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Great Wo y
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Ayn Rand
© 2021 Prager University Foundation
 Meet Ayn Rand
Ayn Rand is a beloved author whose childhood experiences At-a-Glance
shaped the themes of her novels and ultimately led to the
creation of her own philosophy. Born Alissa
Rosenbaum
Rand witnessed the Bolshevik Revolution and the Communist February 2, 1905 in
take-over of Russia. Ayn’s family suffered years of severe St. Petersburg, Russia
poverty after armed soldiers confiscated her father’s
pharmacy. She escaped to the United States when she was 21. Adopted the name
Ayn Rand when she
Ayn pursued a writing career in Hollywood. She worked as a emigrated to the
clerk and wrote stories, plays, and screenplays in her spare United States (Ayn
time. Her first novel, We the Living, introduced the idea that rhymes with “pine”)
individualism is the source of freedom and collectivism is the
root of oppression. Best known as the
author of two novels,
Rand is best known for her books The Fountainhead and The Fountainhead
Atlas Shrugged, which drew harsh critical reviews but became (1943) and Atlas
best-sellers. Rand’s philosophy of reason and individualism Shrugged (1957)
has influenced many people and inspired political
movements, including libertarianism and the Tea Party. Developed her
own philosophy,
Objectivism: Every
individual has a right
to pursue the values
that make him or her
happy. It is morally
wrong to sacrifice
the self or others.

Influential among
conservatives and
libertarians from the
mid-20th century

Died March 6, 1982 in

New York, New York

2
Great Women in History: Ayn Rand
 Young Ayn (Alissa)
The eldest of three daughters, favor of the revolution because it
Alissa (the name Ayn was born appeared to represent the fight
with) was born in St. Petersburg, for individual freedom. Russia
one of the most cultured cities had undergone a period of
in the world. Her family lived in a instability following World War I,
large apartment above her father’s and the government leaders were
pharmacy. Her father had grown up struggling to cope with political
poor and worked hard to support unrest, food shortages, and low
his family and put himself through morale. Government corruption
university. He placed a high value was rampant, and Russians hoped
on individualism. for a better life.

Alissa taught herself to read and However, life changed for the
write before entering school. She worse in October 1917 when
enjoyed expressing her strong the Bolsheviks seized power in
opinions and decided at age nine Russia by occupying government
that she wanted to be a writer. buildings and other strategic
In early 1917, when the revolution locations. The prime minister fled,
began with political demonstrations and soldiers filled the streets.
against the Russian monarchy, Amid this unrest and fear, the
Alissa watched with fascination. She Soviet regime was born. Private
viewed politics as a moral issue. property, businesses and banks
She felt that people should be free were confiscated by the new
to set their own goals and not be government.
forced to live by others’ goals.
In the beginning, Alissa was in

“To achieve, you need thought. ...

You have to know what you are
doing and that’s real power.”
Ayn Rand

3
Great Women in History: Ayn Rand
 A PHILOSOPHY
TO LIVE BY
Ayn Rand named her
philosophy Objectivism. She
believed that the only way

Life Under Communism

to obtain knowledge was
through rational thought,
not faith or feelings, and
Alissa remembered vividly when armed soldiers burst
that the creators of values
into her father’s pharmacy and stamped a red seal on
are the greatest heroes of
the door, indicating that it was now state-owned. In a
the human race.
single moment, Alissa’s family lost nearly everything
and was forced to live on their meager savings. She
Rand believed that something
later wrote, “It was a horrible spectacle of brutality
is good if it promotes human
and injustice.”
life (such as freedom,
education, nutritious
Alissa and her family moved to Crimea where she
food), and evil if it destroys
attended high school and began writing her own
human life (such as political
short stories. She discovered author Victor Hugo,
dictatorship, ignorance,
whose work had a profound influence on her own
poison).
development as a writer. She admired that Hugo
wrote about important issues through complex plots
She argued that the good
featuring heroic, larger-than-life characters. Alissa also
must be based on objective
enjoyed studying math because it was based on pure
fact, and not on the will
logic. She concluded that her values were “objective”
of God, societal beliefs, or
because they were based on logic and reason.
individual impulses.
Alissa studied history at the University of Petrograd.
Rand concluded that every
Soon after graduation, Alissa’s family received a
human being should pursue
letter from a relative in the United States who had
values that advance his
fled Russia in 1889 and knew about the horrors of the
or her own happiness.
communist government. Alissa begged her mother to
Individuals succeed by
request their help in bringing her to America. In 1925,
following their values, not
the Soviet government granted permission, and Alissa
by surrendering them.
began her long journey, carrying only a small suitcase
and her typewriter.

