Rules are created to control and to manipulate the populace which they do not allow individualism which, if not allowed to do so there would be no will to go on, shackled to the own consciousness. These rules exist to disallow individualism so people would not have the will to fight onward and become how they are. The laws make everyone think that their life is to better their brothers and not themselves Equality 7-2521 says at the end of the book “I owe nothing to my brothers, nor do I gather debts from them. I ask none to live for me, nor do I live for any others. I cover no man’s soul, nor is my soul theirs to covet.” (Rand 96). This is a change of thought from the beginning of the book when he got his life mandate. “We would accept our Life …show more content…
So we were happy, and proud of ourselves and of our victory over ourselves.” (Rand 26). Equality 7-2521 changed from the beginning, since he wanted to live for his brother and now he does not owe them anything. Equality 7-2521’s society would not have any of the rules that were created by the one he lived in. “And we shall join our hand when we wish, or walk alone when we so desire.” (Rand 96). Equality 7-2521 is not about being one with his brothers, but he and his brothers can stand together when they wish. Equality 7-2521 knows that the rules that were in placed created chains for his brothers and they could not escape without his help. “And the day will come when I shall break all the chains of the earth, and raze the cities of the enslaved, and my home will become the capital of a world where each man will be free to exist for his own sake. (Rand 104). Equality 7-2521 will not have any of the rules that he lived under because he wants to break his brother free from their enslavement. “At first, man was enslaved by the gods. But he broke their chains. Then he was enslaved by the kings. But he broke their chains. He was enslaved by his birth, by his kin,
In addition, Equality continues to make his individualism known by preferring a woman, Liberty 3-5000, above all. While sweeping the streets, Equality takes notice of a woman working in the fields. He is instantly intrigued by her and thinks of her over all others. Equality’s attitude is significantly changed by his interactions with Liberty. “We do not know why we think of them. We do not know why, when we think of them, we feel of a sudden that earth is good and that it is not a burden to live” (Rand 41). Individualism is shown when Equality chooses to favor Liberty. Equality looked at her, even though there were other women in the field that day. He chooses Liberty above all the woman. Equallity shows a preference in only her, which shows individuality. To add, Equality is becoming more unruly and disobiedient by continuing to break rules. The crimes he comits involve talking to woman of other Trades, looking upon woman, and the Transgression of Preference, which is to prefer someone or something above others. Equality’s love for Liberty continues to isolate and detach him from his brothers. His love for Liberty motivates him to banish himself from his society and cut off all his ties to it.
“ … 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).
Equality 7-2521 is unable to express creativity, which minimized the number of freedoms and individuality throughout the society. Rand indicates how the pronoun affects Equality 7-2521’s society. “The word "We" is as lime poured over men, which sets and hardens to stone, and crushes all beneath it, and that which is white and that which is black are lost equally in the grey of it” (Rand 97). The pronoun “we,” deteriorates the society from being able to be an individual and from basic freedoms. Equality 7-2521 wasn’t assigned a name, but assigned a label that society forced to abide with. Being assigned a name acts as principal as well as “we.” In addition, individuals have no identity of their own“...we repeat to ourselves whenever we are tempted: “we are one in all and all in one. There are no men but only the great WE, One, indivisible and forever” (Rand 19). Freedoms such as freedom of speech and the right to equal justice, are nonexistent
Rules, some people follow them, others do not. Many people ask why these rules exist, or what they even mean. In Anthem, the rules in their society were created to assure that society would not have another catastrophe, like one before the Unmentionable Times, when the Evil Ones wreaked havoc on the World, destroying everything in their path. Many of these rules limit one's capabilities to think independently. Failure to follow these rules result in harsh punishment. One man, by the name of Equality 7-2521, has defied a numerous number of these laws. This man has made a monumental discovery that could advance mankind. Unfortunately, due to the World Councils stubbornness, he was rejected of his idea. In this moment, Equality finally realized
“We strive to be like all our brother men, for all men must be alike”(7). In Equality 7-2521's society, everyone must think and be just like everyone else. The society's commitment to Equality 7-2521 eventually means a confinement to sameness. If the individuals are not like everyone else, the Council Of Vocations threaten them by using brutal punishments for every law that is broken, they also threaten them from possibly being superior to others. It can be argued that it is moral to act in an individual’s own self-interest to find joy. Self-sacrifice is not an obligation. Collectivism states that people should exist for the co-operation for others and that the pursuance of individual happiness is not preachy. The dominance of mankind’s free will and the reason is most evident in the distant marble engraving in the Palace of the World Council, “We are one in all and all in one. There are no men but only the great WE, One, indivisible and forever” (6). "Dare not choose in your minds the work you would like to do when you leave the Home of the Students. You shall do that which the Council of Vocations shall prescribe for you" (20). Equality 7-2521 is proclaiming about what his teachers told him when he was a student. Evidently, in his society, no one is allowed to think or choose what they want to do with their own lives, or even to think about what they are capable enough of doing in their lives. These were
The struggle of Equality 7-2521 is that he is positive that everything the government is doing is wrong. He finally realizes all of the wrong doings in his world. He first discovers an underground railroad. He realizes all of the amazing things that is out there that his world isn’t allowed to know about. He takes in that everything he has been raised thinking is all wrong. At first he becomes confused of why his world would do this. All these laws are placed because the government wanted a perfect world. What they think is perfect is the total opposite of perfect. You are selected into your job and department. You have no name, all you have is what category you are in and some numbers after. Those numbers are there just so you can know who one another is. Men can’t love women. Women can’t love men. They want everyone to be happy and not go through
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.
