Becoming an Individual Many people frequently face the challenging journey of transitioning from a follower to an open minded individual. In a society where everyone refers to themselves as “we,” and “I” is forbidden and unheard of, individualism is illegal. Equality 7-2521 is a member of this strange dystopian society in which everyone functions as a group. He slowly, but surely, breaks away from his twisted government in an effort to find himself. Even though he suffers from many setbacks along the way, Equality eventually finds what he was looking for. At the end of his journey, he reaches his ultimate goal and finds the word he was searching for the whole time, “I”. In Anthem, Ayn Rand shows the importance of individuality through Equality
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The motto of his society, which they ingrained in his mind since he was young, is “We are one in all and all in one. There are no men but the great WE, One, indivisible, forever” (Rand 19; ch. 1). Equality truly believes in this motto, and he agrees with everything the government says. Equality, who was different from his brothers, is the smartest student in the Home of Students. But, instead of boasting about his intelligence, Equality tries to suppress it. He does not want to be unique, and he tries everything in his power to forget the things he had learned. Ever since he was young, Equality had a love for learning and wanted to be assigned to a job in the House of Scholars. The day that jobs are assigned to Equality and the rest of the people his age, Equality is given the job of the Street Sweeper. This is a sizeable downgrade from Scholar, but Equality does not object and thinks that the government knows what is best and what is right. Because of being taught that individuality is immoral and being different is a crime, Equality feels guilty about his intelligence and preferences. Equality was especially guilty of the Transgression of Preference, because he preferred some work, jobs, and lessons more than others. Equality whole heartedly believes what his government has taught him, and because of this he tries to suppress his intelligence and want for things greater than he
The motto of his society, which they ingrained in his mind since he was young, is “We are one in all and all in one. There are no men but the great WE, One, indivisible, forever” (Rand 19; ch. 1). Equality truly believes in this motto, and he agrees with everything the government says. Equality, who was different from his brothers, is the smartest student in the Home of Students. But, instead of boasting about his intelligence, Equality tries to suppress it. He does not want to be unique, and he tries everything in his power to forget the things he had learned. Ever since he was young, Equality had a love for learning and wanted to be assigned to a job in the House of Scholars. The day that jobs are assigned to Equality and the rest of the people his age, Equality is given the job of the Street Sweeper. This is a sizeable downgrade from Scholar, but Equality does not object and thinks that the government knows what is best and what is right. Because of being taught that individuality is immoral and being different is a crime, Equality feels guilty about his intelligence and preferences. Equality was especially guilty of the Transgression of Preference, because he preferred some work, jobs, and lessons more than others. Equality whole heartedly believes what his government has taught him, and because of this he tries to suppress his intelligence and want for things greater than he