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Life and works of American writer Ayn Rand, famous for her philosophy on individualism and her best known novel 'The Fountainhead.'
Ayn Rand's novels, especially The Fountainhead, then Anthem and Atlas Shrugged, were influential during the 1950s and 1960s when the theme of individualism was popular among young readers, and most especially college students. Early Life of Ayn RandAyn Rand, American author, essayist and conservative theorist, was born in St. Petersburg, on February 2, 1905, during the pre-revolutionary Russia. When she was 12, the Russian Revolution overturned the rule of the czar and established a communist government. Rand attended university in Russia, studying history at the University of St. Petersburg. Unable to accept the communist rule, she left her native land at the age of 18 for the United States. In 1931 she became a U.S. citizen, and for several years she worked as a Hollywood screenwriter. Rand's Objectivist PhilosophyOnce in the United States, Rand became a strong supporter of capitalism and a critic of communism. She believed in individualism: that people should do what is in their own interests and live for themselves rather than others. Her philosophical view was premised on enlightened selfishness and rejected altruistic welfare in favour of self-reliance. Her belief was primarily declared in her second book, Anthem. The Four Novels of 'Ego' ThemeIn particular, four of her novels presented her beliefs. Her first, We the Living, was published when she was 31. Like her other books, this features a hero whose individual desires triumph over the desires of a community. This was followed by Anthem. Her third novel, The Fountainhead, defended the individualism of an architect, Howard Roark, and was made into a film starring Gary Cooper who played the Roark, and the fourth one, Altas Shrugged, became a 'bible' of college students during those years of strong receptivity to idealism. The Objectivist JournalIn 1962, Rand founded The Objectivist, a journal advocating her belief that humans are rational and self-interested individuals. This was followed by The Ayn Rand Letter from 1971 which lasted until her death. Impact of Rand's BeliefsRand's novels were popular with university students, many of whom saw her as encouraging them to behave selfishly. Although briefly popular again during the politically conservative years of President Reagan, today her work is not as highly regarded. She died at the age of 77, on March 5, 1982. Works by Ayn Rand
Sources:Cambridge Guide to Literature in English by Ian Ousby, Cambridge University Press, 1993 Larousse Dictionary of Writers, edited by Rosemary Goring, Larousse plc, 1994
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