Original Summary of Anthem by Ayn Rand
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In the book Anthem by Ayn Rand, Equality 7-2521 is on a quest for knowledge. But, in his seemingly innocent thirst for knowing more, he ends up getting himself into more trouble than he ever thought possible and worries that he may be banished from his own society. Equality 7-2521 is hiding something. He has secrets that, if found by the Council, could be the end of his research or even his life. The Council knows he is different from their perfect mold they have created that they think all men should fit snugly into. In response, they assign him into the lowest job possible: a street sweeper. But even with his terrible job, he ends up meeting a girl, who he instantly falls madly in love with. Neither of them know it yet, but she will be Equality's beacon of hope to stand tall with him. Their unbreakable bond carries into Equality 7-2521's research, which begins the downfall and uprising of his society and the world.
In the book Anthem by Ayn Rand, Equality 7-2521 is on a quest for knowledge. But, in his seemingly innocent thirst for knowing more, he ends up getting himself into more trouble than he ever thought possible and worries that he may be banished from his own society. Equality 7-2521 is hiding something. He has secrets that, if found by the Council, could be the end of his research or even his life. The Council knows he is different from their perfect mold they have created that they think all men should fit snugly into. In response, they assign him into the lowest job possible: a street sweeper. But even with his terrible job, he ends up meeting a girl, who he instantly falls madly in love with. Neither of them know it yet, but she will be Equality's beacon of hope to stand tall with him. Their unbreakable bond carries into Equality 7-2521's research, which begins the downfall and uprising of his society and the world.
Plot Outline:
Equality 7-2521 is a young man living in dark times in the future. He begins to tell his fascinating story in a journal that he keeps hidden from the Council. Equality's journal is where he pours out his thoughts, his ideas, his life story, his heart, and things that could be the death of him if anyone saw or knew about it. All his life, he has been taught not to think for or of himself, but only as a fellow brother to those around him. In this twisted society that he struggles to fit into, the word "I" is forbidden and lost to humanity.
Only in his journal, deep within an unknown tunnel, does he write down his childhood memories. He thought he was cursed with a mind that prefers one thing over another, that is curious and smarter than his brothers' perfectly molded minds. The teachers always scolded him because of this, but he could never fit in. He was tall, smart, and quick, unlike the others that did whatever they were told by the Council and never thought anything more of it. Spending more time alone with his candle and journal, Equality comes to enjoy the solitude and the company of his own thoughts. Even though he finds peace and happiness in this, he still feels the guilt of his sins and wrongdoings toward the Council.
When his time comes to be assigned a role in his society, he receives the lowliest, most uninteresting job he could possibly receive. Being a street sweeper, however, did have its perks, because Equality was able to escape more often to his tunnel to think and write. Oftentimes, he had dreamt of becoming a scholar, but he felt that now he was paying the price for the sins he had committed of beginning to think as an individual.
At a young age, Equality 7-2521 witnessed the execution of the one who had discovered the Unspeakable Word: I. The man's punishment was burning to death in the town square for everyone to see. Equality held the gaze of the burning Transgressor and felt that he must fulfill the man's mission and continue his noble work. The tunnel remains the only place where he can remain secret, thanks to a friend of his that discovered it with him and agreed not to reveal Equality's hiding place. Not only is he writing, but he begins experimenting with the tools available to him. Eventually, with some difficulty because of his limited sources, he discovers electricity and creates his own crude version of a light bulb. This incredible discovery excites him, and Equality 7-2521 determines to show it to the World Council of Scholars when they come to meet in his city that year.
During all this, he meets the girl of his dreams: a peasant girl that he calls the Golden One. She is beautiful and just a bit younger than him, and Equality knows he is in love. Whenever he sees her, they talk to each other, even though it is against the rules the Council has laid out for all men to obey. The Golden One, Liberty 5-300, calls Equality by the name The Unconquered.
One night, he returns to the Home of the Street Sweepers too late and is taken to the Council. He repeatedly refuses to tell them where he has been for fear that he will not be able to show the World Council of Scholars his invention, so he is put into the Palace of Corrective Detention. He suffers through the torturing and the long days of prison life, not uttering a word that would lead them to his tunnel and light bulb. Realizing they're not going to release him before the World Council meets, he breaks out of custody. It was no real task, considering there were no guards or anything of the sort, because the Council knew that no one had even thought of disobeying them and breaking out of Corrective Detention.
With thoughts of being redeemed and embraced by his brothers for his discovery, Equality 7-2521 fetches his light bulb and goes to present it to the scholars. Disgusted, astounded, and baffled, they reject him and his invention. They fire at him words of fear and anger, and they threaten to destroy the light bulb and have Equality killed for even thinking that he had any place to propose something that not "all men" agree on or thought of. Shocked at their reaction, Equality snatches his box with the light bulb and races out of the building and the city. Upon reaching the Uncharted Forest, he discovers that he is free to do as he wants, and there's no one there to stop him.
