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.