4
Great Women in History: Ayn Rand
Life in America
Ayn (the name In the summer, Ayn left for Hollywood to
Alissa took after pursue a screenwriting career. Through
she arrived in her Aunt Sarah’s connections, she was
America) first introduced to director Cecil B. DeMille’s
stayed with her movie studio. By chance, DeMille noticed
mother’s family Ayn standing near the gate and offered
in Chicago. They her a ride to the studio where he was
greeted Ayn filming a new movie, King of Kings. He
warmly and asked hired her to work as an extra on set. One
Oscar White / Getty

about her life in week later, Ayn met her future husband,
Russia, but she actor Frank O’Connor, whom she later
refused to speak of married in 1929. They remained married
it. Ayn wanted to focus on the future and until he died in 1979 and did not have
was grateful for the opportunity of a new any children.
beginning. She later acknowledged that
her mother’s family had saved her life.

Ayn learned English by watching films

in the small theater owned by her Aunt
Sarah. She began writing screenplays in
English and enlisted a young cousin to
help her with English grammar.

“What you feel tells you nothing

about the facts; it merely tells
you something about your estimate
of the facts.”

Ayn Rand

5
Great Women in History: Ayn Rand
 Life as a Writer
Ayn wanted desperately to earn a living well-received, but Ayn was determined
as a writer, but struggled for several years, to keep writing.
working as a junior screenwriter for Cecil
DeMille and in the wardrobe department Ayn and her husband moved to New
of RKO Pictures. In her spare time, Ayn York when her courtroom drama,
developed her own screenplays and Night of January 16th, played for more
short stories. She also began writing her than six months on Broadway. Around
first novel, We the Living, about a young this time, Ayn also wrote a short story
woman struggling to pursue her goals entitled Anthem, which tells the story
under communist rule in the Soviet Union. of a young mind living in a totalitarian
state where freedom of expression has
Ayn sold a screenplay, Red Pawn, to been suppressed, and the very idea of
Universal Studios for $700, allowing her individualism was stamped out.
to quit her job and focus entirely on the
novel, which was published in 1936. We Ayn also began working on her most
the Living was rejected by many publishers famous literary works, The Fountainhead
because the book was considered too and Atlas Shrugged. In both books, Ayn
intellectual and too political. No publisher explores the theme of individualism versus
wanted to earn a profit on a story that collectivism. Her heroes are independent
denounced the Soviet Union, but Ayn thinkers whose lives are guided by their
didn’t give up and We the Living was finally own minds, self-interests, and abilities.
published. Unfortunately, it was not initially

Later Life
Atlas Shrugged was Rand’s last work of fiction. It sparked
controversy and launched the Objectivist movement, which
has slowly entered mainstream American culture. In Ayn’s later
years, she concentrated on further developing Objectivism.
She wrote many essays, gave lectures at universities, and
appeared on television. In 1961, she published her first non-
fiction book For the New Intellectual. A lifelong smoker, Ayn
suffered from lung cancer but ultimately died from heart
failure in 1982. Her last book, Philosophy: Who Needs It, was
published in 1982 just after her death.
6
Great Women in History: Ayn Rand
Famous Books
Atlas Shrugged (1957)
Synopsis: Dagny Taggart manages a railroad
company in a future American society that
is on the brink of collapse under oppressive
laws. As the U.S. falls into communism, Dagny
fights back to save her business. Meanwhile, the
greatest minds of the country are vanishing!
Americans ask a question that no one can
answer: “Who is John Galt?” Dagny pursues this
mysterious man who wishes to “stop the motor
of the world.”

Rand defends the system of capitalism on

The Fountainhead moral grounds. She believes that pursuing one’s
(1943) own happiness is essential to living a moral life.
Therefore, acting in one’s own self-interest is
Synopsis: Howard Roark is
morally correct, in contrast to making decisions
an architect who designs
based on self-sacrifice for the greater good.
a public housing project
According to Rand, the only political system
that was altered against
that supports individual freedom is capitalism.
his wishes by government
officials. When he is tried Attacked by critics, but became an instant
in court, he stands for best-seller.
individualism and the jury
acquits him.

 and spent more than seven

R
years working on the book.

Initially rejected by 12
publishers; published in 1943.

Now considered an
American classic.

Continues to sell more than

100,000 copies per year.

