Literary Analysis #2

Nicolas Afonso

Anthem by Ayn Rand

Literary Analysis #2

Question #2

How does the protagonist change from the beginning to the end of the novel?  What does this character learn about himself (or herself) and about how the world works?

Equality, as seen on the first sections of the book is quite an outcast in the dystopian society in which he lives. His intelligence makes him a disliked, his curiosity makes it seem as if he is better than the rest, and his physical appearance is in no comparison to that of his "brothers". He lives under the idea that everyone must be equal, and even intelligence has to be the same. He believes he has sinned because of his mental and physical features, and that he deserves punishment for his surpassing skills. This all changes when Equality encounters a tunnel, from what I perceive was from "our" time. He discovers things such as the light bulb and electricity. This adds to his curiosity, knowledge, and intelligence. By the end of his journey, Equality discovers that the society he lives in is a hellish, and unfair system, and his beliefs are now opposite of what he started with. He now believes in individualism and turns back on communism. His knowledge grows as he reads book with discoveries and language that had never been allowed in his society. This occurred for various reasons. For one, his kindness to share showed him that sometimes, somethings were better off without sharing. The discoveries told him that his government was incorrect and that individualism was not bad. Finally, his growth on literature sparked when he found a house, again from "our" time. These things all helped Equality finally realize what a stable, and equal government should look like without the need of preventing growth of knowledge or individualism.