Anthem

As the plot moves into the falling action and conclusion stages, the setting of the novella changes from the City to the Uncharted Forest, then to the house in the mountains. The Uncharted Forest is described with elaborate imagery and in a lighter, happier tone than is the City. The author uses a combination of imagery and similes to depict the new setting, which both enhances the literary value and helps readers form detailed mental images, as in, “The leaves had edges of silver that trembled and rippled like a river of green and fire flowing high above us” (44). The Uncharted Forest—seen within the City as a forbidding and dangerous place—is revealed as a space of freedom and possibility, symbolized by this image of the tree canopy ablaze with benevolent light.

The second shift in setting occurs when Equality 7-2521 and Liberty 5-3000 find the house in the mountains. In keeping with Rand’s Objectivist philosophy, Equality 7-2521 cannot truly come into his own until he has his own property. The house he shares with Liberty 5-3000 is a mirror image of the abandoned train tunnel in which he wrote the beginning of the novella. There, he worked alone and in secret, feeling ashamed of himself for breaking the Council’s laws. In the house, he is not alone but in the company of a chosen partner, and he no longer fears being discovered or feels that what he is doing is wrong. It’s fitting that this is the setting where he discovers the language of individuality—not only the forbidden word “ego” but also the singular personal pronouns that allow him to conceive of himself and his beloved as separate from each other and from all other people.

Both the Uncharted Forest and the mountain home advance Equality 7-2521’s character arc. Each chapter depicts one or more new individualistic developments. First, Equality 7-2521 learns to hunt, thereby feeding himself. Although he literally learns how to survive, he is also symbolically learning how to live on his own—both physically and emotionally. He also views his reflection for the first time, demonstrating new self-awareness and the ability to self-reflect. Once he develops his self-awareness, Equality 7-2521 is joined by Liberty 5-3000. Her presence represents the idea that individualism is not synonymous with isolation. She becomes a source of comfort to him, and they both continue on their path of enlightenment together by choice. It is the choice to be together that is significant and that contrasts with the World Council’s forced collectivism. Equality 7-2521’s sexual awakening, which began with his initial attraction to Liberty 5-3000, reaches its conclusion when he sleeps with her and realizes that sexuality is not shameful. The mountain range they climb into from the Uncharted Forest represents their growing knowledge, and the house on top of the mountain, as Equality 7-2521 directly states, signals the end of their journey of enlightenment. He realizes that his existence is his purpose: “This, my body and spirit, this is the end of the quest” (54). In the house, Liberty 5-3000’s self-reflection is represented by her spending hours looking in the mirror. They both experience another shift when Equality 7-2521 reads and learns singular pronouns—they now have the language to convey their feelings. The end of the book closes the theme of altruism versus egoism, as Equality 7-2521 learns the word “ego.” The concept of egoism resonates with him, and he believes that egoism, or self-interest, is superior to altruism. This final message demonstrates the author’s beliefs and the foundational principle of Objectivism.

The falling action of Anthem is highly controversial, as Rand alludes to numerous Objectivist principles that have been met with significant criticism. The characterization of Liberty 5-3000 can be interpreted in a feminist light—such as in her decision to leave the City and pursue egoism. However, many of the plot events regarding her character can be seen as misogynistic. She follows Equality 7-2521, and she learns from him rather than pursuing her own individual enlightenment. Rather than reading or selecting her own name, she is given information by Equality 7-2521, and he assigns her a name. The name he gives her, Gaea, is a play on the sexist archetype of “mother earth.” The concept suggests that men have dominion over both women and nature, which is further supported by Equality 7-2521’s near-seamless transition to subsisting independently. Having never spent time outside the City before, Equality 7-2521 finds that all the necessary skills come to him easily: “We picked a stone and we sent it as an arrow at a bird. It fell before us. We made a fire, we cooked the bird, and we ate it, and no meal had ever tasted better to us” (45). In Rand’s broadly allegorical narrative, the uncharted forest is a new Garden of Eden. In this garden, just as in the biblical one, all mankind’s needs are met without struggle. The simplicity of this earthly paradise contrasts sharply with the difficulties of life under the World Council, implying that all hardship is a result of collectivism. As in the biblical garden, however, there is also the strong implication that woman exists to be a helpmeet to man rather than an individual in her own right.