Want to learn the ideas in Anthem better than ever? Read the world’s #1 book summary of Anthem by Ayn Rand here.

Read a brief 1-Page Summary or watch video summaries curated by our expert team. Note: this book guide is not affiliated with or endorsed by the publisher or author, and we always encourage you to purchase and read the full book.

Video Summaries of Anthem

We’ve scoured the Internet for the very best videos on Anthem, from high-quality videos summaries to interviews or commentary by Ayn Rand.

1-Page Summary of Anthem

Overview

A scientist named Equality 7-2521 was born with a natural curiosity and had more mental and physical strength than his peers. However, he was taught that to be different is a sin by the government of his society. For this reason, they assigned him to clean streets as punishment for wanting to do something else with his life. He tried hard for four years but could not suppress his curiosity or follow the rigid schedule of life in his society. One day, he discovered an old tunnel from before the Great Rebirth (a time when people were free). His friend International 4-8818 did not want to go into it because he was afraid, so Equality 7-2521 went alone at night while everyone else slept. He kept a journal describing what happened during these secret experiments and wrote about them in first person perspective instead of third person because there are no singular pronouns in their language anymore; even though he wanted forgiveness for keeping this discovery private – thinking as an individual rather than part of a collective – until now.

One day, Equality 7-2521 was working for a street sweeper brigade north of the city. He noticed Liberty 5-3000 among the peasants and they exchanged subtle gestures with each other. Eventually, he found an opportunity to speak privately with her in the woods where they could not be seen by others. They both liked each other but did not have adequate words to express their feelings towards one another. Equality 7-2521 went home happily and thought about how unhappy everyone else seemed to be, while wondering if there was such a thing as ‘the Unmentionable Times’ or ‘the Unspeakable Word’.

After some time, Equality 7-2521 speaks with the Golden One again. She has named him Unconquered, and she’s willing to obey him now. She brings him water to drink and that makes his desire for her grow even more. He’s confused by this since he only experienced sex through the indignities of the Palace of Mating before meeting her.

In the book “Brave New World”, a man named Equality 7-2521 discovers electricity in an underground tunnel. This is remarkable because it has been lost to everyone else except for candles. He also learns that the Council of Scholars may not be as wise as he previously thought and decides to continue his experiments with light bulbs, despite breaking several laws. Eventually, he creates one that actually works and takes pride in himself when looking at his creation. He wants to show it off at an upcoming conference so others can benefit from it too and hopefully exonerate him for his crimes so he can rejoin society.

One day, a man named Equality 7-2521 creates a glass box that gives light. He is caught by the government for his absence and sent to jail for torture because he won’t tell them where it is. The next day, before the meeting of the Council of Scholars (the leaders), he escapes from jail because they haven’t locked their doors in centuries. He brings his creation to the council but they’re afraid of him and destroy it instead. To protect his creation, he takes it with him into an uncharted forest at the edge of society.

Despite his initial despair at being rejected by society, Equality 7-2521 enjoyed his first day of freedom in the Uncharted Forest. He was delighted with how strong he felt and that he could survive on his own. The Golden One followed him into the forest despite her misgivings about damnation and they began to teach each other things. They wondered why humans were so concerned with morality when it seemed to be a ridiculous concept. They also wondered what “the Unspeakable Word” was, which they had been taught not to say or even think about because it would lead them towards corruption.