Anthem By Ayn Rand: Literary Analysis

Jenna Sunderland

In the final chapter of Anthem, Prometheus, also known as Equality, writes that he now understands “why the best in me had my sins and my transgressions; and why I had never felt guilt in my sins.”(pp 98) He now can come to terms with his height and his mind, how he has been blessed with these “sins” and through his journey can finally distinguish the faults and conservatism of his society. Equality 7-2521: a label; a stamp; the only form of identification that is allowed in this society. A society where everyone is made equal and those who don’t fit in with the others are outcasts and sinners. Equality does not feel guilty about any of the “sins” or “transgressions” he has been told he is committing. He understands that society says he is wrong, but he knows that he is meant for more than they allow. Equality is looked down upon for being taller than his ‘brothers’ and has been told it is a sin to steal the height away from everyone else. He has committed transgressions of thought and preference but it does not bother him. He knows he is smart and that his brain is better than some of the others and so
he has a dream to work in the Home of the Scholars. Of course though, Equality is already an unfavorable part of society according to teachers and council members and he is assigned the menial job of street sweeping. Although this was not how he would have wanted his future, Equality dutifully performed his job every day. Equality’s journey through the book started when he found the secret tunnel. It is when he first started acting upon his thoughts. He wanted to be greater than he was permitted and, down in the tunnel, his own little world allowed him to be independent and to try new things and to just further think and ask questions. He was not given answers though and that was part of the joy; he had to work to find his answers. This is when he begins to reveal to himself that he can be greater and that who he is and who he wants to be and two separate people. Around the same time as Equality starts experimenting, he meets Liberty 5-3000. This is another turning point in his life as he is exposed to more ‘transgression of preference’ only instead of preferring one subject over another, he prefers Liberty over others in his community. He says that she is beautiful and her hair was golden like the sun. It is also forbidden for men and women to take notice of each other so when Equality and Liberty talk to each other it is another immense act of disobedience. Equality does not understand his society’s way of living anymore. Now that he knows how wonderful it feels to figure things out and to be in love, it is baffling why a council would ban these magnificent feelings. As Equality runs away from the city and Liberty follows, they experience what it is like to be alone, how life is without any rules, and they come to find who they really are.
They are no longer a soil worker or street sweeper, they become something greater. They are now brave and courageous and they have thoughts and preference and they are self-sustaining. They realize that being an individual is more satisfactory than being part of a great “we” all the time. Most importantly, they grasp that being different in their old society was not a bad thing; that sins or transgressions were actually parts of the best of what they each could be and what their society did not want them to become. This is why when Prometheus and Gaea use the word “I” and take their new names, it is with pride. They had been unique and their passion cannot be
destroyed. Prometheus understands that his sins and transgressions has been the best in him because without them he would not have felt the need for more. His chain of rebellions was how it all started and it was his journey that led him to find an inner peace knowing that he is his own warrant of being and no one can tell him who to be anymore. His ‘sins’ are going to be considered gifts in the upcoming generations of people and he knows that true equality is just giving everyone the chance to become something great.