How does Rand develop the theme that individuals who are free to think on their own can make the greatest discoveries? Support your answer with evidence from the text.

Answer:

Rand develops the theme that individuals who are free to think on their own can make the greatest discoveries by showing Equality 7-2521’s transformation from a member of a collectivist society to an independent thinker. At the beginning of the excerpt, he uses the pronouns “we” and “us,” reflecting how the society forbids individual thought: “We are nothing. Mankind is all.” Despite this, he secretly conducts experiments and invents electric light, a discovery the World Council of Scholars rejects because it came from one person rather than the collective. By the end, after escaping, he switches to “I” and “my,” declaring “I am. I think. I will.” This pronoun shift, along with imagery of light representing knowledge and freedom versus the darkness of conformity, shows that only when he thinks for himself can he achieve true discovery and happiness.