Ayn Rand's short story Anthem begins with Equality 7-2521, or as it would later be called Prometheus, stating: "It is a sin to write this . It is a sin to think words that no one else thinks and put them on paper that no one else has to see... and we know that there is no blacker transgression than to do or to think alone” (17). Prometheus lives in what is called a totalitarian society. In many totalitarian societies, the ability to express oneself is often prohibited and repressed. This short story contains a society that represents extreme totalitarianism. The leaders of society have managed to convince citizens that altruism, as well as the worship of the word "we", is the only way to live. In this society, we don't think, speak or act one way or another. it is beneficial for oneself. Every citizen is indoctrinated with the belief that by acting for their own benefit, they sin. From a young age, they are taught their society's mantra: "We are nothing." Humanity is everything. It is by the grace of our brothers that we can live. We exist by, by and for our brothers who are the State. Amen” (21). From the beginning of his life, Prometheus was different from his brothers. He remembers living in the Children's Home and fighting with his brothers, a transgression that was repeated so often that of all the children in his year, he was the one locked up the most in the cellar. During the time he lived in the Student Hostel, he was constantly berated, demoralized, and ostracized for his ability to understand things faster than his brothers. His teachers told him that “…it is a great sin to be born with a head that is too fast. It is not good to be different from our brothers, but it is bad to...... middle of paper...... the Council of Scholars ridicules and mocks him, the Unspeakable Times and the Unspeakable Word constantly torment his thoughts. . When he and Liberty 5-3000 discover the house in the woods, he later discovers that the unspeakable word was the word "I". His joy at discovering the word was cut short when he realized that the impudent behavior of his so-called brothers led to the loss of a word, which showed individuality, and allowed one to characterize oneself and decide who he could become. , Prometheus' society believes that the "best in him", his inner curiosity, is a sin, because it makes him different from his brothers. In reality, his curiosity allows him to see that his totalitarian society has regressed and, in doing so, has lost the ability to give its citizens an independent identity, which could be used for the benefit of society...