The meaning of childhood“No dictator, no invader, can imprison a population forever by force of arms.” – J. Michael Straczynski. Equality 7-2521 is imprisoned under the rule of the Council, along with the rest of his society, where being different and challenging the brotherhood could lead to death. Ayn Rand's Anthem is about Equality 7-2521 discovering himself as an individual and rebelling against the Council's conformist strategies. The Council's dictatorial leaders dictate that children growing up away from their families have their lives impacted at an impressionable age by not allowing them to make their own decisions, controlling their minds with "correct" rules and beliefs, and inducing fear of going against the Council's rules. The company is unable to make its own decisions, allowing the Board to easily control them. Equality 7-2521 remembers Teachers' instructions when he was younger and why his thoughts about his job preference were unfair. «You will do what the Vocations Council prescribes» (Rand 22). In other words, he cannot choose his own work; it would simply be wrong according to the Council and the Teachers. Furthermore, because all of society has grown up under the rule of the Council, it has never known what it means to be entitled to one's own opinion or to have the privilege of free will. The Council set things up this way: if society doesn't know how to think for itself, it never will. Not being able to think for yourself means not recognizing your own opinion on something. After Equality 7-2521's career assignment, he is happy, full of joy that he is working for his brothers. “…and we will work for o……half of paper …who they want to be. Overall, the Council's autocratic leaders force children who grow up away from their parents and families to eliminate their opinions and ability to make decisions, fill their minds with the "right" and "right" ideas, and cause fear of going against the laws of the Council at an actionable age. Each of these traits is shown through the perspective of Equality 7-2521, allows the Council to choose his job for the rest of his life despite his preference, willingly works for his brothers - while trying to hide his difference from others , and finally is haunted by the memory of a Transgressor burned at the stake for defying the Council's rules. Furthermore, the family structure of the Council controlled the company, until one idea, ironically, began to consume Equality 7-2521. … “The sacred word: EGO” (Rand 105).