Character Study

From just by looking at the storyline of the Anthem, it is not an easy task to determine who were the main characters and who weren’t. This is simply because the conflict throughout the novel is man vs. society which was represented by Equality 7-2521 versus the councils. The complication I struggled with in determining the main characters were in this problem, I wasn’t quite sure if the councils acted as an opponent character of Equality 7-2521, who was a definite main character.

Also, Liberty 5-3000, the female, represented the other protagonist of the two main characters. She wasn’t mentioned until towards the middle of the text but she did things with Equality 7-2521 later on which changed the future of the brothers. For example, by following Equality 7-2521 to the uncharted forest, they were able to start an adventure together, signifying a new change, and start their own generation. There was a quote on page 86 by Liberty 5-3000 that seemed to have identified herself very well- “We love you.” This quote identifies her well because throughout the novel, she always represented love. Also, it seemed like she was always there to provoke Equality 7-2521’s emotions. For example, from the first moment that Liberty 5-3000 and Equality 7-2521 met, they could not stop thinking about each other and overall they ended up living together, away from the society.

“For the first time do we care about out body.”, “For the first time do we know how strong our arms are.” Such quotes represent Equality 7-2521 very well, separating him from the society. These quotes repreat the phrase, “For the first time do we”, which signifies Equality 7-2521’s self-discovery of the unmentionable times or the reality. For the first time, he starts to his own feelings and think for himself. In the beginning, he was just like any other brothers of the novel, doing everything together, just as they were told and even thinking only the things he was told to think. However, this was only until he discovered the tunnel and the light. Since the discovery, little by little, he started to gain the ability to question the authority. He became increasingly curious about the unmentionable times because what he had discovered was from the unmentionable times was so significant. This dramatic change in character of Equality 7-2521 led the readers to see how much these “brothers” want to escape from the society, although they don’t know it yet, because just by looking at Equality 7-2521, we know that by the discovery of one simple light, he was able to break out to freedom and come as far as the uncharted forest and a new style of living.

Also, the change of Equality 7-2521 reminded me of the evolution of humans. At the beginning, we were all apes, not acting after thinking but from our instinct. However, as we evolutionized to homo-sapiens, we knew how to take action upon our own thoughts. Similarly, before the discovery of the unmentionable times, Equality 7-2521 was like the apes, only doing what he's told to do, mainly because he never thought of any other way of living. However, after the discovery, he became a homo-sapien, able to control his actions and individual thoughts.

Image Study 2 - I, me, myself

As mentioned previously in the post in February, there were several important images that signified checkpoints or changes throughout the plot. I’ve noticed that there were a lot more use of imageries after the rebellion of Equality 7-2521. Rand’s way of using imageries expressed the reality that the boy seeks and finally enters later on.

One of the most important checkpoints which acted as a highlight of the novel was when the boy entered the forest, running away from the councils who are out to kill him. In page 79, Rand describes Equality 7-2521’s environment and his actions in reaction to the environment. For example she mentions, “We lay on our back, we threw our arms out, and we look up…river of green and fire flowing high above us.” Equality 7-2521’s curiousness and thirst for knowledge has been met with a freedom. Although the he doesn’t know what’s yet to come from the forest, at this moment, as described by Rand in an image of freedom and comfort, he enjoys the uncharted forest and being away from the brothers and the councils.

Later on in the forest, after Equality 7-2521 finds Liberty 5-3000, they found a house after what seemed to be an endless climbing of mountain peaks. At first, they were unfamiliar with most of the things in the house such as the typed out books. “…letters on their pages were so small and so even that we wondered at the men who had such handwriting.” Back in the old society, every book was hand copied with ink and not by a machine. Therefore when Equality 7-2521 first saw the books, he thought that they were written by men who had very neat hand writing. When he realized that these books were mechanized by machines, he was surprised but not as much as when he discovered the words, “I, me and myself” in these books. This was another important checkpoint throughout the plot because by discovering the idea of individuals, Equality 7-2521 was able to find himself his original by naming himself, think for himself without getting punished and take action as an individual and not as one.

The imageries of the forest, the house, and the book were all very significant in ways that they represented a change in their lives and a fresh start as an individual for both Equality 7-2521 and Liberty 5-3000. These changes acted as a bridge to bring Equality 7-2521 closer and closer to the unmentionable times that was banned from the society of Anthem. These uses of imagery by Rand were effective because they lead the readers to focus on the idea of gaining freedom and starting a new life.