Have you ever felt controlled by someone? Equality 7-2521 and his brothers have felt controlled by the government of their society. In Ayn Rand's Novel, Anthem, the individual does not have very much power. The individual is not allowed to express himself, and is punished on account of expression, which is why the individual lacks potential and capability.
First, Expression is not allowed which is one of the reason that the individual falls short when it comes to power. Equality 7-2521 is hiding away from the rest of his society. He is doing the unknown and is sitting in a tunnel by himself writing. He writes, “It is a sin to write this. It is a sin to think words no others think and to put them down upon a paper no others are to see. It is …show more content…
Equality 7-2521 stayed out in his tunnel trying to figure out an innovative invention, and stayed out later than curfew. When walking back into his home, he was asked where he was. Not wanting to share his invention quit yet, he does not respond. For this, he is thrown in the palace of corrective detention. Once in there Equality says, “They tore our clothes from our body, they threw us down upon our knees and they tied our hands to the iron post. The first blow of the lash felt as if our spine had been cut in two” (64). Equality was lashed until he spoke about where he was. The government chose to physically hurt their community and society, and by doing this they gave the individual little to no power. If the individual dared to speak then they would be hurt in more ways than just a whipping. Their was nothing the individual could have done to create a better society for himself as well as others. Right before this event took place, Equality is watching a transgressor get burned alive for saying the unspeakable word. The author writes, “They brought the transgressor out into the square and they led him to the pyre. They had torn out the tongue of the transgressor, so that they could speak no longer.” (50) The transgressor said one word and therefore got burned alive for the whole community to see. The government is making it clear that they control the society and that no
First, Expression is not allowed which is one of the reason that the individual falls short when it comes to power. Equality 7-2521 is hiding away from the rest of his society. He is doing the unknown and is sitting in a tunnel by himself writing. He writes, “It is a sin to write this. It is a sin to think words no others think and to put them down upon a paper no others are to see. It is …show more content…
Equality 7-2521 stayed out in his tunnel trying to figure out an innovative invention, and stayed out later than curfew. When walking back into his home, he was asked where he was. Not wanting to share his invention quit yet, he does not respond. For this, he is thrown in the palace of corrective detention. Once in there Equality says, “They tore our clothes from our body, they threw us down upon our knees and they tied our hands to the iron post. The first blow of the lash felt as if our spine had been cut in two” (64). Equality was lashed until he spoke about where he was. The government chose to physically hurt their community and society, and by doing this they gave the individual little to no power. If the individual dared to speak then they would be hurt in more ways than just a whipping. Their was nothing the individual could have done to create a better society for himself as well as others. Right before this event took place, Equality is watching a transgressor get burned alive for saying the unspeakable word. The author writes, “They brought the transgressor out into the square and they led him to the pyre. They had torn out the tongue of the transgressor, so that they could speak no longer.” (50) The transgressor said one word and therefore got burned alive for the whole community to see. The government is making it clear that they control the society and that no