Equality 7-2521

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Anthem is a novella written by Ayn Rand, in which Equality 7-2521, the protagonist, struggles for self-identification living in a collectivist society. Equality believes that individuality is an eminent aspect of one’s life because individuality defines and outlines who man is. He endures all the hardships in his life living with people who support collectivism, and who reject his ideas. For example, when Equality 7-2521 invents and exhibits the light bulb, the World Council rejects it and tells him that it is selfish to work on something alone instead of working with his brothers. The World Council threatens to destroy the light bulb but Equality does not let that happen and rebels, so he is forced into exile from his society. Equality realizes that he is different from others because he cares about his happiness unlike others who are convinced to believe that a group’s happiness counts more than an individual’s happiness. After Equality is sent into exile he comes upon the perfect place for him to live: the Uncharted Forest. Equality feels very safe in the forest and, he is happy because for the first time ever he does not wake up in the morning because he has to but because he rested well. He enjoys eating his food for the first time and realizes that he actually is happier when away from everyone in the city. Before he sees his reflection in the water, Equality says, “We knelt by the stream and we bent down to drink. And then we stopped. For, upon the blue of the sky below us, we saw our own face for the first time.” (Rand 80).Because he now knows how his image looks, he feels like he can trust himself and confidently adds, “And we thought that we could trust this being who looked upon us from the stream, and that we... ... middle of paper ... ...to Prometheus because he considers himself the man who brought light likewise Prometheus the man who stole fire from the gods to provide for the people in the city. He renames himself also because he feels like a new person after his discovery of freedom. By the end of the novella Equality comes upon a house from the Unmentionable Times for him and the Golden One to live in. Equality is in love with the Golden One who followed him to the forest after he was gone from the city. Later Equality 7-2521 gives the Golden One a new name: Gaea. They live in harmony together and finally discover the meaning of the Unspeakable Word “I” instead of which they always used the word “We” to refer to themselves like all the other collectivists did. After finding everything Equality searched for, he is a happy individual living in a perfect place with the woman he loves.

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