The Golden One is not so quickly to forget the one she saw different from all the others, and she appears to Equality in the woods where she had been following him. The two lovers hike into the mountains to live together peacefully. After a few days, they come to an abandoned home left from the Unmentionable Times so long ago. They are amazed to see that it's only built to accommodate a small number of people, unlike the large homes in the city that are built for all the men and the women. The Golden One marvels at all the wonderful things she finds in the house, and practically stops dead in her tracks when she discovers a mirror. Of course, neither of them had ever heard of such a thing, because something like a mirror caused thoughts of selfishness and individualism. While she stares at herself in disbelief the first day in the house, Equality reads every book he can get his hands on in the library. Through his reading, he finds the meaning of the word "I" and vows to never let the word "we" take over his life or the lives of his love and his future children. Equality and the Golden One change their names to Prometheus and Gaea to recognize themselves as individuals and true people, not just parts of a corrupt world. Together, they will protect what they stand for and show the world the importance of one word: ego.
Only in his journal, deep within an unknown tunnel, does he write down his childhood memories. He thought he was cursed with a mind that prefers one thing over another, that is curious and smarter than his brothers' perfectly molded minds. The teachers always scolded him because of this, but he could never fit in. He was tall, smart, and quick, unlike the others that did whatever they were told by the Council and never thought anything more of it. Spending more time alone with his candle and journal, Equality comes to enjoy the solitude and the company of his own thoughts. Even though he finds peace and happiness in this, he still feels the guilt of his sins and wrongdoings toward the Council.
When his time comes to be assigned a role in his society, he receives the lowliest, most uninteresting job he could possibly receive. Being a street sweeper, however, did have its perks, because Equality was able to escape more often to his tunnel to think and write. Oftentimes, he had dreamt of becoming a scholar, but he felt that now he was paying the price for the sins he had committed of beginning to think as an individual.
At a young age, Equality 7-2521 witnessed the execution of the one who had discovered the Unspeakable Word: I. The man's punishment was burning to death in the town square for everyone to see. Equality held the gaze of the burning Transgressor and felt that he must fulfill the man's mission and continue his noble work. The tunnel remains the only place where he can remain secret, thanks to a friend of his that discovered it with him and agreed not to reveal Equality's hiding place. Not only is he writing, but he begins experimenting with the tools available to him. Eventually, with some difficulty because of his limited sources, he discovers electricity and creates his own crude version of a light bulb. This incredible discovery excites him, and Equality 7-2521 determines to show it to the World Council of Scholars when they come to meet in his city that year.
During all this, he meets the girl of his dreams: a peasant girl that he calls the Golden One. She is beautiful and just a bit younger than him, and Equality knows he is in love. Whenever he sees her, they talk to each other, even though it is against the rules the Council has laid out for all men to obey. The Golden One, Liberty 5-300, calls Equality by the name The Unconquered.
One night, he returns to the Home of the Street Sweepers too late and is taken to the Council. He repeatedly refuses to tell them where he has been for fear that he will not be able to show the World Council of Scholars his invention, so he is put into the Palace of Corrective Detention. He suffers through the torturing and the long days of prison life, not uttering a word that would lead them to his tunnel and light bulb. Realizing they're not going to release him before the World Council meets, he breaks out of custody. It was no real task, considering there were no guards or anything of the sort, because the Council knew that no one had even thought of disobeying them and breaking out of Corrective Detention.
With thoughts of being redeemed and embraced by his brothers for his discovery, Equality 7-2521 fetches his light bulb and goes to present it to the scholars. Disgusted, astounded, and baffled, they reject him and his invention. They fire at him words of fear and anger, and they threaten to destroy the light bulb and have Equality killed for even thinking that he had any place to propose something that not "all men" agree on or thought of. Shocked at their reaction, Equality snatches his box with the light bulb and races out of the building and the city. Upon reaching the Uncharted Forest, he discovers that he is free to do as he wants, and there's no one there to stop him.
The Golden One is not so quickly to forget the one she saw different from all the others, and she appears to Equality in the woods where she had been following him. The two lovers hike into the mountains to live together peacefully. After a few days, they come to an abandoned home left from the Unmentionable Times so long ago. They are amazed to see that it's only built to accommodate a small number of people, unlike the large homes in the city that are built for all the men and the women. The Golden One marvels at all the wonderful things she finds in the house, and practically stops dead in her tracks when she discovers a mirror. Of course, neither of them had ever heard of such a thing, because something like a mirror caused thoughts of selfishness and individualism. While she stares at herself in disbelief the first day in the house, Equality reads every book he can get his hands on in the library. Through his reading, he finds the meaning of the word "I" and vows to never let the word "we" take over his life or the lives of his love and his future children. Equality and the Golden One change their names to Prometheus and Gaea to recognize themselves as individuals and true people, not just parts of a corrupt world. Together, they will protect what they stand for and show the world the importance of one word: ego.