Imagine a world without anger, a world without strife; without hunger and homelessness. There would be no such things as war and poverty and racial inequality. Every man, woman, and child would live with one goal in mind: to contribute to the human race as a whole. This is the world Ayn Rand has created in Anthem.
In this novel, Rand explores the possibility that the seemingly perfect, warless world of our possible future could, in fact, be the downfall of the entire human race. By striving to live as a group, the importance of individuality and freedom has been lost, and a sense of enslavement and hopelessness has been gained.
Equality 7-2521
Anthem begins with a diary entry of sorts by a young man by the “name” of Equality 7-2521. He lives in a future where, instead of growing more technologically advanced, humans have become more primitive. In favor of the group, the individual is forced to think of oneself not as a single entity, but as a member of a larger group. The very first lines of the book illustrate this fact perfectly: “It is a sin to write this. It is a sin to think words no others think and to put them down on paper no others are to see.” Yet Equality 7-2521 is no stranger to sin. He goes on to tell of other “sins” he has committed, such as being smarter than his fellow classmates and having the audacity to have an opinion that differs from that of his fellow men.
Danger and Discovery
The community leaders are aware of the young man’s hidden need to define himself and to create a meaning for his own life, so they endeavor to punish him by sentencing him to a life as a street sweeper, one of the lowest-ranked jobs in the community. Unbeknownst to the leaders, Equality 7-2521 is happy with this placement, and he enjoys working with his friend, International 4-8818, in spite of the rule that bans men and women from befriending anyone, a rule instated to prevent anyone from having a preference for one person over another.
As if his life wasn’t already in enough danger due to his lack of obedience and fondness for secrecy, Equality 7-2521 and International 4-8818 discover a deep cavern under the ground on their street sweeping route. Seeing this as an opportunity to learn and explore by himself, Equality 7-2521 swears his friend to secrecy, and begins using the cave as his own private room, where he is able to experiment with the items he finds there without the threat of prying eyes. It is in this very tunnel that he discovers something that has been lost to humans for centuries: Electricity.
The "Golden One"
The sins keep piling up as Equality 7-2521 falls in love with a young peasant woman. Though he knows it is evil, he cannot help but to think about her golden hair and her kind eyes every second he is awake, and he cannot wait to see her every chance he gets. Though the people of this future do not inherently know what love and affection are, the couple knows that something has sprung to life in their hearts, and it is this something that compels the young woman, whom he lovingly dubs “Golden One,” to follow Equality 7-2521 when he escapes into the Uncharted Forest after his beloved invention is deemed evil by the world leaders.
Equality 7-2521’s escape is just the beginning of his journey to enlightenment, and he comes to find that, though there is a need to contribute to society, this need should not outweigh the individual’s need for physical and emotional freedom.
Lessons
Anthem is the definition of short and sweet: It is barely 105 pages long, though it tells a full, thrilling tale that not only gives the reader enjoyment, but also teaches them something on a psychological level. Rand’s brilliant juxtaposition of the needs of society versus the needs of the individual causes the reader to think about where our nation, as well as the rest of the world, should draw the line in its attempt to create a peaceful future.
Anthem was first published by Signet in September 1961. ISBN:0-451-19113-7
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