Anthem
(Ayn Rand)

Equality 7-2521

Equality 7-2512, known as Prometheus at the end of the story, is the protagonist of the novel. He is a Street Sweeper as per the profession that was assigned to him in his society. He has always felt out of place and different from others, though this thinking is forbidden in his society and considered evil as everyone is supposed to be equal. He is very into himself and thirsty for knowledge beyond what is available to him. He often rebels and in his scientific experiments he creates electricity which the Scholars of the society reject and shun him for. He is one of very few people in the society who expresses his own thoughts and he wishes to use the knowledge that he has gained to start a new society full of freedom and happiness.

Loyalty 5-3000

Loyalty 5-3000, also known as the Golden One and Gaea, is the love interest of Equality 7-2512. She is beautiful, kind, and sees something very special, and different in the narrator.She falls deeply in love with him and follows him into the Uncharted Forest when he runs away. Despite her kindness, she is bitter about the world she lives in and is too proud to conform to society like everyone else does. She enjoys exploring the new world of the forest and the realization of “I” with Equality 7-2512 and she becomes pregnant with his child.

Collective 0-0009

Collective 0-0009 is the oldest of all the Scholars and is the leader of the World Council of Scholars. Equality 7-2512 finds him to be surprisingly weak and cowardly; this is not what he expects of a Scholar. He does not appreciate the invention of Equality 7-2512 because he feels that any discovery done in sin does not count and no decision made outside of the Council of Scholars can be true; the only things that are true are those which are agreed upon by the entire Council.

International 4-8818

International 4-8818 is a co-worker of Equality 7-2512; he is a fellow Street Sweeper. He shares some of Equality 7-2512’s rebellious attitude, but he is too fearful to make any big moves. He is the only friend of Equality 7-2512 whom he feels is someone who could really make a difference in the world in which they live. He is representative of any of the citizens which may want to make changes for themselves but may be scared to step forward and question society.

Union 5-3992

Union 5-3992 was a classmate of Equality 7-2512 when he was in the House of Students and is later one of his fellow Street Sweepers. He was not very bright and is described by Equality 7-2512 as having only half of a brain. Teachers enjoyed having students like Union 5-3992 because he was not smart enough to ever cause a problem or have the potential to rebel. In a society where the submission of all citizens is instrumental in its success, people like Union 5-3992 are ideal because they will never question the way things work or try to rise above the crowd.

Solidarity 9-6347

Solidarity 9-6347 is another Street Sweeper. He is another character who expresses a desire to break free from the society, though he does so in his sleep. During the day, he walks around happy like everyone else but at night he screams out in his sleep “Help us!” No one is ever able to discover what is wrong with Solidarity 9-6347, but Equality 7-2512 believes that he just wants to be free. Equality 7-2512 vows that when he creates his own free society he will come back for Solidarity 9-6347 and others like him.

Fraternity 2-5503

Fraternity 2-5503 is a lot like Solidarity 9-6347. Both men are Street Sweepers along with Equality 7-2512 and both men cry out in their sleep for something that doctors cannot ascertain. Equality 7-2512 describes Fraternity 2-5503 as a quiet boy who has very kind looking and wise eyes. Equality 7-2512 believes that Fraternity 2-5503 shakes uncontrollably in his sleep for the same reason that Solidarity 9-6347 cries out; he sees flaws in society and he wants his freedom.

The Transgressor of the Unspeakable Word

The Transgressor of the Unspeakable Word is a character who Equality 7-2512 saw publically executed when he was just a boy. At the time, he was killed Equality 7-2512 only knew that he man uttered the Unspeakable Word though he did not know what that meant until he found his own freedom. When Equality 7-2512 began to read books he realizes that the Transgressor understood “I” and was an advocate for individualism, which was an evil concept according to the society. The Transgressor supposedly looked right at Equality 7-2512 while he was dying which Equality 7-2512 took as the passing of the torch to continue the quest for individuality.

The Evil Ones

The Evil Ones are the people who were defeated and destroyed to end the Unmentionable Times. As Equality 7-2512 learns after he achieves his freedom, the Evil Ones were advocates of individualism, the concept of Egoism, and thirsty for knowledge. Equality 7-2512 greatly believes in the cause of the Evil Ones and cannot believe that they could allow their freedom to be taken from them after centuries of being free. Society has hidden everything having to do with the Unmentionable Times or the Evil Ones in an effort to keep the citizens uniform and unquestioning.