In Anthem, every member of society is expected to live and work only for the "great WE," the brotherhood of all men. Every person is supposed to be equally important. No one is allowed to commit the Transgression of Preference – caring more for one person than another. The characters in Anthem find themselves struggling against this oppressive social rule as they develop relationships of friendship and love, both of which are illegal according to their society. The main character also starts to discover a growing sense of loyalty to himself, the greatest transgression of all, according to his society. Yet the sense of loyalty he seems to feel for humankind, as opposed to the society and laws that is hard for him to shake.
Questions About Loyalty
- To whom or what is Equality 7-2521 most loyal at the beginning of Anthem?
- What steps does the society in Anthem take to ensure the loyalty of its members?
- At what point in Anthem does Equality 7-2521 lose his sense of loyalty to his society? Why?
- Why does Equality 7-2521 feel drawn to liberate members of his former society once he's freed himself from it?
Chew on This
Equality 7-2521 loses his sense of loyalty to society, but never loses his loyalty to his fellow men.
Equality 7-2521's only loyalty is to science.