These rules in Anthem existed in order to make sure that everyone treated each other equal and lived for each other. They were expected not to have affairs with anyone. These rules indirectly showed collectivism in a rude way which gave rise to lack of individualism. The citizens of the city in Anthem were expected to follow every single rule existing in that society, or else it would be a severe punishment or they would be put to death. Their present and the future are decided by the council of vocations, who assign a particular house where they have to work for their entire life. This assignment is done after their stay in the home of students where they are together for many years and are being separated forever in their life. In this society people were not allowed to use the unspeakable word “I,” which in the twentieth century is used in almost every single sentence. “I” basically means “ego” according to Ayn Rand. She also said that “I, did not mean a symbol of the self – but specifically and actually Man’s Self.” The ego is that which constitutes the essential identity of a human being. As one dictionary puts it: the ego is “the ‘I’ or self of any person; [it is] a person as thinking, feeling, and willing, and distinguishing itself from the selves of others and from the objects of its thought.” “I”, which no man may speak nor hear; but sometimes, somewhere, one among men will find the word upon scraps of old manuscripts or cut into the fragments of ancient stones. There is no crime punished by death in this world.
Prometheus being in the house of the street sweepers had a lot of knowledge in compared with those in the house of scholars. He began to collect old manuscripts from the house of the scholars secretly and would start experiments in the new tunnel which he and his friend had kept as a secret. His continuous experiments in the tunnel lead to the discovery of the light bulb, which he decided to present to the world council of scholars who were to be there a month from the day he found it. He felt very happy about his discovery and his huge help to the society. However, before he could present his light bulb to the world council of scholars, the council of street sweepers questioned him for his behavior of coming late to the dorm and going away from the dorm during dark. The council of home could not tolerate his behavior, because of which he was sent to the palace of corrective detention and was lashed to death. But still he denied to tell the truth, for he wanted to tell the truth to the world council of scholars first and then to anyone else. To do this Prometheus had only one choice, which was to escape from the prison and get to the place where the world council of scholars was meeting. All those days of struggle and sufferings were being put out like a fire extinguisher extinguishing fire. The world council was shocked to see Prometheus, a man who was not one among them to come and present in front of all the scholars. The council of scholars did not like the idea of Prometheus for many different reasons like: (1) not belonging to the house scholars (2) individual ideas don’t exist (3) many of the scholars came up with ideas but most of them were rejected, so why would the idea of a street sweeper be accepted etc. By growing dependent on a safe and constant environment, the very essence of human existence is erased from civilization. The council of scholars has no place for ambition or improvement, and is therefore unable to comprehend or accept Prometheus’ discovery. They think that individual ideas cannot withstand long enough. To discover something new, or create a unique thought, is to express individualism and is therefore deemed a disruption to society. Under this extremist totalitarianism, humanity is doomed to only repeating the past, because creating a future is detrimental to any kind of common goal. Prometheus realizes that mankind cannot survive and will only regress into nothingness if individual success or creativity is outlawed. This knowledge isolates Prometheus and makes him feel the need to flee and live in his own, separate, but very real, world. He liberates himself from any responsibility to others or to the past. He sacrifices a certain constancy and security unique to collectivist societies when he frees himself. He starts the process of self-liberation after being rejected, because he is finally confronted with the flaws of his society.
Prometheus realizes that security is not real and life is not constant. He feels that there is something in life which is hidden in the world of customs, which he realizes in his free new world. In his new society of liberty and himself, he proposes a life which is free from these customs or rules since, he would not like his new world to be a collectivist society. In this world free from customs Prometheus discovers the word “I”, when he decides to make sure that this word would not die on this earth, for it is the heart of the meaning and the glory.
