Creative Writing Assignment for Anthem

Rewrite the meeting between Equality and Liberty from her perspective.
Anthem, by Ayn Rand—Chapter 2

Every day when we went out to work in the fields, a brother would watch us. We did not know what to think of this, for brothers never looked upon us. This brother kept his eyes upon us as we worked in the field, and we pretended not to notice.

After many days of this, we came close to the hedge where this brother was, and we turned to them. They were striking. Taller and stronger than any other brother, with eyes like fire but also like ice, we stood aghast amongst their beauty and did not move. But we stared too long, and were embarrassed, so we turned and walked away from them.

The following day we met this brother again, and today we smiled. They smiled back at us. We were overwhelmed with joy, and we threw our body back toward the sky who had always been our friend. We turned once more over our shoulder and gazed upon them. They were different.

Every morning thereafter, we met this way but did not speak but with our eyes. What would come of us if we had? Execution certainly. But oh, we wanted to hear their voice just once. If even anyone had seen us as we raised our hand to our forehead and moved it in accordance with them, they would not have thought a thing of it. But can one survive off of gestures of the hand? This mysterious brother we know nothing of, yet we know them more than any other human being, and we feel something towards them that we feel towards no other. We do not know though what this feeling is. Women should not think of men, nor men of women, yet we find ourselves always thinking of this brother and their beauty. They are not like the others.

This day was monumental. We were kneeling along a moat that runs through the field and all the other women were far off. We saw them there by the hedge and rose and came toward them. As we were entranced by them, we were startled—but still—as they said to us, “You are beautiful, Liberty 5-3000.”

They knew our name, and they thought us beautiful! But what could we say? We had never spoken toward man, certainly not a man like this man, and we were afraid. “What is your name?” Oh, how stupid of us! What a thing to ask. They had just told us we were beautiful, and all we ask is a name.

“Equality 7-2521,” they answered.

“You are not one of our brothers, Equality 7-2521, for we do not wish you to be.” What were these words we had just uttered to this being? Not even do we understand what we meant by them.

“No, nor are you one of our sisters.” Yet they understood what we meant.

“If you see us among women, will you look upon us?”

“We shall look upon you, Liberty 5-3000, if we see you among all the women of the earth.”

“Are the Street Sweepers sent to different parts of the City or do they always work in the same places?” We were curious to know if they would look upon us every day thereafter.

“They always work in the same places, and no one will take this road away from us.” Joy filled our soul.

“Your eyes,” we said, “are not like the eyes of any among men.”

They replied, “How old are you?”

And we felt ashamed. “Seventeen,” we whispered. We smiled sadly, for we knew what they thought, and then we retreated.

            That night we lie in our clean white room with one hundred beds and we ponder at the ceiling of the whereabouts of this brother, who in our thoughts is the Unconquered, for we know that nothing can conquer them. We wish only to speak to them again—and again, and again, and again.