Chapters 11-12 (Conclusion)

After cowering through all the books he found from the past human kind, Equality 7-2521 named himself Promethius and The Golden one Gaea. Being not so well versed in Greek mythology I looked up both of these gods and found that they are considered the father and mother of earth and mankind. Promethius steals fire from Zeus and gives it to man, electricity was promethius of Anthems fire. He however was shunned for it, but one day he promises to go back and save his people. He uses freedom as his fire. He also discovers the word "I" and realizes about ones self, and how purpose is not for his brothers or a "we" but himself. He finds freedom to not just be being free but to not be accountable to annoying and not have power over anyone. Where as equality in the cities is about everyone doing for each other, freedom is equally valuing others under government but valuing yourself. He talks about how over time men have gained freedom from gods, Kings, races, and other men, yet somehow gave it all away. This is probably Ayn Rand's fear of communism as she was a very outward liassez-faire capitalist. In the time one could see the oppression caused by communism in the mask of greater good. She points out the flaws in that system where no one has rights in trade for equality. Being equal does not mean anarchism with no law or rule but it also is not forced upon everyone. That is the question, when does order over power freedom?

Chapters 9-10

Equality 7-2521 stops using the name given to him, I noticed he never mentions it in these chapters and he only refers to the woman as The Golden one now. Once she found him he achieved true joy, he finally got everything he wanted. Being free is not everything one must find what gives them meaning to their life. The golden one completed him, gave him something to care about and love. Being alone and free is fairly similar to being oppressed and around others, because it keeps you mentally oppressed and eventually one will reach the same point of distain for life. For life however one of the two must be achieved to fully realize this. Everyone stuck in the cities is not happy nor sad, just blind. It goes towards the point "ignorance is bliss". They know nothing of happiness and true meaning they just do, listen, and follow. They live terrible lives unaware of it. Once you realize the trap you are stuck in that leads to disobeying law and rule. Which often will create even greater pain as success in leaving is often foiled by the council. It keeps people in line, they see no one ever can leave, it keeps up the appearance that life is better in the city. That is how control is kept, by not allowing those who go against power seem happy. Show life is worse without your government and people will be grateful for what they have.

Chapters 7-8

As expected the council rejects him even with his honesty, they are appalled by his law breaking because they have never seen anything like it before. Equality 7-2521 runs away into the forest, but there he discovers something he never expected, relief. He finally shows that he is relaxed and having fun. This is the freedom of the forest, being controlled versus being alone. That is why we all seek freedom because we are happy free, oppression strains us, drains out our energy and depresses us. Freedom is not about quality of life in a materialistic way but quality of mental happiness. The forest will not supply him with steady food, a bed, safety, music/dance, roads, and every other amenities that he previously had. However, he can now jump, scream, and walk freely. He does not have the extra stress of following rules, he makes his own. This is why strict governmental structures are ineffective they promote distrust, lack of creativity and most of all a worse quality of life. Oppression works for short term advancement and structure but long term mentally wittles people down to a robotic like state of work and safety. Now that Equality 7-2521 is finally free he will have all of his days to work on improving his light and improving his materialistic needs without stress and fear.

Chapters 3-6

Equality 7-2521 makes the great discovery of light with wires in the tunnel, and is set on showing the world to get rid of candles with electricity. He comes back late however from work and is questioned, immediately there after he is put in jail. The initial strategy to get him to talk are beating (torture) but he does not tell. The reason why he stayed strong I think is because he has lost faith in the council after meeting Golden One, he has lost faith in the council because they say they know all but he knows he has figured out much more. He breaks out and plans to show off his invention at the world scholars convention. Where he lost faith in the council for their lack of knowledge however he gained too much by thinking he can do that after breaking out of prison. He has not mentioned the repercussions of his actions but him doing this will most likely get him killed or tortured for the rest of his life for defying the council. He is fighting for greater knowledge for his brothers, but will definitely lose out for it. If I am correct I would call him a matyr for that, because he is giving himself up not only for his invention but to inform people that council really does not know all. In an un democratic society like this however he will not be treated like an MLK but shunned and ignored. The masses will do what they are supposed to do, and not defy the council because it's all they know. In many cases like this revolt can occur, one small event that governments take too seriously but since he is the first many more must come after to make a change, in all cases of revolt distain is a long growing process that builds up over time. He will be the first definitely not the last.

Chapter 2

Equality 7-2521 speaks of a woman he named Golden One, one he had an unspeakable feeling for, a weird connection without even talking to her he felt. Then he brings up the unspeakable word in which he asks "what could be the unspeakable word". A word only found in ancient texts and will get you killed for saying it. That word must be "love". Love would be the description of that indescribable feeling he has for this woman. Love also ruins the governments control over the people, with talking to women already banned because they plan who and when children are made and want no interference, love would be the greatest breaking of that rule. Love and desire for one single other person ruins the idea of one for all, all for one. The government to have full control cannot let men and women see each other, let alone care for each other. The whole dynamic of a relationship would throw off the military like schedule all are put under with every part of their lives controlled in one way or another. Equality 7-2521 like with other rules starts to feel the desire to break this one, he starts talking to Golden One. If they end up falling for each other he will take her away from the farm, prevent her from going to the House of Mating, and most definitely cause unrest. Just like anyone or any people trying to hold power the best way to do this is by preventing unrest from the roots. In countries like North Korea and China where Internet is oppressed, it is for the same reason love is oppressed in Anthem. Both are inherently not bad but both will cause people to interact freely and push against government rules forced apon them that take away their rights, but keep government in control. Realizing the problems in certain government controls are made by breaking other controls set in place to deter descent. Equality 7-2521 will cause problems for the council if he counties with Golden One because he won't want her doing what they will have her do. This is why love is inherently evil for the government, it gives them less population control and it distracts workers, which will in turn reduce productivity. When government focuses on only one goal, people will always lose rights.

Chapter 1

Equality 7-2521 brought up in a world of one man for all and all for one refers to himself in the text as we. This took me a while to catch onto, but why does he talk about himself in the multiple? The two reasons I have are the education he has faced, or his still believing in the concept of all for one. When he starts to learn about the world, read the manuscripts, and explore he states that he learned more in the two years on his own than the 10 years of schooling he took. Based on the whole brotherly attitude, completely communistic attitude, that the government  structure shows words like "I", "Me", "Myself" would have been excluded from curriculum because everyone is one together to forward as a whole. That structure would have no need for words regarding ones self because everyone is working together in synchronization. However, living in that from birth, growing up with the state, not a family, Equality 7-2521 may have been oblivious to ones self. He is still in the mindset that was created for him, he talks about how the council is right and he can only hope they will forgive his sins. Even though he defied them in search for his own path, that he said he always had the will for, he does say he was cursed with his curiosity and ambition to learn more, he is not proud of it. This may lead him to still say we because he wishes that he could be like the others and blindly follow. This honestly reminds me of Stalin patriots from the collapsed Soviet Union whom still worship Stalin and his leadership. Does it becomes case of lack of knowledge or actually believing what they have been taught. It makes me think that because they have been used to only one life that propaganda can propagate this feeling but belief in it’s factuality will stay regardless of if new information rises. Even religion shows this belief over nuance when facts about earths age or arguments over certain text rules appear belief will be the determining factor.