Leadership In Ayn Rand's Anthem

Over the course of several months a series of events transpire in the book Anthem by Ayn Rand. The narrator, Equality, slowly makes discoveries about the world he lives in and the society he was raised in. In the beginning of the book Equality knows nothing but what was drilled into his brain since birth, but by the end he knows of one thing the leaders did not allow, individuality. After being deprived for many years, Equality is critical of his leaders and rightfully denounces them. In the beginning of Anthem Equality has different views about his leaders than he does towards the end of the book. When the book first begins Equality says on page 17 “It is a sin to write this” (Anthem). Along with every other brother, he believes the government …show more content…
After reading about things from the unmentionable times Equality reassesses how he feels toward the leaders and realizes he was wrong about the government all along. Equality says, “I am done with the monster of ‘We,’ the word of serfdom, of plunder, of misery, falsehood and shame” on page 97. At the end of the book Equality knows that the leaders are liars and that they have done nothing but betray and deprive him and the others of individuality. Once he comes to this realization Equality says they must not speak of the word “We” because it is an unspeakable lie. In How Does One Lead a Rational Life in an Irrational Society Rand writes, “Moral values are the motive power of a man's actions. By pronouncing moral judgement, one protects the clarity of one's own perception and the rationality of the course one chooses to pursue.” Rand advocates for individuality and selfishness, she believes that mankind should think for themselves and that should you judge you should also prepare to be judged. It goes without saying that Equality would agree with Ayn Rand after considering the way he feels after finding out about all things the leaders keep from him and his fellow