In the novel Anthem by Ayn Rand, the author provides us with a main character who goes by the name of Equality 7-2521. This character lives in a communist country where they have to follow all the rules laid down by the Vocations Council. If any of these rules are violated within the State, consequences will apply immediately. This is not what we humans need in our daily lives. While structure and order are essential for humans to live cohesively, we must still have our own identity and strive to meet our needs and happiness. To achieve these desires and needs, we must be free to choose to pursue these goals. There are historical events where people in our world wanted individualism and the right to pursue their own happiness. Events from a historical perspective that support Rand's opposition to communism include the June 4 Incident in Tiananmen Square, the White Movement in the Soviet Union in 1918, and the Velvet Revolution. These events mirror the events that occurred in the novel. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay In the novel Anthem, we learn that the general lifestyle was very strict and that people's actions had to be corrected where Equality 7-2521 lived. They couldn't say or think certain things otherwise they would be punished. We see this at the very beginning of the novel when it states, “It's a shame to write this. It's a shame to think words that others don't think and put them on a paper that others can't see. It is vile and evil. It's as if we were talking to ourselves to ears other than our own. And we know well that there is no transgression darker than doing or thinking alone. We broke the laws. The laws say that men cannot write unless the Council of Vocations orders it. We can be forgiven!” This opening can be linked to a historical incident that occurred in the summer of 1989 in Beijing, China. The Tiananmen Square protest was a statement against the reforms that took place in China in the 1980s. A good portion of these reforms would benefit only a select few people, but would disaffect the majority of China's population. Many students were unhappy with all these cuts and called for democracy, greater accountability, freedom of the press and freedom of speech, although these goals varied depending on the group of students. This can be related to the events of the novel when Equality 7-2521 discovers that deep down inside he does not agree with the rules that have been imposed on him by his society. He wants to do and learn other things rather than just be a street cleaner all his life. He hides in a tunnel three hours a day for two years to teach himself about education and eventually discovers electricity. He's finally had enough and decides to go to the World Council of Scholars to show them what he's discovered why it's a great invention and that it should be okay if he's doing it himself. As the novel progresses, it is evident that Equality 7-2521 has discovered that, by reading books and through self-education, the Councils have treated him and his brothers inhumanely. They do not have the right to choose or free speech, which every human being should have the right to do. This shows that we as human beings should always have our rights and our freedom to act to pursue our personal happiness. People will resort to extreme measures to gain these rights, whether it is running away on their own as Equality 7-2521 does in the book or.