Equality 7-2521 In Ayn Rand's Anthem

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Anthem by Ayn Rand focuses on the life of Equality 7-2521. He lives in a society where the idea of individuality does not exist. Everyone works from the age of 15 until the age of 40. When they turn 40 they go to reside in the Home of the Useless. In Chapter One of this book, Equality 7-2521 says that it is unusual for men to reach the age of 45. Although he doesn’t specifically tell us the reason, here are a few possible explanations as to why the life span is so short. First of all, seeing that in this society there is compulsory labor conscriptions, and the people work every day without a day off. After 25 years of this the people are exhausted and their bodies simply cannot do much. On page 28 Equality 7-2521 writes: “The Old Ones do not work, for the State takes care of them…. They do not speak often, for they are weary.” …show more content…

They have as much medical and technical knowledge as those that lived in the Dark Ages. On page 23 Equality 7-2521 writes: “We learned how to bleed men to cure them of all ailments.” We know of course that this practice does not work and is very dangerous. Furthermore, they also have little to no knowledge of mental disorders. For example, Fraternity 2-5503 will “cry suddenly, without reason”. This could suggest Pseudobulbar Affect which symptoms include uncontrollable laughter or crying. Furthermore, Solidarity-9-6347 screams in his sleep, night terrors, which is a common symptom in PTSD. It is important to know about and treat mental disorders because they have been proven to lower life expectancy by 10 to 20 years, possibly more in this society with their limited medical

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