The Theme Of Freedom In Anthem, By Ayn Rand

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Imagine living in a dystopian society where the world that once thrived was completely forgotten. Individualism and freedom cease to exist. Equality 7-2521 finds himself living in this society in which he soon realizes he does not belong. Anthem, by Ayn Rand, portrays the theme of freedom versus confinement through the eyes of Equality 7-2521 as he struggles to free himself from the restricting society in which he lives. Equality 7-2521 lives in a society of confinement in which everything he does has to be for the greater good of his society. He begins the novel by claiming, “It is a sin to write this. It is a sin to think words no others think and to put them down upon a paper no others are to see. [...] And we know well that there is no transgression blacker than to do or think alone” (Rand 17). Equality 7-2521’s admittance of his sin immediately reveals the tightly-controlled world he lives in. No one has a name, can feel emotions, make their own decisions, or do the job they desire. As he comes to realize he is an outsider, Equality 7-2521 plans to endeavor a quest to gain personal freedom. …show more content…

“But here, in our tunnel, we feel it no longer. The air is pure under the ground. There is no odor of men. And these three hours give us strength for our hours above the ground” (Rand 46). Equality 7-2521 becomes aware that the only way he will achieve freedom is to be absent from the society around him. Although he is in a small, dark underground space, which most people associate with confinement itself, Equality 7-2521 enjoys time alone without the “odor of men.” Individual freedom ceases to exist, yet Equality 7-2521 is aware of his isolation from

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