Ayn Rand continues her theme of independent thinking and personal values in another form. The Golden One, like Equality 7-2521, has been taught that life’s meaning lies exclusively in selfless toil for her brothers and sisters. At a conscious level, she accepts the only beliefs she has ever heard. But implicitly, she does not agree. She is drawn to Equality 7-2521 because of his unconquered soul. He—and the independence he represents—is what she wants out of life, and all the teachings of the collectivists are powerless to change her mind. Though the result is damnation and execution if she is caught, she will not be denied. She refuses to surrender her love. Against all the beliefs of her society, she flees the city and pursues Equality 7-2521 through the Uncharted Forest.
The Golden One understands at some wordless level that human beings must conduct life in accordance with their own judgment, and that life’s meaning lies in the attainment of personal values. She loves Equality 7-2521 and everything he stands for, regardless of what her brothers and sisters believe. If she is to be happy, then she must be true in action to her convictions. In the heroine’s character, as well as the hero’s, the author shows that the meaning of life lies in values that are personal, not social, in things and goals that are uniquely and distinctively one’s own.
Love is one such value. Because human beings are denied individuality in this society, they know no love. The state understands that love is preference, the valuing of one individual over all others. To stamp out individuality, the collectivist authorities must forbid love, which is why procreation is controlled by the state. In deciding who sleeps with whom and when, the authorities ensure that men and women are prohibited from making choices based on their own values. Equality 7-2521 and the Golden One discover love as a consequence of their commitment to their selves. They think for themselves, judge for themselves, and choose for themselves. The depth of love they hold for each other is a direct result of their recognition that human beings are unique individuals, not interchangeable parts of a whole.
The romantic love experienced by Equality 7-2521 and the Golden One is not shared with the rest of humankind. Love is a function of the self. Everything Equality 7-2521 is—his genius, his inventiveness, his relentless pursuit of truth—comes from his independence. This essence of him—of his self, of his soul—is what draws the proud, unconquered spirit of this beautiful young woman. She stands out from her sisters regarding the exact virtues that cause Equality 7-2521 to stand out from his brothers. They choose each other, and they choose in accordance with their own values, not in compliance with society’s laws or customs. Their love is personal, a function of the deepest convictions of their individual souls. This is the nature of romantic love, according to Rand.
Equality 7-2521’s quest for knowledge is also personal. Society disapproves of the questions he asks regarding both science and philosophy. His passion for truth drives him. His is the mind of a great thinker, determined to understand, fearless regarding the consequences. He seeks to discover the Unspeakable Word though it means certain death if he is caught. Rand shows that great scientists and thinkers such as Equality 7-2521 are driven by their own vision, their own passion for knowledge, despite the antipathy of society. They are on a relentless quest generated by a love of wisdom they possess deep in their souls.
His attempt to identify the Unspeakable Word—the forbidden thought that would explain so much—comes close to fruition. The Golden One, struggling with the same idea, expresses herself haltingly: “We are one . . . alone . . . and only . . .” They look at each other then, knowing that “the breath of a miracle had touched” them. But then the moment was gone, leaving them with the aching awareness that some vital component of knowledge was still denied them.
