Individuality Generates Innovation In Ayn Rand's Anthem

Individuality Generates Innovation
Ayn Rand’s Anthem is about a man who overcomes the pressures of society to remain uniform, and breaks barriers in technology thanks to his individuality and hunger for more knowledge. The theme of the value of individuality in Anthem is developed through Equality 7-2521’s desperate need for knowledge, Equality 7-2521’s creation of the lightbulb, and Equality 7-2521 discovery of the word “I”.
The first way that the theme is developed in Anthem is through Equality 7-2521’s need to learn. He states at the beginning of the book “We, Equality 7-2521, were not happy in those years in the Home of the Students. It was not that learning was too hard for us. It was that learning was too easy for us.” (Rand 8) As

it is stated in the first few pages of the book, we see that Equality 7-2521 has been different from the rest of his mediocre, uniform, and simple society from a very early point in his life. Equality 7-2521 also dreamt of going to the Home of Scholars where they hoped to learn more, to ask and inquire. Yet, he was sent to the House of the Street Sweepers. With his dreams slipping away, he found a tunnel where he would not feel the fear of curiosity.
Sneaking out of the House of Sweepers, Equality 7-2521 began to think, to learn, and to read. All of which, was against the law. After spending countless hours studying the books from the unmentionable times, he created a “box of glass, devised to give forth the power of the sky of greater strength than we had ever achieved before.” (Rand 32) He reveals his creation to his community and strikes fear in the community, causing him to run. This showed the kind of community Equality 7-2521 was living in which looked down upon being different, from doing what you’re not supposed to do, and has led to the prevention of the society from innovating together. As he ran further into the forest, he discovers Liberty 5-3000 has followed him. As they run deeper into the forest they discover a house from the unmentionable times.
The house from the unmentionable times if filled with the same glowing from his glowing orbs, clothes never before seen, and scribes with knowledge never spoken about before. After many weeks of gaining unsurmountable amounts of knowledge he realizes his importance and how wrong the way his society was functioning. He states “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 covet no man’s soul, nor is my soul theirs to covet.” (Rand 58) Later Equality 7-2521 decides “We” must never be spoken and chooses that the only god who will grant them joy, peace, and pride is one word, “I.” (Rand 59) Equality 7-2521’s transition from mediocre to innovative and critical thinking had arisen from separating himself from the uniformity in the society, showing that his individualistic nature led to innovation and creativity.
Through Equality 7-2521’s excursion into the unknown he discovered what more there is to be discovered. From an early point he was desperate for more knowledge, had the ability to after entering the tunnel, seeing the reaction of the society revolving around uniformity, he ran into the forest, found a house from the unmentionable times and realized the errors of their ways. Because of this the theme of Ayn Rand’s Anthem is the individual, Equality 7-2521, vs society.