Equality Essay

This character helped understand the theme in the story, that individuality must be treasured in our society, since the character is , while struggling to maintain his own individuality.“...and we would work for our brothers, gladly and willingly, ...What is my life, if I am but to bow, to agree and to obey?...” (Rand). This quote helps support the theme in the novel by showing Equality's individuality in different parts of the book. At the beginning, he denied his individuality and tried to blend in with the conformist society, while at the end, he accepts and treasures his individuality. This relates to the theme by showing that his individuality is treasured and valued by him.

When Equality 7-2521 begins the novel by saying, “It is a sin to write this.” he has a different moral assessment of writing than at the end of the novel. Throughout Anthem, Equality’s actions affect how he views his society and the people around him. By the end of the story, Equality begins to realize that the government and society that he lives in might not be so perfect, and it might not be a sin to write. Equality’s eventual moral assessments of his sins are correct and are supported by; his growth throughout the story, the themes of independence developed in the novel and Ayn Rand’s concepts concerning communism. These are the three ideas that will be developed and explained in this paper.

The protagonist, Equality 7-2521, is considered an outcast compared to the other members of the society. He is extremely intelligent and

The world in Anthem is ideal and it’s a sin for anyone to think that they are more or less than “WE”(Rand, 20). However, in Anthem there is a character that knows there is more to be discovered that his brothers does not know about yet. When Equality goes to the scholars, to inform them on the spectacular stuff he has recently learned, he is chased out of his community and into a forest that no one dares to enter (Rand, 75).

In the story Anthem by Ayn Rand the main character Equality 7-2521 has the quote “To be free, a man must be free of his brothers.” This quote helps represent that Equality 7-2521 is trying to show that he has a freedom to be unequal from his so called brothers, he states that he has the right to be smarter, and has different opinions from the other boys he grew up with all his life. In this story Equality 7-2521 was smarter than his brothers and wanted to become more than the job that the council gave him to be a street sweeper is what they said he had to be for the rest of his life. At first he thought that's what he gets for sinning for being smarter and think things he's not supposed to.

From the beginning of the book you can tell the punishments of being different are not tolerated. Equality on page 18 expresses: “we stole the candle from the Home of the Street Sweepers. We shall be sentenced to ten years in the Palace of Corrective Detention if it is to be discovered.” This shows that Equality if following what is expected from him and not talking about himself committing a crime

In the book Anthem where the world is like an enclosed container and you are stuck there for life. Equality 7-2521 he is the odd one out he breaks the rules for his own purposes he is curious and has an extraordinary mind unlike the other people are known as his brothers. His dream is to be in the house of the scholars and to do whatever they do. Because he wants a challenge he wants to define his curiosity with expressing it through experiments and writing. When Equality doesn't get the job he wanted and dreamed of "to go to the house of the scholars" and he gets street sweeper he isn't angry they don't feel that feeling much he is just disappointed. But then Equality finds a hole to spend time alone in so he can do the experiments and write so does he stride for the motivation of happiness or is there a bigger motivation of that he found inside of him.

Anthem and Station Eleven are both dystopian novels. The citizens in each book live in a world where the government controls them using fear. Anthem, written by Ayn Rand, is focused mostly on collectivism. Collectivism is the political theory stating that an individual only exists to serve its state. Whereas in Station Eleven, by Emily St. John Mandel, it’s focused on a world after an epidemic wipes out most of humanity.

The society that Equality lives in tries to live in complete uniformity. This society is controlled by a council of elders. They dictate every aspect of a life for a man. This is supported by the quote “Councils are the voice of all justice, for they are the voice of all men.” (Rand 22) Society’s beliefs are exemplified through the hymns of brotherhood, equality, and the collective spirit. There is no concept of self and the book is written in first person plural. Collectivism is the belief the group has higher priority than each individual in it. This is demonstrated by the quote “there is no transgression blacker than to do or think alone.” Equality starts at the youngest of age. Starting in school students are taught not to be any different and any who are physically or mentally are reprimanded by the teachers. Even so, there is scientific development and new technologies are developed mainly by the Home of the

Equality only discovers more and more about the world around him and all of the things the city kept him from knowing. He finds a house filled with

and pushes him to reject all that his society has taught him. In the novella, Equality provides the

First the government see that he is different from his brothers even as a child. The transgression he commits is fighting with his brothers, this in turn starts his difference between him and his equality. Second transgression that he commits is being to smart, tall, and muscular. This is where he learns the science of things and wants to become a scholar. Third is the transgression of preference when he chooses friends and likes Liberty more than the other girls. The government knows this and that's why they give him a horrible job.

is his remark. Surely there is a deeper explanation to his “madness” in this chapter! Equality laughs at himself for being one of the damned. I believe there is a deeper meaning to this for the first time in his life,

In fact, the way that he was treated may have been the start of his mistrust in the leaders of society. Equality was treated bad but he was still under the influence that the leaders knew what was best for him so he did not do anything about it just took it as his punishment for all of his so-called sin being tall and smart. He followed the rules of the leaders and did what he was told to do for his brothers. In the story, it talks about the engraving set in stone at the World Council building " There are no men but only the great WE, One, Indivisible and forever." (chapter 1, page 1) As a kid Equality had a problem with fighting with his brothers as well as being taller and smarter than them. The teachers told him that he was cured and that there was evil in his bones. " It is we alone Equality 7-2521, we alone are born with a curse" (chapter 1 page 1) The teachers always tell Equality that he is nothing like his brothers " For we are not like our brothers." (chapter 1, page 1) Equality was smarter than his brothers which made the teachers despise Equality which made him think different of his leaders " The teachers told us so and frowned when they looked upon us." (chapter 1, page

He hides in a hidden tunnel, knowing that what he’s doing is a very serious crime but he pays no attention to it, he rather learn more especially after finding out about electricity. Once he’s caught and punished, Equality still refuses to speak, he tries to show the scholars the “glass box” he’s invited, thoroughly convinced praise and appreciation will come his way though the scholars see it useless and evil demanding it be destroyed, at that moment Equality does nothing but run away turning his back on everything he wanted instead choosing what he learned. “We seized our box, we shoved them aside, and we ran to the window. We turned and we looked at them for the last time, and a rage, such as is not fit for humans to know, choked our voice in our throat...“You fools!” we cried. “You fools! You thrice-damned fools!”.. Then we ran. We ran blindly..We have not built this box for the good of our brothers. We built it for its own sake.”