Question

In Anthem, how long was Equality 7-2521 detained in the Palace of Corrective Detention before he decided to escape?

Answer 1

We meet Equality 7-2521, our narrator. He's in a dark underground tunnel, and he's apparently sinning just by writing to us.

Equality 7-2521 tells us about his society, and about his childhood.

When he was younger, Equality 7-2521 says, he used to get in more fights with the other kids than he should have.

When he was a Student in school, Equality 7-2521 discovered he was smarter than everyone else. This made his teachers unhappy. He tried to hide his intelligence, but didn't succeed.

Equality 7-2521 also dreamed of being a Scholar, which was wrong (since no one is supposed to care remotely about what they do with the rest of their lives).

When he was 15, Equality 7-2521 was punished by the Council of Vocations for all his transgressions. He was made a Street Sweeper.

Equality 7-2521's life as a Street Sweeper went on uneventfully for four years, until one day he stumbled upon a hole that led to an underground tunnel from the Unmentionable Times.

Equality 7-2521 has been going down to the tunnel every evening for the last two years to write and conduct experiments. He pulls this off by sneaking out during Social Recreation time, and returning before it is over.

One fine day, Equality 7-2521 sees Liberty 5-3000 working in the fields and develops a crush on her. He keeps looking at her for every day after that and starts to call her the Golden One in his head. Whoops – there's another Transgression of Preference.

Equality 7-2521 finally talks with Liberty 5-3000 one afternoon. He is pleased to discover the feelings are mutual, and that she's a virgin.

Equality 7-2521 discovers electricity alone in the tunnel.

Some time later, Equality 7-2521 has another conversation with Liberty 5-3000 and reveals that he has named her the Golden One. She's named him the Unconquered.

More time passes. Equality 7-2521 creates an electric light. Now he just has to come out of hiding and show the fruits of his research to everyone. He decides the meeting of the World Council of Scholars in his own City the next month will be the perfect opportunity.

Unfortunately, Equality 7-2521 gets so excited with his new invention that he loses track of time and returns to the House of the Street Sweepers too late. He's caught.

Because he refuses to reveal where he's been, Equality 7-2521 is sent to the Palace of Corrective Detention and whipped a whole lot. Still, he doesn't talk.

Equality 7-2521 is imprisoned for a month. When he realizes that the time for the World Council of Scholars has almost arrived, he breaks out of prison and prepares to present his invention.

Equality 7-2521 goes to the World Council of Scholars to show them his electric light. They want to kill him and destroy is invention. Equality 7-2521 decides it's time to leave the City for good.

Equality 7-2521 flees into the Uncharted Forest, where he won't be followed. He enjoys frolicking around and enjoying his first experience of real freedom.

Liberty 5-3000 finds Equality 7-2521 in the forest; she'd been following him. They have a lot of fun frolicking together.

Equality 7-2521 and Liberty 5-3000 come across a house from the Unmentionable Times which is filled with all kinds of technology. And books. Lots of books. Equality 7-2521 is set for life.

Equality 7-2521 discovers the word "I" during his reading. This moment is a big deal.

Equality 7-2521 shares with us the realizations he's had about freedom, happiness, the meaning of life, etc. He now worships the human ego.

Equality 7-2521 chooses new names for Liberty 5-3000 and himself, and reveals that Liberty 5-3000 is pregnant with his child. He swears he will keep the torch of freedom alive, and one day liberate his brothers