In the controlled society depicted in Anthem, love between two people is illegal. Two people in love are tempted to care more for their lover than they are for their "fellow man." When the main character, Equality 7-2521, finds himself in love with a woman, Liberty 5-3000, he first doesn't know quite what to do. Yet in the end, his love for Liberty 5-3000 does overpower all of his other feelings, and pushes him towards rejecting all that his society has taught him. The same thing happens to Liberty 5-3000, too, who eventually chooses to place her love for Equality 7-2521 above everything else. There's something strange about Liberty 5-3000's love for Equality 7-2521 though; sometimes it looks more like worship and submission than love between equal partners.
Questions About Love
- Why does Equality 7-2521 fall in love with Liberty 5-3000? Why does she fall in love with him?
- How does Equality 7-2521's experience of love change him? Does it?
- Is there a conflict between Equality 7-2521's love for Liberty 5-3000 and his passion for science? Why?
- Do Liberty 5-3000 and Equality 7-2521 have a healthy relationship? Why or why not?
Chew on This
Equality 7-2521 falls in love with Liberty 5-3000 because he considers her superior to himself.
Liberty 5-3000's worshipful attitude towards Equality 7-2521 is incompatible with the commitment to be a strong individual.