Journey To Freedom In Ayn Rand's Anthem

In Anthem, Ayn Rand portrays the idea that even if the journey to freedom is difficult, the end product is worth the work. In the novel, the main character is Equality. He lives in an era that is strictly against individuality. Equality started off as someone who accepted and feared the regulations of the government. Society was deprived of the freedom of their thoughts. When Equality found himself having individual thoughts, he would repeat to himself, “We are one in all and all in one. There are no meant but only the great we, one, indivisible and forever.” (Page 10). The repetition of this statement shows Equality’s negligence to the use of the word ‘we’. In the opinion of the government,’we’ was used as a term that showed the unity of

society. Truthfully, it shows that the citizen’s have to use a word that restricts their ability to let their own mind run free. Throughout the novel, Equality works to become his own person. He says, “I am done with the monster of ‘we’, the word of serfdom, of plunder, of misery, falsehood and shame.”(Page 71). Equality says this after he is banished the the Uncharted Forest. Finally, he realized that he is free from using the word ‘we’. ‘We’ was the word that ultimately restricted Equality of his freedom. He went through the process of being scrutinized in school to being turned away from The Council just to be able to gain his freedom. Using the word ‘I’ granted Equality the opportunity to feel internal freedom after going through his hardships. Not only did he find his individuality, Equality could finally feel as if his life had no restrictions. The contrast of both quotes show the change in Equality’s state of freedom. He starts of the novel as someone who struggles to defy the rules of the government. By the end of Anthem, Equality not only finds himself, he becomes a free individual.