Anthem: A Journey towards Self-Realization

In the story Anthem by Ayn Rand, it takes place during a totalitarian world of the future. The leaders of society of complete control of everything. Equality 7-2521 is the narrator and the protagonist. He tells about his life in this totalitarian world and what it is like to live in it. Equality says “It is a sin to write this.” at the beginning the story, by the end of the story he different moral assessment of his actions. Equality’s assessment of his sin is correct, because he finally realizes that he is smart enough to do things he was told he couldn’t do.
In the beginning, Equality talks about the sins and what he remembers as child. Equality 7-2521 is a twenty-one year old and six foot tall young man, who is told he was born with an

evil curse. “We are six feet tall, and this is a burden, … We were born with a curse.” (18). By this statement, Equality means that everyone must look alike and nothing can be different. As a young child, Equality lived in the Home of the Students. He is told by his teachers, “... You shall do that the Council of Vocations prescribe for you … ” (22). Even though Equality knew this as a child, he claimed to be guilty of the transgression of preference; as he prefered the science of things. Since he loved these things, late at night he wished to be sent to the Home of the Scholars. When the time came for Equality to get a job he went to the Council of Vocations, he walked up to the councilmen and received his job. His job is a “Street Sweeper”. Equality continues by explaining what he does at his job. Equality and a fellow street sweeper, International 4-8818, leave work one day and find a secret tunnel, which they swear to keep from the city council. Equality begins to steal things and brings them to the tunnel to do some studying. He begins to learn things and doesn’t feel any regret or shame. Equality learns at the beginning of the story how he has sinned but started to not feel any regrets.
Furthermore, later in the book Equality discovers light.

After this discovery, he debates on whether to tell the Scholars or keep it to himself: “No single one can possess greater wisdom than the many Scholars who are elected by all men for their wisdom. … We have fought against saying it, but now it is said. We do not care.” (54). Many days after his discovery, Equality creates light on his own. Bewildered at how he did so, he blew out his candle and sat in the dark with only a red glow. Equality began to think of what he could with this light: “We can light our tunnel, and the City, and all the Cities of the world with nothing save metal and wires.” (60). Equality decides to go to the Council. Before he could make it back, Councilmen stop and question him. Since Equality didn’t answer them he was taken to the Palace of Corrective Detention and beaten. Equality escaped and decided to go the Council tomorrow. When he presents his glass box, the Council have many thoughts: “You shall be burned at the stake” “No, they shall be lashed, till there is nothing left under the lashes.” (72). A member of the Council, Harmony 9-2642, says “Should it be what they claim of it, then it would bring ruin to the Department of Candles.” (73). By this, Harmony 9-2642 wants to keep Equality’s discovery out of the public so the Department of Candles can still be a place for jobs. The Council tell Equality that his box must be destroyed and they take it away. After this dispute, Equality leaves

the city and runs into the uncharted forest; He stayed there and thought about the Golden One. By this part of the story Equality has discovered something new and that the Council doesn’t wish to industrialize in the city.
After Equality left the city, a few days later the Golden One had followed and met with Equality.

The Golden One and Equality stood together as Equality said this to her, “Our dearest one. Fear nothing of the forest. … Let us forget all things save that we are togther and that there is joy as a bond between us. Give us your hand. … It is our world, Golden One,a strange unknown world, but our own.” (83-84). With this, the Golden One stays in the forest with Equality. As a result of her staying, they have made a bow and arrow so they can kill more things for their food. As they walk through the forest, Equality begins to learn about doubt in good and evil. Equality and the Golden One find a house from the Unmentionable Times, they call it their home. Inside the house they find light and different colors all around. Equality wondered what these Unmentionable times were like. After looking around they decide to stay and never leave, “We shall never leave this house, nor let it be taken from us.” (91). Near the end, Equality starts to use ‘I’. “I am. I think. I will.” (94). Equality believes that the word “We” should never be spoken, only by one’s choice. “I am done with the monster of “We”, the word of serfdom, of plunder, of misery, falsehood and shame.” (97). At the end of the story, Equality learns he can do things for himself, at his own will.
In conclusion, Anthem, a story based around a totalitarian world, Equality tells about his life in the type of society. He starts off

by saying “It is a sin to write this.”, he later changes his assessment about of his sins, which he is correct because he learns that he is smart enough to do things on his own without being told he can’t.