ipl-logo

Equality 7-2521: An Epic Hero In Ayn Rand's Anthem

529 Words3 Pages

“We are one in all and all in one. There are no men but only the great WE, One, indivisible and forever” (Rand 19). How can an individual be a hero in a collectivist society? In The Anthem, a novella by Ayn Rand, the protagonist, Equality 7-2521 is portrayed as an archetypal epic hero. Equality 7-2521 exhibits the characteristics of an epic hero because he is capable of great deeds, he has a nemesis, and he experiences an event that leads to a quest. During the novella, Equality 7-2521 undergoes a journey to express individuality. Equality 7-2521 states he is a great sin to the community since he is capable of great deeds: “This is a great sin to be born with a head which is too quick” (Rand 21). Born into a community, where it is told to be different from your brothers, is a sin. Equality 7-2521 consistently believes he is a sin to the society …show more content…

The society's rules and standards acts as a nemesis toward Equality 7-2521: “We asked many questions and the teacher forbade it” (Rand 23). The society has regulations to keep Equality 7-2521 from learning more than he already knew. In the story Equality 7-2521 tests the rules of the community to explore the unknown. The Council is the protagonist most powerful nemesis because they constantly attempt to make a Equality 7-2521 feel like a threat to the society: “We knew we had been guilty, but now we had a way to atone for it” (Rand 27). The council placed Equality 7-2521 in grades lowered to make him feel like a sin. The council did everything to make him less of a danger to their society, such as leaving him Street Sweeper that requires no knowledge. As a Street Sweeper, Equality 7-2521 is restricted the resources needed in order to reach his goal of learning.The council also turned away Equality’s glass box because it is “dangerous” to the society. The council is Equality 7-2521’s biggest nemesis resorting in him escaping the

Show More
Related

Equality 7-2521 In Ayn Rand's Anthem

428 Words | 2 Pages

In the opening pages of Anthem, Equality 7-2521 gives much background knowledge of the society he lives and the horrible details of the laws and regulations they have created. Along with that he explains that he has committed a grave sin already which is writing and that in doing so it doesn’t allow him to live, tagged with other misdeeds in which is labeled as “transgressions.” Being categorized as a Street Sweeper he has unwinded the discovery of a hidden tunnel that once existed during the Unmentionable Times.   "Since the Council does not know of this hole, there can be no law permitting to enter it.

Read More

Character Analysis Of Equality 7-2521 In Anthem By Ayn Rand

659 Words | 3 Pages

Equality 7-2521 just wants to be different from everyone else. In chapter 6 of the novel Anthem Equality 7-2521 hopes lie on

Read More

Equality 7-2521 In Ayn Rand's Anthem

431 Words | 2 Pages

“It is forbidden,” they answered. We said: “The Council does not know about this whole thing, so it cannot be forbidden. ”(Rand 9) Finding an excuse to enter the shaft, Equality disregarded the Council without feeling guilt or ashamed of doing so, illustrating how her perception of the Council had changed over the story, revealing two different characters. Clearly, Equality's quest to discover who she truly is has dug up a huge hole for her, which is enabling her to learn more about the hidden aspects of the society they live

Read More

Motivation In Ayn Rand's Anthem, Equality 7-2521

706 Words | 3 Pages

In Ayn Rand’s novella Anthem, Equality 7-2521 rediscovers electricity. In the collectivist society Equality lives in, it is illegal to conduct such experiments. Knowing his transgressions, what is his motivation for his experiments? Is he right to be motivated in that way? How would the world change if everyone was motivated as Equality was?

Read More

Essay On Equality 7-2521 In Ayn Rand's Anthem

433 Words | 2 Pages

Another thing that Equality 7-2521 realizes, is that being the same does not add happiness, and appears to be very boring, and selfish of the Council of Vocations, the leaders and elders of the society, where our main character lives in. Equality 7-2521 dislikes the rules and orders, of his society, and his life as a Street Sweeper, a job that the Council of Vocations, chose for him. The Council of Vocations, a group made up of five, three males, and the other two, females. The leaders and elders of the dystopian society, who make the rules, which Equality 7-2521 secretly dislikes.

