Collectivist Society Revealed In Ayn Rand's Anthem

What exactly inspires people to create great things? Because they are doing it for their own benefit. In the novella written by Ayn Rand titled, Anthem, Equality 7-2521 is motivated to experiment and discover, but not because he is intending to assist his brothers and all of the population. Equality, although he had hoped to join the Home of the Scholars, works as a street sweeper trapped in a collectivist society where all of forms of individuality are banned. At the beginning of the story, Equality discovers a secret, underground tunnel where he slowly starts to discover technologies from the unmentionable times. While experimenting, he learns about the power of electricity and uses it to power create light. Though it seems he created his invention not for the good of his brothers, but to fill

In chapter five, Equality says, “We must bring it into the sight of all men. We need all our time, we need the work rooms of the Home of the Scholars, we want the help of our brother Scholars and their wisdom joined to ours.“ (Rand, 60). Equality convinces himself that he wants to help his brothers, but this isn’t actually what he wants. Later, when finally Equality arrives there, he presents to them his invention, and they are not only shocked, but they are frightened of it. The council talks to one another about how he should be punished and that they should destroy it, so Equality grabs his box and runs to the Uncharted Forest. At the end of chapter seven, Equality says, “We have lied to ourselves. We have not built this box for the good of our brothers. We built it for its own sake.” (Rand, 76). Equality, after his disastrous show and tell, seems to realize he wasn’t inspired to create for his brothers after all. Instead, he was actually inspired to create his invention for