On the Life of Ayn Rand

“My philosophy, in essence, is 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.” Ayn Rand’s bold words have rung in the ears of Americans for decades, inspiring many to pursue a greater sense of individualism and self-focus. Her unique philosophy and work have earned her a place of honor among America’s most notable authors. However, she did not always possess this great sense of individualism. One may ask: what was it that inspired such harsh, selfish beliefs? Her seemingly unyielding argument in defense of the individual is interesting when early life is studied. Ayn’s environment discouraged any sense of freedom, yet it was these experiences that enabled her to gain power and insight in egoism. Because Ayn Rand witnessed poverty, religious persecution, and an overthrown government, she developed the acute ability to recognize, as well as communicate, the importance of individualism in the midst of oppression.

Living in a poverty-stricken nation as a child and going through financial difficulty as an adult showed Ayn Rand the importance of personal independence. She was born as Alisa Zinov’yevna Rosenbaum in the Russian Empire, which was controlled by the Soviets at the time of her birth in 1905. Her father, Zinovy Rosenbaum, was a self-made, successful Jewish pharmacist and businessman, while her mother, Anna Borisovna, had formerly belonged to a wealthy aristocratic family. Yet despite their family’s financial success early on in Alisa’s life, the country of Soviet Russia was overridden with revolutionary violence, against both government and religion. These not only left the family terrified, but twice destroyed their family business, leaving the Rosenbaums to go hungry. They were not alone in their state of poverty, however. In just those two years, 5 million people died of starvation in their country. Alisa (Ayn) served as a witness to the horrors of an impoverished society at a young age. She saw that if her family could only have been independent from their oppressive government, they could have avoided these frightening times. In Ayn’s adult life in America, she found difficulty in gaining success in her Hollywood screenplays, thus forcing her to take on many odd jobs to pay for her basic living expenses. Although she finally gained fame and success through her screenplay, Red Pawn, and her first novel, We The Living, Ayn Rand never forgot the memories of her impoverished early life. Because Ayn personally experienced poverty and financial struggles, she was able to later convey messages of the importance of self-reliance and independence in her writing.

Ayn Rand’s youth as a fleeing political and religious refugee not only provided her with experience but with a mature ability to judge an oppressive government. Anti-Jewish groups surged through St. Petersburg, and Ayn’s family was terrified of being killed by these mobs. Alisa (Ayn) possessed an intense interest in politics even at the age of twelve, where she supported republican ideals and socialism rather than constitutional monarchy during the February Revolution of 1917. This early eagerness for debate and politics is notable, for even in her youth, she strongly developed her own opinions and had a keen sense of governmental judgment. It was during the October Revolution and the rule of the Bolsheviks under the new Soviet Union leader, Vladimir Lenin, that her once-comfortable family life was greatly disrupted. As previously mentioned, Ayn’s father’s pharmacy was confiscated and destroyed twice. The displaced family had no choice but to seek help from outside their poverty-stricken nation. Finally, when she was twelve years old, her family was able to flee with her and her three younger sisters to the Crimean Peninsula.  In response to her bleak and unyielding life trials, Ayn began developing her individualistic philosophies in high school, which she is known for to this day. She even determined to be atheist, contrary to her Jewish upbringing.  Nevertheless, she continued to learn about and create her own ideas regarding proper government in her studies at both a high school and a university level. Although she experienced the negativity of an oppressive government firsthand, Ayn developed the ability to recognize the absence of liberty.

Witnessing the overturning of the Soviet Russian government before immigrating to a free nation of America equipped Ayn with the understanding of true freedom of the individual, which she saw in the struggle between the people and the state. As an immigrant and refugee, she was able to not only study, but experience the differing governments. She saw Vladimir Lenin come to power during the Bolsheviks Revolutions, and she personally felt the pain of the lacking freedom herself. Where one country oppressed and restricted her, the other, America, encouraged and welcomed opportunity.  In her decision to become a professional author and in hopes to gain a fresh start in the United States, she changed her name officially to Ayn Rand, rather than her Russian birth name. In the fall of 1925, Rand was granted a visa to journey to America, and when she arrived in the harbor of New York City, she later recalled crying “tears of splendor” over the Manhattan skyline. America then provided her with the opportunity to become a Hollywood actress and screenwriter, and later an iconic novelist and philosopher, which she never would have had become if she had remained in Russia. Ayn Rand was able to personally witness the stark contrast between the values of America, a land of liberty, and Russia, an overturned nation of communism, as an immigrant.

It was the collective experiences throughout her entire life, including the hardhips, which shaped Ayn Rand. In order to create her unusual stories and characters, she had to define the ideas and principles that guided not only her protagonists, but herself as well. During her own lifetime, Ayn Rand became a famous, although quite controversial, figure to millions around the world, who claim her writings changed their lives. Her objectivist and individualistic philosophies, which she gained throughout her life, inspire and teach the world through her novels to this day. Ayn Rand’s unique approach and writings of individualism were reached because of her experiences in poverty, persecution, and governmental oppression; her entire life is what enabled her to succeed as an American author.