Anthem Summary

In a world where individualism is considered a sin, a young man known as Equality 7-2521 finds solace in a secret tunnel where he writes and reflects on his life. Despite the societal constraints, he relishes his solitude and begins to yearn for more time alone. He recalls his childhood, his dreams of becoming a scholar, and his punishment to serve as a street sweeper for being too smart and too tall. This punishment, instead of dissuading him, provides an opportunity to atone for his perceived sins.

At the age of ten, Equality 7-2521 witnesses the execution of a man who dared to discover and use the forbidden word "I". This experience imprints on him the desire to discover, leading him to conduct experiments in his secret hideaway, culminating in the creation of a lightbulb. Meanwhile, he meets a defiant peasant girl, the Golden One, and despite societal norms, they form a bond and fall in love - an act that gives him a strange sense of connection to the Palace of Mating, a location where citizens are sent once a year for procreation.

Unfortunately, before he could present his invention to the World Council of Scholars, he is detained for returning late to his quarters and refusing to divulge his whereabouts. Despite being tortured, he refuses to reveal his secret, intent on unveiling it to the council himself. When he finally presents his invention to the council, it is rejected out of fear and anger. With threats to his life and his lightbulb, he escapes to the Uncharted Forest, relishing in his newfound freedom. There, he reunites with the Golden One and together, they find an abandoned house in the mountains from a time long past. Here, he discovers the true meaning of "I", and they vow to start a new generation of individuals who believe in the self and its power.