Equality's Society In Anthem, By Ayn Rand

In the novel Anthem by Ayn Rand, the main character Equality’s society is built on strict rules and guidelines. These rules are enforced from the time they are born. They are taught never to love, have any self motivation, or individuality. Equality breaks free from these rules, and lives in the Uncharted Forest with Liberty, someone who also broke free from The City. Equality envisions creating his own society, one far different from the society he has raised in. Although Equality’s ideal society he has pictured in his mind may not contain all the rules from The City, it still may contain some. The foundations of Equality’s society without a doubt will be built on individuality, self expression, knowledge, self awareness, and love. The City …show more content…
He has this “sense-of-self” that you don’t see from any other character in the book, besides Liberty. Equality is very secure and proud in who he is, and he looks at the world surrounding him, and he wishes others could feel the same way. “I owe nothing to my brothers, nor do I gather debts from them. I ask none to live for me, nor do I live for any others.” (106) Equality has an epiphany where he realizes that he answers to no one, save himself. His discovery of first person pronouns, primarily I, is a great awakening for him. It’s here in the novel, where Equality is truly let go of everything that tied him down, and he’s free to …show more content…
Equality feels love for others even in the beginning of the novel with International. He didn’t love him like he loved Liberty, but he still cared deeply for International, which I define as love. But, the majority of Equality’s love is directed towards Liberty. “We do not wonder at this new sin of ours. It is our second transgression of preference, for we do not think of all our brothers, as we must, but only of one, and their name is Liberty 5-3000. We do not know why we think of them. We do not know why, when we think of them, we feel of a sudden that the earth is good and it is not a burden to live.” (41) This is the beginnings of Equality’s undying love for Liberty, which is something that is constant through the entire novel. “We are one… alone...and only...and we love you who are one...alone...and only.” (87) In this quote, Liberty perfectly sums up the emotion that they both feel. Equality’s love for Liberty is what makes his character really develop to the person you see at the end of the