Summary Of Anthem By Ayn Rand

Imagine a life where your thoughts and beliefs no longer show any sense of desire or feelings, as to where all forms of originality have been lost. All live under the idea of “one in all, all in one”(Rand, 19). Minds of the citizens of the Anthem society are formed to think, feel, speak as one; all equal and no individuality, all are one. One to think as an individual shall be shunned for the greater good. Rebellion of individuality, a form of evil of which none shall bare the pain, except for one. In a society where everything is controlled and it is forbidden to think of yourself as “I,” eventually results in one person that had the courage to stand up for his beliefs. This person is Equality; he realized that the society he lives in is dreadful and everyone is being deprived of lives of their own. Everyone in this city criticizes the people that break the system. It’s as if it is a crime to want to be different, but Equality didn’t care. Even though he was breaking laws he felt somewhat free and happy. It’s crazy how people just judge others based on their beliefs, they don’t actually take the time to understand why people think a certain way which is why Equality said “And suddenly, for the first time this day, we remembered that we are the Damned. We remembered it, and we laughed”(Rand, 80).
Everyone in his society believes that he is the broken person, that he shouldn’t be among him because he’s weird and different compared to everyone else, as if he’s an outcast which is something that none of them should be proud of according to the beliefs of their society. Everyone that dares to be different will serve the punishment from the council, “Lash them until they tell”(Rand, 64). This was said to Equality by one of the judges because he didn’t want to tell what he had done. Equality had laughed for a reason when remembering that he is the damned, it was because everyone back in the city is being controlled by the government so much as to where they can’t even be themselves and even worse no one can have families of their own or lives of their own. As for Equality it was a different story because he had ran away from the city into the uncharted forest, Equality was finally free from the government and was able to be whoever he wanted to be. Unfortunately everyone else was still blinded and stuck in their society. Equality just started his new life and with the name of the Damned he realized that in reality he isn’t the Damned, the Damned are the ones that are still blinded by the crazy society controlled by a government full of lies and secrets. Think of a place where you aren’t accepted by your peers because you’re different.
To be an outcast is a sin in their eyes but in yours it’s a way of life. People are categorized by gender and job specialty, there is no diversity in this society. It is crazy to think that one can’t be accepted for who they are, but because of this it made Equality realize the truth of his society. Being called the Damned didn’t stop Equality from being who he was, it only made him realize that he is better than everyone else in his society because he wants to live a life of his own and he isn’t the Damned one, nor has he ever been and he found it funny that his society believes he
is. One person being criticized and called names still believed in being who they want to be and being themselves. Equality, the person who stood up for his beliefs when they were rejected and he never let anyone bring himself down. He realized instead of fighting them he could just get away and be blinded by their own peers. Being called the Damned didn’t phase him it only made him stronger as a person. The real Damned are the ones that didn’t realize the reality of their lives and how the society will be for the rest of their lives and after that too.