Anthem Essay- Comparing It to the Bible

Compare and Contrast of Adam and Eve

In the novel Anthem, Equality circumstance of rebellion creates similarities and differences to the story of Adam and Eve in the Bible. Adam and Eve’s sin can be compared to Equalitysins. Adam and Eve break one and only rule in the Garden of Eden by eating the fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. God gives Adam and Eve permission to eat any fruit in the Garden of Eden except for the fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. A serpent tempts Eve to eat the fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, and she gives some to Adam who was with her. Equality breaks many laws in his dystopian society where it is a sin to “be alone, ever and at any time, for this is the great transgression and the root of all evil”. He had the courage to seek and find knowledge from the Unmentionable Times, and to love the woman of his choice. Adam and Eve and Equality are aware of what will happen next, but they still fall into temptation and are condemned from their societies.

The expulsion of Adam is similar by falling into temptation, yet knowing that it is wrong. Adam and Eve’s reaction toward their sin can be contrasted by Equality reaction. Adam and Eve break their one and only rule by eating the fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. “Then the eyes of [Adam and Eve] opened, and they knew that they were naked”. They made themselves loincloths from sewing fig leaves together and hid from the presence of God among the trees. They were afraid of God, and they were ashamed of themselves. Equality 7-2521 is not ashamed of what he did, nor did he fear anything. Equality “only [wishes] to be away, away from the City and from the air that touches upon the air of the city”. He runs away to the Uncharted Forest after his disastrous event at the World Council of Scholars knowing that there “is no road back for [him], and no redemption”. As his journey goes deeper into the Uncharted Forest, he is both physically and spiritually walking away from collectivism and the city.

Instead of being afraid and ashamed of his sin, like Adam and Eve, Equality does not understand the people in his society and runs away to the Uncharted Forest. While Adam and Eve are forced out from the Garden of Eden, Equality runs away from his society hoping to seek freedom. The expulsion of Adam and Eve from the Garden of Eden and the story of Equality is different by their reactions toward their sins. Adam and Eve and Equality want something new, something different that will make their lives better. They risk all the circumstances that will come to them after the great sins they make. Adam and Eve fall into temptation by a serpent because they want to be as good or be better than God, their creator. Equality risk many days to seek and find the knowledge that was not allowed. Every mankind desire to have something better than what they have, sometimes risking things knowing what circumstances are following. All mankind is thrown with certain circumstances in their life to learn from them.