Anthem by Ayn Rand

Rand’s Background She was born in Russia in 1905 Age 6 – taught herself to read – educated under communist rule Age 9 – decided to make writing fiction her life’s work. During teens, she witnessed the Kerensky and Bolshevik Revolutions and Lenin bring Totalitarianism

Rand’s Background Rand experienced firsthand horrors of totalitarianism: Form of government in which political authority has absolute and central control over all aspects of life. Individual thought, political and cultural expression is suppressed for the “ good ” of the government. She “visited” America in 1926 and never went back to Russia

Rand ’ s Beliefs Man ’ s “ self ” is his mind…ability to reason It is reason (man ’ s value judgments) that leads to man ’ s emotions. It is reason that gives man the ability to make choices. Reason is a property of the individual. There is no such thing as a collective brain. From these beliefs she developed a philosophy called Objectivism

Free Will vs. Determinism Free will means people can make choices, make up their own minds, make decisions, and direct their own lives by the ideas and values they adopt Determinism is that people are by nature in the grip of forces beyond their control

Dystopian/Anti-Utopian Literature This type of literature presents the world as it should NOT be.