A bildungsroman describes a coming-of-age or an untried naive youth. One such bildungsroman is Anthem, a novella by Ayn Rand. The novella is dystopian fiction and takes place at some unspecified future date when mankind has entered another dark age. Technological advancement is now carefully planned (when it is allowed to occur at all) and the concept of individuality has been eliminated. The protagonist, Equality 7-2521, challenges these concepts. In fact, despite living in this regimented society, he seeks individuality, suffers for his idealism, and comes of age despite disillusionment.
Equality possesses an inner quality that causes him to seek individuality. To begin, seeking individuality is forbidden in his society, so he is forced
…show more content…
In the Council of Vocations, the council members all look back at the things their citizens had done in the past, and looks for banal like characteristics, then they all decide what job they want the brother/sister to have for the next 15 years. Equality has had some trouble in the past for being precocious, and good-looking.. and was loathed by the council members, and all of his teachers, during his stay at the Home of the Students. Equality felt that he was too intelligent to have a life mandate of any other than, living in the Home of the Scholars. His teachers knew he was intelligent but, saw it as a negative, and dangerous impact on society. Equality belonged in the Home of the Scholars, and he knew it. He emphasized this desire when he said, “We wished to be in the Home of the Scholars. We wished it so much that our hands trembled under the blankets in the night, and we bit our arm to stop that other pain which we could not endure. It was evil and we dared not face our brothers in the morning. For men may wish nothing for themselves.” (24) Equality knows he could contribute to his brotherhood, and he knows that his mind is more developed than, his brothers. Equality knows he isn’t going to be sent to the Home of the Scholars, and he is okay with that.. he isn’t going to give up on his desire for learning, and still pursues his