The Concept Of Equality In Ayn Rand's Anthem

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You walk the same walk, talk the same talk, and think the same thoughts. No one is different. In fact, there is no “one” of anything. Equality is a very undefined topic that has many unanswered questions. I want to shed a little bit of light on it. To me, equality is a concept that we all strive for, of being the same as everyone, and fitting in. There’s deeper meaning than meets the eye about equality. This idea robs us of freedom, but we still use this collective idea as individuals to fit in, have friends, and be happy because we are willing to sacrifice some freedom for happiness. Equality can never fully take control of a society either because societies that work very well are the ones that use a little bit of collective and individualistic ideas. It’s only a matter of …show more content…

We all want to have friends who like who we are as individuals. This is the good side of equality because it teaches us and shows us what love is. The bad side to it is when we come to love the idea of being liked by people to the point where we change ourselves so much, just to fit in, that we are no longer an individual at all. In a book called Anthem, by Ayn Rand, the main character struggles with the concepts of the collective ideas of these societies. At the end of the book he comes to this exact realization. He says, “What brought it to pass? What disaster took their reason away from men? What whip lashed them to their knees in shame and submission? The worship of the word ‘We.’” In the story Anthem there was a falling out between the people and government, and by some means, somebody was able to gain enough power to create a utopian society from the ruins of the destroyed society based upon the idea of equality. It was the only way that they thought that all people could co-exist and have mutual freedom and respect for everyone, but it definitely isn’t the only

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