The Latin word Ego literally means "Man's Self," and it was the original title for the short, and powerful, science fiction novel Anthem. The author, Ayn Rand, believed very strongly in individualism and that one day all men could lose their rights, values, and independence. This is the plot of Anthem. It is a story of a future Dark Age in which all technology has been destroyed by those in power, and all men have been brainwashed into a single collective mind. The men do not know of the word "I," and therefore refer to themselves as "We." They are assigned their jobs and are not allowed to do anything that would raise themselves above their brother men. However, one man, Equality 7-2521, simply cannot grasp this concept. His entire life he has been punished for being different. Being too tall, or asking too many questions, were just some of the insults his superiors tossed at him. Yet he often disobeyed in his never ending lust for knowledge and self betterment. In the novel, he stumbles upon an old subway station from the "Unmentionable Times," and this eventually leads to his discovery of electricity. When he resolves to bring his gift of electricity before the World Council of Scholars, he is cast down and cursed for trying to aggrandize himself above his fellow men. However, he takes his light bulb and escapes into the "Unchartered Forest," on the edge of his city. He takes refuge in the mysterious forest, and his travels through the woods eventually lead him to an abandoned home were he discovers many magnificent things. The greatest of which is the word "I." Here he changes his name from Equality 7-2521, to Prometheus, a name he found in one of the many books in the house. This leads him to a revelation of the betterment of all men and a plan to bring back the lost technology of the "Unmentionable Times." There are many deep thoughts and words laced into Anthem's beautiful story.
