

Mostly, he wonders about the Unspeakable Word, the one idea held by the Evil Ones that has been lost. He thinks of the Script Fire in which the books of the Evil Ones were burned, and he wonders about the secrets of the Evil Ones that have been lost to the world. In the night, he wonders about the Uncharted Forests that exist across the land, covering the cities of the Unmentionable Times. He commits yet another transgression by speaking to her, and it is clear that she takes notice of him. But in his own mind, Equality 7-2521 takes such notice of Liberty 5-3000 that he gives her a different name. Men and women are forbidden to take notice of each other except at the Time of Mating, the period each spring when the Council of Eugenics pairs off men and women into couples for one night for the purpose of procreating. She is a young woman who works in the fields and lives in the Home of the Peasants beyond the city. In that time, he also meets Liberty 5-3000. As the story opens, this private research has been occurring for two years. Equality 7-2521 sneaks to the tunnel alone every night, where safe from others beneath the ground he secretly performs scientific experiments. The tunnel is clearly a remnant of the Unmentionable Times, the ancient period prior to the establishment of the present society. One day while sweeping the streets, Equality 7-2521 comes upon a metal grill leading down into a dark tunnel. He has been taught that it is a sin to harbor secret ambitions, and so believes he is guilty, though strangely, he feels no pangs of wrongdoing. Because of his fascination with the Science of Things, he secretly desires to be sent to the Home of the Scholars. However, he has always been fascinated by the phenomena of nature and can't help but wonder what power of the sky causes lightning and how it can be harnessed to human benefit.

Collectivism - the political philosophy holding that an individual exists solely to serve the state - is dominant and has led to the establishment of a global dictatorship of the Fascist or Communist variety.Įquality 7-2521 is a Street Sweeper of the city, having been chosen for this profession by the Council of Vocations. The story of Anthem takes place in some unspecified future time and place in which freedom and individual rights have been obliterated.