Read More

Summary Of Ayn Rand's Anthem

799 Words | 4 Pages

Ayn Rand’s Anthem starts by Equality 7-2521 saying “It is a sin to write this.” Throughout the story, Equality’s views and mindset changes, he realizes that he is different from his brothers and its ok to be different. He discovers that if something is legal it is not certainly right. His eager for knowledge taught him the word “I” abandoning the word “We”.

Read More

Equality 7-2521 Character Analysis

957 Words | 4 Pages

Equality’s greatest strengths and personal qualities were intended to be restricted and abhorred. Indeed, Equality and his gifts were abhorred, but he found a way to circumvent each restriction, consciously or not. And, though he maintained use of his strengths and kept a strong spirit, Equality was never able to permanently influence the society because, as a Street Sweeper, he was no longer part of the great WE. The Council of Vocations mandated Equality to life as a Street Sweeper in order to limit his intellectual opportunities.

Read More

The Transgression Of The Unspeakable Word In Ayn Rand's Anthem

591 Words | 3 Pages

Equality suffers greatly from his cause. Equality’s cause is to be able to create an invention that will appease the council of scholars, and further the knowledge of the society. He also wants to use this as forgiveness for his sins. However despite Equality’s best intentions, he is persecuted for his individuality. “A street sweeper!

Read More

Choice In Ayn Rand's Anthem

459 Words | 2 Pages

To start, Equality feels it is important to be true to himself. He grew up in a strict community

Read More

Bullying In Ayn Rand's Anthem

905 Words | 4 Pages

Which in turn shows even if people and Equality know this is breaking rules it shows how prejudiced society is because you can not always control how you feel about someone, something, or a topic. Since this society is so prejudiced, it leads to many issues and fingers pointed at Equality and his fellow street sweepers. With prejudice being thrown at these characters just for their looks or action, it shows similarity to racial prejudice because the characters can be bullied just for a more tan skin or a lighter skin. In the end, Equality 7-2521 is just purely prejudice given to him for how he is and what he can not

Read More

Theme Of Equality In Ayn Rand's Anthem

526 Words | 3 Pages

“...we confess it here: we were guilty of the great transgression of preference”(Rand 22). Equality never understood why he is guilty but he

Read More

Lack Of Knowledge In The Book Anthem

701 Words | 3 Pages

They leapt to their feet, they ran from the table, and they stood pressed against the wall, huddled together, seeking the warmth of one another’s bodies to give them courage” (70). Equality is smart, perhaps too smart or so that's what the councils thinks. The council recognizes that Equality is too knowledgeable and too inquisitive to allow himself to become a blind sheep in the herd. In the puzzle of which Equality lives, he is simply a tiny piece of a bigger picture.

Read More

Freedom In Anthem, By Ayn Rand

673 Words | 3 Pages

Later in the novella, Equality does not care what laws he breaks because he knows that he is different and he is starting to realize that being different is not something to shelter and be ashamed of. “We have stolen candles from the Home of the Street Sweepers, we have stolen flints and knives and paper, and we have brought them to this place” (Rand 35). This shows that for Equality to fulfill his curiosity, he will go against his society and do what he feels is right. “We lunged against the door and it gave way. We stole through the dark passages, and through dark streets, and down our tunnel” (67).

Read More

Moral Assessment Of Anthem Essay

792 Words | 4 Pages

In response to the choice of Street Sweeper, Equality thinks, “We knew we had been guilty, but now we had a way to atone for it” (26). With his intelligence and curiosity, Equality would do much better as a Scholar. The government punishes him for being different, and as a result, they can’t see him become advantageous. They are blinded by their beliefs on

Read More

Anthem Equality

1001 Words | 5 Pages

From the very beginning, Equality had known that he was different, he had an inimitable mentality from his brothers. As long as he could have remembered, Equality was shunned for being unequal from his brothers, when asking questions or wanting to discover new things. “Your eyes are as a flame, but our brothers neither hope not fire. Your mouth is cut out of granite, but out brothers are soft and humble. Your head is high, but our brothers cringe.

Read More

More about Equality 7-2521: An Epic Hero In Ayn Rand's Anthem

Related Topics

Open Document