During the unmentionable times, people had to follow the rules that the council has made. Of course no one wanted to follow them because they wanted to go their separate ways so they can be free. Equality 7-2521 the main character had to make some bold choices, which means he has to go down a few paths to do what he wants to do in the future. Equality wants to make some big changes in the future, he knows what he wants to do, while everyone else is following the council's rules. Equality has to get through some hard times.
Throughout the plot of the story, we see Equality 7-2521 slowly begin to break small rules, then move on to break bigger ones because of the discoveries he has made from
After Equality 7-2521 has realized this, he can’t take it anymore. “I am done with the monster of ‘We,’ the word of serfdom, of plunder, of misery, falsehood and shame.” (Rand 165) No more being controlled and forced to be someone who he isn't.
Anthem Essay The book Anthem by Ayn Rand uses multiple techniques to keep the story flowing and interesting for the reader. Those same techniques are also used to express a hidden message that the reader can interpret in their own way. Setting is one of those techniques that plays an important role in the book. The setting helps with character development, unfold the plot, and create suspense.
After gaining knowledge of the “Unmentionable Times”, Equality then refers to himself as “I” and realizes “[He owes] nothing to [his] brothers, nor [does he] gather debts from them” (96). Finally after years of working together with his “brothers” and having no freedom, Equality has freed himself from the collectivist society. He realized working for other people’s happiness is not satisfying and that no one should owe their life for the benefit of others. At that point, Equality was almost referring to himself as a god by indicating that he’ll create a better society for everyone where happiness is the main goal. To Equality however, freedom means freedom from your brothers and that’s it. His ideals are also extremist to the point that the new society would probably have its skeptics too. According to Equality, “To be free, a man must be free of his brothers” (101). The idea of objectivism comes from this because it emphasizes the fact that a person does not need others to be happy or free. Instead, doing something should be for personal gain much like egoism, but the main objective is to be happy in the end. The idea is good in theory and Equality was right to break free from the system of the City, however, happiness implies something different to everyone, so there should be guidelines, or
After Equality 7-2521's disappearance, a tunnel has been discovered on the edge of the City, near the City Theatre. It’s meaning is unknown, but countless brothers have often seen Equality 7-2521 in its nearby area. Many believe that this is where he spent his time discovering what he has supposedly presented to The Council of Scholars. Consequently, several items have been found, such as several stolen candles, knives, paper, glass vials, acids, an abundance of ashes and an assortment of animal carcasses. Various precious manuscripts have also been found. The City Council has yet to release a statement regarding the findings and are keeping quiet concerning the entire debacle.
Equality 7-2521 has changed drastically since the beginning of the book, as well as The Golden One. Making such innovative finds, and rebelling against the government, only to be beaten and sentenced to death, typically changes a person. Finding love when you’re not supposed to, and running off into the woods, avoiding your death penalty and ignoring all laws is not something Equality 7-2521 would have done in the beginning, for he was a law abiding citizen. However, he gradually started to bend the rules until he no longer acknowledged nor cared about them at all. I believe that he was right in doing so because the government had hidden so much and had taken total control over its citizens’ lives.
Every single day for more than 2 years equality would escape society for 3 hours a day and he would get to think, study, learn, and write what he has held in for so long. Equality’s brothers didn’t have a strong self-connection. All of Equality’s “brothers” had no energy, happiness, nor creativity (Rand). Unlike Equality they didn’t know who they were as a person, they