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Equality In Ayn Rand's Anthem

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Ayn Rand’s Anthem depicts the dystopian future in which an unnamed society has completely “forgotten” the word ‘I’. While reading Anthem, Ayn Rand introduces Equality 7-2521, the hero who breaks away from the status quo of the unnamed society. Collectivism is the immoral guide for the unnamed society, a guide that Equality challenges to the extent of its extremities. The dictatorial leadership of this society restricts even thinking about one’s self, no one person is obliged to give priority to an individual. Thereupon, we see Equality’s entrance into the society, just by his physical characteristics rebelling against the status quo, being both too tall and too smart. Equality faces his own internal conflicts, he, in his misunderstanding, struggles to understand the gravity of his actions and his true differences from the society’s collectivism. …show more content…
He is antithetic to the society around him, he is invariably different from the status quo, both physically and mentally. Equality is described as both taller than the average male and smarter than his brothers. Equality, subconsciously, always knew that he was not the same as those who surround him. Though Equality had not known the true importance of his differences right away, the “Council of Vocations” had recognized that he was different. They knew that to preserve their idealistic world of collectivism, they needed to sentence Equality to something where he would not learn or grow. Thus, Equality was sentenced to the role of “Street Sweeper”, a life where he would be limited and where the Council knew Equality’s brave contradictions to the societal norms would be less than faint whispers that could never disturb their

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