clear that he would never include any of the rules that were present in his past society in his new and improved one. Equality 7-2521 completely let go of his old life and refused to be held back among the masses. Equality 7-2521’s curse that was always frowned upon finally was looked at in a positive way. He is unafraid and proud, finally discovering himself and becoming his own man.

Equality is motivated by himself. He wants to invent things. He’s not doing it for fame or to try to impress the council, but for himself. He’s eager to discover and he’s curious about things and how they work. He is very passionate about his experiments and puts a lot of pride and work into them. Equality is much smarter than the rest of his society as it states “It was that the learning was too easy”(21). He dreamed of being a scholar where he can put his talents to a good use;

At the end of the story, Equality 7-2521 wants to live in a world without the rules and controls the council has set forth. Equality 7-2521 re-invents electricity, surpassing the best Scholars in his society. As well, Equality 7-2521's brilliance continues, as shown as at the end of the novel, when he’s writing philosophies on the meaning of life. The story proves that even though society is equal, human creativity creates a more diverse way of life.

Nowadays, individuality is perched on top of the highest pedestal. There's nothing that compares with the ability to stand apart from each other and no one dares take that away. But in Ayn Rand’s novella called Anthem, it is the complete opposite; there are numerous Councils who are in charge of everything for the people. Some of the things include, what jobs and what future people have and also they regulate intelligence and inventions. Equality 7-2521, later renamed Prometheus, is a member of this dystopian society; he isn't at all similar to his brothers. This, leads to his urge to break away from them. The Council and the society damn him because of his actions and brain, but after his escape, he realizes this damnation is hilarious because they are the damned, not him.

In the book Anthem, Equality 7-2521 (Equality) lived in a society where everyone was equal and treated with disrespect. The society had no tolerance for being different and having their own opinion and ideas. People couldn’t even pursue the career they dreamed of having. They were punished for disobeying any of these “rules”. Despite Equality’s strict society, his motivations in conducting his experiments are finding individuality, starting a new revolution, finding freedom, and trying to become a scholar.

From the day that Equality 7-2521 were united as one they have been considered freaks, because they were all about six feet tall and looked down upon by the other groups within the society. After their schooling, Equality 7-2521 were sent to the "Home of the Street Sweepers" and there they were assigned a certain sector of the city to keep

Equality 7-2521 is the protagonist of the story he is twenty-one years old, scientific research is what gives meaning and joy to his life. He will not abandon it though he knows the severity of the punishment that awaits him if he's caught. He refuses to surrender the electric light to the authorities when he realizes that they will destroy it. Liberty 5-3000 is Equality’s long lost lover, and she looks up to him. Her spirit is shown in her actions as well as in her appearance. Liberty 5-3000 breaks the laws of her society to pursue her dreams. She sees Equality 7-2521 and often thinks of him even though the state bans a woman to become interested in another man except when it's time for marriage. One night Equality stayed out too late in in his tunnel, he refused to tell the authorities his whereabouts, and he was sent to prison. Equality finally escaped prison to show his invention to the Council. When he and his invention was turned down they threatened him so he ran into the woods to live by his own rules. He soon realized the “Golden One” was falling him.

Equality initially had a superior intellect,preferred lessons over work, and was curious about the Unmentionable Times.He wished to learn, and he asked too many questions.With his discovery of the tunnel ,he broke many rules,and regulations just to satisfy his inquiry. With the hope of finding his purpose in life ,his moral compass began to change its direction completely . He began to feel less guilty for pursuing new things,things such as the tunnel,speaking to a female, as well as the finding of electricity.Equality no longer had remorse for simply recognizing he was different from everyone else around him.He began discovering himself ,and eventually became comfortable with how he dealt with society’s practices and institutions.In a way he went from one end if the spectrum to the