Anthem Book summary

Ayn Rand’s novella, ‘Anthem’ was first published in 1938. The story is set in a collectivist, dystopian future where the government monitors every aspect of people’s lives, including their language, beliefs, and thoughts. The novel is a tribute to Rand’s philosophy of objectivism. It can be argued that the Novella is more of a Manifesto than a strict story since its main aim lies in expounding the ideals of Objectivism, Egoism, and Individualism. The author herself argued that the Novella did not possess the traditional literary structure that was used for storytelling. She had originally planned on calling the book, “Ego,” but she felt that such a title would too indicative of the nature of the story. Rand revised the Novella when she had it published in the United States, although she did not change any of the key details in this edition, she edited some of the more poetic sections of the book. Initially, Rand had trouble securing a publisher for her Novella, but once the work had been published, it found rapid success.

The novella’s predominant themes are striving for individuality, independence, and self-discovery. The book is considered a classic of science fiction and continues to be read and studied widely, sparking discussions and debates about the ideas it presents.

The protagonist, Equality 7-2521, is a twenty-one-year-old boy living in a dystopian society where numbers identify people. They live in poverty and fear punishment for violating laws throughout their daily lives. Equality 7-2521 is a street- sweeper and is considered an unimportant member of society. Despite this, he is intelligent and curious, fascinated with the forbidden word ‘I’ and individualism. He is not satisfied with the kind of life he is forced to live and longs for something more, which is impossible in a collectivist society.

One day, Equality 7-2521 comes across an abandoned tunnel near the forbidden Uncharted Forest and he begins to spend time there every night, reading old manuscripts and learning about the world that had preceded him. He learns about the forces that govern the world as he experiments and build from the old components he finds in the tunnels. Equality 7-2521 gets motivated to rebel against the collectivist, oppressive society in which he lives. He invents the light bulb with the help of the waste he collects from the House of the Scholars and the cesspool. Equality 7-2521 falls in love with a girl named Liberty 5-3000 from the Home of the Peasants. They express their affection for each other by sharing glances and gestures until they finally speak to each other. He names Liberty 5-3000, ‘the golden one,’ and confesses his feelings to her. The Council gets suspicious of his joyful nature as no one is even allowed to be happy.

Equality 7-2521 recalls a childhood memory of a transgressor who was burned at the stake for speaking the forbidden word. The memory haunts him still. One day, while operating on a frog in the tunnel, he discovers that metal conducts electricity and uses his knowledge to invent the light bulb. He decides to tell the Council about this great invention for the benefit of mankind with the hope of getting transferred to the House of the Scholars, where he would work with great minds to invent more such things. Carried away by his success, Equality 7-2521 forgets to return to the theatre on time. He is imprisoned and tortured as a punishment but he doesn’t reveal his whereabouts. He escapes the prison a day before World Council’s meeting, hoping to be accepted by the more considerable authority. However, the presentation goes awry. He is demeaned for being outrageous enough to commit such a sin. Everyone is terrified of his invention and they attempt to destroy it. Equality 7-2521 grabs his device and jumps out of the window, running wherever his legs take him. He is unaware of having reached the Uncharted forest and, after spending a day, he finds his new place more satisfying. Equality 7-2521 leaves his society and starts a journey to find the truth. The only thing that causes him to experience angst is the golden one whom he would never see again in his life. He travels through the wilderness while facing many obstacles and dangers, but he is determined to know about the forbidden times. Suddenly, he comes across Liberty 5-3000, who followed him by tracing his footsteps. The writer feels cheerful and relieved to have the golden one by his side. Together, they continue their journey and discover a hidden double-storeyed house. Here, they are free to think, speak and act as they will. They begin their new life together.

Inside the house, he finds ancient manuscripts and reads them the first night. He gets to know the secret behind the unspeakable word ‘I.’ Now, Equality 7-2521 writes in first person and renames himself Prometheus and the golden one Gaea from greek mythology. After some time, Gaea is pregnant, and Prometheus decides to teach his child the rational ways of men. He also decides to reach out to his fellow workers in the city and bring them along to build an egotist society. He vows to continue the mission of the transgressor. The novella is a powerful critique of collectivism and celebrates the individual and the human spirit.