Exploring Individualism in Ayn Rand's Anthem

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Second Six Weeks Honors Project “It is a sin to write this.” is how Ayn Rand’s Anthem begins. Equality, the main character, feels this way at the beginning at of the book, but by the end of the book, he feels differently. Equality learns how to be an individual, why it is good to be an individual, and what he has to do to save the rest of mankind from conforming to the collectivist society that he currently lives in. In Anthem’s current society, it is only correct to be a coherent group. If you work alone, it is a transgression, if you work for the good of yourself, it is a transgression, and if you work to change the current society, then it is too a transgression (17). Equality believes these laws that are set in place by the Council, but by the end of the novella, he believes different. He believes that everyone should be allowed to utilize their skills and talents, and that everyone should live in a society, but …show more content…

Equality discovers electricity, one day, and through this he recognizes the importance of intelligence, determination, and most of all, Equality learns that being different is not a transgression, but an essential part of life. Equality learns that he is the only one that can say if something is beautiful, if something is good, if something is bad, if something is ugly, and no one else can form his opinion for him, because he is an individual (94). To be an individual, one must discover the trait of having an ego. An ego is someone’s self-importance and self-esteem. You can’t be an individual if you lack an opinion or self-esteem because these are the qualities of an ego. Equality possessed all of these qualities and more. In the novella Anthem, the unspeakable word, was ego. Using the text of the novella, one can infer that the word is ego because no one in the society can be alone, can be different, or can be an individual

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