Transgressions In Ayn Rand's Anthem

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

This citation comes from Ayn Rand’s novella “Anthem” and it represents as diction and lack of restrictions that they need because Equality must be forbidden according to the law from knowing what she wants to learn about, while she secretly defies the law because she cannot just resist. Also, if someone doesn’t know anything about what they want to know, how can they possibly accomplish something or get smart, and in this case, Equality wishes to be part of the Home of The Scholars. This evidence also comes from “Anthem,” “Don’t even think in your minds of the work you would like to do. You will be prescribed a mandate by the Council of Vocations whether you like it or not” (Rand,6). This line represents diction which shows that Equality and his men don’t acquire the power to choose their occupation and how they want to lead their life because it goes on to prevail what every human hope for, but in this case, he acts forbidden according to the law.

Equality contemplates, “I wonder, for it is hard for me to conceive how men who knew the word “I”, could give it up and not know what they lost” (103). This quote narrates the discovery of one of the most essential words used to identify as a single, original person, I. Equality realizes the tragedy of the loss that his previous society created before his lifetime and really ponders why and how this could happen in a very separate world. Equality readies himself to be an individual person as a result of feeling strongly against the beliefs of his previous society. Equality excitedly states, “We made a fire, we cooked the bird, and we ate it, and no meal had ever tasted better to us. And we thought suddenly that there was a great satisfaction to be found in the food which we need and obtain by our own hand” (79). In the past, Equality had never done anything to express his originality because of the law stating otherwise, so when given the opportunity to finally understand his own strengths and weaknesses, he takes it. He disregards the law and excitedly grasps the concept that he isn’t supposed to be a follower like his peers were, he was meant to be a leader. Disagreeing with the law was a main point of Rand’s novella, promoting personal

•Information, independent thought, and freedom are restricted in this society. Equality must think about “the will of all men together” and how they are all supposed to be “one in all and all in one”. No one may think of or for themselves and everyone decision is made by the grace of every brother.

There is a power to individual thinking that forges new pathways that were not there before. Equality’s individual motivations lead him continuously in new paths and allowed him, to discover things that were about himself and in the

Moreover, once at the age of ten, Equality saw a saint burning. The saint committed the crime of speaking the Unspeakable Word. Equality wondered, “What—even if we have to burn for it like the Saint of the pyre—what is the Unspeakable Word?” (35). Equality saw the saint was calm and smiling while he burns. The Transgressor had pride in what he heard, so happy that he died free. Equality observed this and wanted to free too. Even if he had to burn after hearing the Unspeakable Word. Curiosity drove Equality to break free from his chain of collectivism.

He has the right to feel motivated and have feelings, Even if most of the time his thoughts are crazy he still has the right to think them. Equality finally discovered the new world “I”and “we”. To Equality saying those new worlds is a great feeling, He says them with confidence. Since equality is motivated he is able to discover the world for once. “ We awoke when a ray of sunlight fell across our face. We wanted to leap to our feet, as we have to leap to our feet every morning of our life”. Equality forgot about the past and wanted to think about the future that day when he woke

As Equality consumed more and more of his time through his thoughts he discovered the way of his nation. He was pressured into giving in his information however, no matter the punishment he stayed loyal to himself and his brother International 4-8818. Equality didn’t let their doubts and fear stop them though “It is forbidden they answered” “But we should go nonetheless.” “They were frightened but stood by and watched us go” (Rand 31). International 4-8818 feared some of the actions of Equality in spite of their brother ship. “They raised their hands to their ears for they have never heard words such as these” (Rand 34).

In “Anthem” by Ayn Rand Equality 7-2521 lives in a society where there are many rules and controls. The people in this society exist to coexist. These rules cause them to have no individuality. Everyone is completely equal. Equality knows that he is different and that no person was made to be the exact same as the one before.

They deceived an entire society into believing that they are not their own person, but that they are exclusively a part of “the great WE” (Rand 19). Equality was making a “moral judgement” (“How”) by denouncing the councils and leaders of his society,

By making the discovery and realizing its potential, Equality feels as if he has proved himself and his intelligence. He realizes what he is capable of and can see a better future.

In school, he “asked so many questions that the Teachers forbade it” (Rand 23). In Equality’s society, each individual is expected to be like all others both physically and mentally. This includes only knowing the information that his brothers knew. Because he understood this ideal, he “fought against the curse” (Rand 21). Equality tried to forget what he knew, but he could not.

“It is a sin to think words no others are to see.It is the base and evil...We have broken the laws. The laws say that men may not write unless the Council of Vocations bud them so. May we be forgiven!” (Rand 17). The rules that he has grown up with will stay with him all his life, and some remnant of them will find their way into his “new and improved” society. Then at the end of the book he seems less undecided and frightened, but he still has the remnant of the scare unity has burned into him. “And man will go on. Man, not men” (Rand 104). Here, Equality is dreaming if his future society, and even though he is speaking about his own society there is still a protective and unsure manner in which speaks of it. It is almost as if he is repeating it the second time to ensure he can say it. It might not have been a conscious act of unsurety, but he wavered nonetheless.He still fears the society. He also still respects the society. So its rules will make it into his rules through some way, shape, and form. Equality’s problem at the end of the book is his mindset and the thought process that has been engraven into his mind by the nameless Anthem society’s

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

The tight restraints that he was burdened with are gone, and now he is drunk in the freedom he now possesses. The society the Equality evinsions will be the exact opposite of that of the Council; “There is nothing to take a man’s freedom away from him.”(Rand 101) Equality will raise up as a strong-willed, independent, proud son to continue his legacy, “He will be taught to say ‘I’ and to bear the pride of it. He will be taught to walk straight and on his own feet. He will be taught a reverence for his own spirit.”(Rand 100) Equality will raise up a new generation of independence, preference, and freedom. “I and they, my chosen friends, my fellow-builders, shall write the first chapter in the new history of man”(Rand