The Forbidden Words In Ayn Rand's Anthem

“We are one in all and all in one. There are no men but only the great WE, One, indivisible and forever.” On page 19 of Anthem, Ayn Rand informs the readers of a chant or saying that the people of this time have to read to themselves whenever they feel tempted. In the society within the story, the forbidden word was “I”. Nobody was allowed to speak in the first person, they had to refer to themselves as We. The main character, Equality 7-2521, was a little different than the others. He had “a curse” which means he was very curious and often more intelligent than most. The curse caused him to have forbidden thoughts and wishes. He knew they were wrong but he could not resist and did not feel guilty for having them either. He was also taller than many of his brothers. Although the forbidden word was ”I”, Equality knew something was wrong with that. He knew there had to be much more than the rules that the Council had made up. The rules in this society were made to make it seem like everyone was equal and allow everyone to have the same chance at everything. One rule was that …show more content…
Equality knew this, but when he saw Liberty 5-3000 he could not help but stare. “We wish to write this name. We wish to speak it, but we dare not speak it above a whisper. For mean are forbidden to take notice of women, and women are forbidden to take notice of men, But we think of one among women, they whose name is Liberty 5-3000, and we think of no others” (Rand 38). When Equality and Liberty first met they only gestured as a way of communicating. He referred to her as “The Golden One” and after that he could not stop thinking about her. The council has these rules in place so that there is no feelings of love or affection for another person and the only children being made are at the City Palace of Mating at the Time of Mating. Equality did not like this rule and he had a nagging feeling that it was