Anthem By Ayn Rand: Literary Analysis

The phrase “rules were meant to be broken” has held true for rebellious teenagers throughout time. But what if breaking the rules meant death or banishment? In the book Anthem by Ayn Rand, the protagonist Equality 7-251, lived in a “utopian” society. This society had many rules and inhibitions implemented in it in order to prevent individuality and selfishness and promote collectivism and unity. After Equality escapes into the forest, he sees himself creating his own society. The society Equality envisions himself creating will likely not contain any of the rules of his previous society. This is because he is simply different from those in his old society. Even somewhat looking down upon them. Thinking they are in chains, the very chains he broke free from. His new society will not have any oppressive laws and encourage self interest, uniqueness, and pride.

Equality has always been different from the rest of those in his community. Possessing the curiosity to learn things and a …show more content…
In the forest, Equality notices his physical features for the first time, he states “For our face and body were beautiful. Our face was not like the faces of our brothers, for we felt no pity when looking upon it” (Rand 80). He begins to admire his appearance. Noticing how he does not look down at it, unlike the faces of his brothers. He how they are shackled to each other, whereas he is independent and strong even when alone. After his banishment, Equality’s belief in individuality and his disregard towards collectivism grows. Equality looks to his past, in order to reflect on his time spent living in the society. He recounts “But we lived not, when we toiled for our brothers, we were only weary” (Rand 86). With new clarity on what his “sins” really were, acts of individuality, he saw how truly oppressed each of his brothers were. The identities of the oppressors being each