Ayn Rand “I guard my treasures: my thought, my will, my freedom. And the greatest of these is freedom.” (Rand. 58). Ayn Rand treasured her personal beliefs, which were reflected through her writing. Rand lived in two distinct countries: Russia and the United States, during her lifetime. Ayn also lived during a time where many major global events occurred. A very unique and interesting childhood and adult life, subjective beliefs and philosophies, and major events occurring in the world around her were all factors that contributed to Ayn Rand’s perspective and style of writing in her infamous novel, Anthem. Ayn Rand, the oldest of three daughters, was born on February 2, 1906 (Gladstein. 3,4). Rand’s given birth name was Alisa Zinovievna …show more content…
For example, when Ayn was twelve, the Bolshevik Revolution was occurring (“Anthem.” 1). Ayn greatly admired Alexander Kerensky, the prime minister of the Russian Provisional Government, because she thought that he was fighting for what she too believed in, personal liberty in both government and in life (Gladstein. 5). Tragically, the Bolsheviks then seized Petrograd, imprisoned the Kerensky Cabinet, and killed the Constitutional Assembly delegates. Ayn actually witnessed the funeral procession of the delegates from her home (5). Kerensky managed to flee Russia, and Ayn’s family, the Rosenbaums. also had the opportunity to flee. However, Ayn’s family decided to stay for the sake of their business (5). Soon enough, the Rosenbaum’s business was seized by the Soviets. The confiscation of the pharmacy resulted in a struggle for food, money, and other necessities for the Rosenbaums (5). The teenage years of Ayn Rand were grueling, which ultimately helped her gain further inspiration to write Anthem. Ayn Rand’s college education increased her knowledge that also helped mold her into the writer she eventually became. As a young adult, Ayn attended the University of Petrograd as a history major and a philosophy minor, to her father’s dismay (Gladstein. 6). Ayn’s father, Zinovy, did not believe that history and philosophy were true professions. Despite her father’s feelings about …show more content…
Rand has a strong philosophy - rational self-interest, otherwise known as Objectivism (“Ayn Rand.” Encyclopedia of World Biography. 95). In other words, she believed that reality is unbiased, and reason is all that we need to comprehend our pursuit of happiness and reach our utmost potential. Rand thought that reaching one’s potential results in a life of comprehension, intention, and self respect (95). Ayn valued her own mind and ability to reason most of all and regarded that survival hinges on a person’s ability to comprehend reality. These personal theories play a major role in