Ayn Rand's short story Anthem begins with Equality 7-2521, or as Prometheus will later be known, stating: “It is a shame to write this. It's a shame to think words that others don't think and put them on a piece of paper that others shouldn't see... and we know that there is no blacker transgression than doing or thinking for yourself” (17). Prometheus lives in what is known as a totalitarian society. In many totalitarian societies the ability to express oneself is often prohibited and repressed. This novella contains a society that represents extreme totalitarianism. The rulers 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, one does not think, speak or act in a way that is beneficial to oneself. Every single 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. By the grace of our brothers we have been granted life. We exist through, 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 arguing with his siblings, a transgression that was repeated so often, that of all the children in his year, he was the most locked in the cellar. During his time living in the Student House, he was constantly berated, demoralized, and ostracized for his ability to understand things faster than his brothers. His teachers had 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... middle of paper... the Council of Scholars ridicules and derides him, the Unnameable 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 in discovering the word was cut short when he realized that the brash behavior of his so-called brothers, led to the loss of a word, which showed individuality and allowed someone to characterize themselves and decide who they could become. , Prometheus' society believes that the "best of him", his inner curiosity, is a sin, since 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, they have lost the ability to give their citizens an independent identity, which could be used to benefit society..