Introduction Anthem by Ayn Rand is an outstanding novel purposed to glorify human potential as well as individual self-worth. Its main theme is individualism and central conflict, that is, individual versus the collective. The story of the novel takes place in an unidentified place when...
Introduction Imagine a world where everything and everyone is the same, a world where there is no freedom to make your own visions or live your own decisions. This is the cruel reality of Equality. Anthem is a dystopian novel written by Ayn Rand, which...
In Ayn Rand’s 1938 novella, Anthem, Rand explores the life of a young man named, Equality 7-2521 in a ‘Dark-Age’ communist-like state set sometime in the distant future. The novella follows Equality’s struggle to find his identity and purpose in a society that has rejected...
In the novel “Anthem” Ayn Rand tries to represent the idea that everyone in the world should have opportunities to pursue their own happiness. She criticizes the philosophies of collectivism and socialism, which limit people’s individuality, and she also encourages people to join with Equality...
Anthem is a portrayal of Ayn Rand’s view on collectivism and acquaints us with the standards of objectivism and individualism. The hero of the novel, Prometheus, is raised in a society where the word ‘’we” is worshiped and the identity of the individual is crumpled...
Introduction Ayn Rand, an influential American novelist and philosopher, endeavored to offer her readers a new perspective on life’s meaning. Growing up as a Jew in a communist country, Rand struggled to find her place in society and, therefore, matured as an anti-communist citizen in...
Ragnar Danneskjold: The Anti-Robin Hood In Ayn Rand’s classic novel, Atlas Shrugged, Ragnar Danneskjold embodies the anti-Robin Hood spirit. In Danneskjold’s eyes, Robin Hood represents the justification for stealing from the rich to fulfill the needs of the poor. The legendary hero was charitable, but...
Integrity is a quality frequently sought after but rarely achieved; once achieved; it is even more rarely maintained. It is an elusive gem with the potential to inspire and transform a person. Unfortunately, it is often compromised – a valuable payment for something of lesser...
Philosophy is originally a kind of purpose of life pursuit, but in an extremely prosperous world, one may not have the happiness he or she deserves. Anthem, which is written by Ayn Rand, has described such a dystopian world. It is sad that under the...
Which man ultimately prospers: the man of integrity, or the hypocritical, unethical man? In The Fountainhead, Ayn Rand questions the relationship between the moral and the practical. Many people in real life – as well as Gail Wynand and Dominique Francon in the novel –...
Ayn Rand’s philosophy of individualism and freedom is crucial for a well-balanced society. The society controlled by the World Council, described in Anthem, should be avoided as it represents manipulation, segregation and dictatorship. This essay will demonstrate the negative aspects Equality faces through the following...
The impact literature can impose on society remains striking even to this day. Ayn Rand’s novel The Fountainhead contains themes that resonated so significantly with readers that it triggered a political movement, and assisted in forming the Libertarian party. The Fountainhead often referred to as...
Ayn Rand’s “Atlas Shrugged” skillfully introduces readers to a world where actions and values are meticulously examined and weighed against each other. While the narrative also encompasses various subplots, the central conflict primarily revolves around human actions. Rand masterfully injects dramatic elements into her storytelling...
Ayn Rand’s The Fountainhead showcases four men who exhibit varying strength of character, resolve, and ethics to create a concise illustration of the distinct levels of objectivity that pepper the spectrum of the human character. The obvious protagonist of this literary work, Howard Roark, is...
The relationship between Roark and Keating dominates the first two parts of the novel. Rand uses the comparison between Roark and Keating to express two polar opposites. Roark is Rand’s hero, the epitome of everything Rand attributes to be good. He abides by ideals of...
Man’s fabric, biblically, is dirt. Under the misnomer of “soil,” this substance signifies filth; yet it is essentially pure until Man soils it himself, with blood or spit or footprints, just as Eve first laced it with the juice of an apple. Biologically, the zygotic...
Howard Roark’s character in The Fountainhead is unwavering and beyond the effects of time, people, and mass opinion. Much of Roark’s effectiveness and integrity is drawn in contrast, a contrast to the ever-changing beliefs of those around him. These differences, and Roark’s steadfast character, can...
From Aristotle to modern times, the faculty of human reason has been the subject of contrasting depictions in literature. In Crime and Punishment, for example, Fyodor Dostoyevsky emphasizes the tragic outcome of Rodion Romanovich Raskolnikov’s obsession with rationalization; in the end, the protagonist rejects his...
Ellie and Equality were similar and different in personality among other things. Regardless of the fact that she was a woman, Ellie was tough, argumentative, and determined throughout Contact. Equality was more the individual in a society where everyone was bland and submissive. Carl Sagan’s...
A Balancing Act: How Ayn Rand Pushes Her Philosophy Objectivism over Altruism In Ayn Rand’s The Fountainhead, the author uses her protagonist, Howard Roark, to represent the ideal man. Roark is characterized as static, passionate about architecture, and indifferent towards others. If he displays benevolence,...
Prometheus Award Hall of Fame inductee in 1987 (for Anthem) and co-inaugural inductee in 1983 (for Atlas Shrugged)
Date
February 2, 1905 – March 6, 1982
Activity
Ayn Rand was a Russian-born American author and philosopher. Rand authored two best-selling novels, The Fountainhead (1943) and Atlas Shrugged (1957). Her novels were especially influential among conservatives and libertarians from the mid-20th century.
Works
“Atlas Shrugged”, “Capitalism: The Unknown Ideal”, “Ideal”, “The Fountainhead”, “The Virtue of Selfishness”, “We, the Living”
Themes
All Rand's books revolve around her own philosophy termed as "Objectivism", which she described as "the concept of man as a heroic being, with his own happiness as the moral purpose of his life, with productive achievement as his noblest activity, and reason as his only absolute".
Style
Rand described her approach to literature as "romantic realism". She wanted her fiction to present the world "as it could be and should be", rather than as it was. This approach led her to create highly stylized situations and characters. Her fiction typically has protagonists who are heroic individualists, depicted as fit and attractive. Her villains support duty and collectivist moral ideals. Rand often describes them as unattractive. Romantic triangles are a common plot element in Rand's fiction.
Legacy
Ayn Rand's remains a polarizing figure — but there is no question that her works are enormously influential. In the 1990s and 2000s her works undoubtedly contributed to the increased popularity of libertarianism in the United States, and from 2009 she was an iconic figure in the antigovernment Tea Party movement. It is for these specifically political influences, rather than for her contributions to literature or philosophy, that she is likely to be remembered by future generations.
Quotes
“If you don't know, the thing to do is not to get scared, but to learn.”
“Learn to value yourself, which means: fight for your happiness.”
“Freedom (n.): To ask nothing. To expect nothing. To depend on nothing.”
