Anthem Chapters 10 - 12
Equality 7-2521 sits on a table to write on a thousand-year-old paper. He is in a house that he and Liberty 5-3000 found that morning. The Uncharted Forest continues to protect them from men living in the cities as they journey across it. At sunrise, they see a white flame in the mountains that aren't fire since it is stationary. They follow it to a broad summit and see a house with shining glass. They had never seen a place like this. It is a two-storeyed building with a flat roof and many glass windows. They both knew subconsciously that the house belonged to the Unmentionable Times and had survived because of the forest’s protection from harsh weather and men. Equality 7-2521 asks the golden one if she is afraid to move inside, but she steps inside the house with the writer. The rooms are small enough to accommodate up to twelve men and are well-lit. The house has mirrors and glass globes like the ones he saw in his tunnel. The sleeping hall with two beds reveals that the house belonged to two persons only, as no other bed is to be seen. Next, they find a room with shelves with rows of manuscripts written in the writer’s language, who decides to read it the next day.
Equality 7-2521 decides to stay in this house with the Golden One forever. They decide that will not share it with anyone nor let anyone snatch it away. The writer goes out and comes back with supplies, along with a mountain goat he killed. He cooks the meat while the Golden One is busy staring at every part of her body in the mirror. The Golden One falls asleep while the writer is busy reading the manuscripts. The writer scans his hands and hopes that knowledge will come to him to unravel the secrets of life that have been kept from him. Chapter eleven starts with equality, addressing himself as ‘I”. He lifts his head and spreads his arms while standing on the mountain. He reflects that he has found the meaning of everything he has been searching for. He will listen to his own will and judgement. The words are ambiguous but the most holy ones are “I will it!’. The position of the earth doesn’t matter to him now. He understands the true meaning of happiness, which is complete and wholesome. Equality 7-2521 feels relieved to live and be accountable for himself. He is neutral to everyone and will treat others the ways he will be treated. The ‘temple of his spirit’ belongs to an individual alone and should remain undisturbed by others. A person must be selfless, or else he becomes corrupt.
When Equality 7-2521 understands the meaning of the word ‘I’ he read in a book in the house, he cried as he understood the true importance of salvation. The curse was his greatest attribute, and all his offenses were noble. He realizes that man’s desire to know more cannot be suppressed, nor their will to learn. After reading and gaining much knowledge, the Golden One tells Equality 7-2521, ‘I love you.’ He suggests they should give themselves names and name themselves Prometheus from Greek mythology, the one who stole fire from the gods for humankind. Equality 7-2521 names the Golden One Gaea, the mythological earth mother in Greek mythology.
Prometheus plans to live in this house, learning more about the Unmentionable times. He also learned that the light he produced is known as Electricity. He intends to protect his home using wires and light fixtures. Gaea is pregnant, and Prometheus promises to teach his child how life should be. After setting up everything where he now lives, he will head to the city to rescue his comrades so they can write together the first chapter of the history of man. Reflecting upon the city, Prometheus concludes that man can inflict disaster by referring to themselves as ‘we.’ He vows to fight for freedom and humanity. There is one sacred word that will never die, and that is ‘ego.’
Analysis
In this section of the Novella, the protagonist begins to fully embrace and define his sense of self. If Anthem is to be viewed as the internal journey of man to discover himself, then the resolution of that journey lies in these final chapters. The author uses this moment in the character's arc to fully explain the core philosophies of Objectivism, Egoism, and Individualism. The protagonist realizes that his life belongs only to him and that he need not seek society until he desires to do so. Even then, he has no obligation to any man besides the ones he chooses to be obligated to. Critics have disagreed with the blatant selfishness that the philosophy alludes to, as they argue that society benefits from man just as a man benefits from society. Rand went on to state that she had written the novella to argue precisely against those that held selfishness to be a vice.
The imagery of the novel is simplistic and meant to aid the reader in easily discerning what is good and what is evil. The protagonist is challenged by the ugly, decrepit characters that inhabit dark rooms and use torture to exact their law. The Protagonist, on the other hand, is perfectly built and develops an understanding of I while standing on a mountaintop at dawn.
