What would you do if you lived in an altruistic society where individualism is forbidden and you work and live for the common good? Would you conform or would you rebel like the main character, Equality 7-2521, in Ayn Rand's novella "Anthem"? In the novella Equality 7-2521's is constantly breaking the laws until his final act of rebellion against the World Council and the collective society. The archetype of a rebel is someone who resists authority and refuses allegiance to the head of their society. This is Equality 7-2521 who always felt different than everyone else and had individual thoughts which are not allowed in a collective society. Equality 7-2521 begins the novel with "It is a sin to write this" (Rand 17). He is rebelling against
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Equality began to tell them everything all about the tunnel his writings and his escaping from the Palace of Corrective Dtenetion and his invention. No one spoke or moved. Equality connected the wires and slowly the light came on. The men of the council were huddled to gether in fear. Equality spoke “fear nothing our brothers. There is a great power in these wires, but the power is tamed. It is yours. We give it to you.”(Rand 70). But they didn’t say anything but the looks on their faces was evil. Finally they spoke they told him how he had broken all of the laws. How dare he think he was smarter than them. Fraternity 9-3452 said “How dare you, gutter cleaner to hold yourself as one alone and with your thoughts of the one of the many” . The council talk about what to do with him some one suggested burning at the stake, another said he should be lashed. Equality pleaded “Our brothers! You are right. Let the will of the council be done upon our body. We do not care. But the light> What will you do with the light?” The council said that because he worked alone and not collectively that it cannot be good and the light will be destroyed. Upon hearing that Equality got the light pushed some menout of his way and broke a window and leapt out it saying “you fools!” “you fools! You thriced damned
Equality began to tell them everything all about the tunnel his writings and his escaping from the Palace of Corrective Dtenetion and his invention. No one spoke or moved. Equality connected the wires and slowly the light came on. The men of the council were huddled to gether in fear. Equality spoke “fear nothing our brothers. There is a great power in these wires, but the power is tamed. It is yours. We give it to you.”(Rand 70). But they didn’t say anything but the looks on their faces was evil. Finally they spoke they told him how he had broken all of the laws. How dare he think he was smarter than them. Fraternity 9-3452 said “How dare you, gutter cleaner to hold yourself as one alone and with your thoughts of the one of the many” . The council talk about what to do with him some one suggested burning at the stake, another said he should be lashed. Equality pleaded “Our brothers! You are right. Let the will of the council be done upon our body. We do not care. But the light> What will you do with the light?” The council said that because he worked alone and not collectively that it cannot be good and the light will be destroyed. Upon hearing that Equality got the light pushed some menout of his way and broke a window and leapt out it saying “you fools!” “you fools! You thriced damned