7
Great Women in History: Ayn Rand
 Fascinating Facts about Ayn
• When Ayn first arrived in the U.S., she Unfortunately, the Soviet authorities did
lived with family in Chicago, where one of not grant the Rosenbaums permission to
her relatives owned a movie theater. She leave Russia. When World War II began,
visited the theater almost daily, watching Ayn lost contact with her family.
films to hone her English skills.
• In the publishing industry, a novel usually
• The name “Ayn” was inspired by the shows its highest sales in the first few
name of a Finnish writer. Ayn described months following publication. Ayn’s
her new surname as an abbreviation of books reversed the pattern; sales were
Rosenbaum. slow initially and gradually increased.

• Ayn became a U.S. citizen in 1931. • Ayn stated that she wrote every page
of the 1,000-page Atlas Shrugged a
• When Ayn finally experienced financial minimum of five times.
stability in the 1930s, she tried to
bring her family to the United States.

Free to Choose
1. Ayn Rand is best known as a: 4. Ayn Rand named her personal philosophy:
a. revolutionist a. Individualism
b. writer b. Collectivism
c. actress c. Objectivism

5. Ayn’s two best-selling novels are:

2. The Bolshevik Revolution ushered in:
a. We the Living & The Fountainhead
a. a period of peace and prosperity
b. The Fountainhead & Atlas Shrugged
b. a democratic movement
c. Night of January 16th & Atlas Shrugged
c. the rise of communism

6. According to Ayn’s philosophy of

3. The author who had a profound influence Objectivism, the individual should:
on Ayn was: a. sacrifice his own values for the sake
a. Victor Hugo of the greater good
b. William Shakespeare b. make decisions solely based on feelings
c. George Sand c. pursue his own interests and values

8
Great Women in History: Ayn Rand Answer key on page 10
 Crossword
Prep 3 Puzzle
- Rand
ACROSS
5. The name of the
main character in
The Fountainhead
7. T
 he country where
1 2
Ayn was born
3 4
8. What Ayn Rand called
her philosophy

5 DOWN
1. A
 yn left for America
with a suitcase and this
6
2. T he title of Ayn’s
7 first novel
3. Ayn believed that
individuals should live
8
according to these
4. T he type of business
owned by Ayn’s father
6. Ayn learned English by
watching these
Answer key on page 10
ACROSS DOWN

5 The name of the main 1 Ayn left for America

character in The with a suitcase and this
Fountainhead
7 The country where
Ayn was born
Detect the Difference 2 The title of Ayn’s
first novel
3 Ayn believed that
8 What Ayn Rand called individuals should live
her philosophy according to these
4 The type of business
Use your skills of owned by Ayn’s
father
observation to find the six 6 Ayn learned English by
differences in these nearly watching these
identical images of the
Ayn Rand commemorative
postage stamp, issued in
April 1999. The stamp was
designed by Phil Jordan
of Falls Church, Virginia,
and illustrated by Nicholas
©Olga Popova/123RF.COM

Gaetano of Fletcher,
North Carolina.

Answer key on page 10

9
Great Women in History: Ayn Rand
Glossary
• Bolshevik Revolution: The 1917 • Individualism: Belief in the primary
overthrow of the Russian government importance of the individual and in the
led by the Social Democratic Workers’ virtues of self-reliance and personal
Party (the Bolsheviks and Vladimir independence.
Lenin).
• Moral: Concerned with the judgment
• Capitalism: An economic system in of right or wrong human action and
which the means of production and character.
distribution are privately or corporately
• Philosophy: The study of the nature,
owned and growth occurs through
causes, or principles of reality,
the accumulation and reinvestment of
knowledge, or values, based on logical
profits gained in a free market.
reasoning.
• Collectivism: The system of ownership
• Totalitarian: A form of government in
and control of the means of production
which the political authority exercises
and distribution by a group, usually
absolute and centralized control
under the supervision of a government.
over all aspects of life, the individual
• Corruption: Dishonest or illegal is secondary to the state, and all
behavior, especially by powerful opposing expression is suppressed.
people.

Sources
The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language (online edition). Boston: Houghton
Mifflin Harcourt.
Bernstein, Andrew. Ayn Rand for Beginners. Danbury: A For Beginners® Documentary Comic
Book, 2009.
Biography.com Editors. “Ayn Rand Biography.” Biography.com Website, 2 Apr. 2014,
https://www.biography.com/writer/ayn-rand.
Branden, Barbara. The Passion of Ayn Rand. Garden City: Doubleday & Company, 1986.
Britannica, The Editors of Encyclopaedia. “Russian Revolution”. Encyclopedia Britannica,
30 Oct. 2020, https://www.britannica.com/event/Russian-Revolution. April 2021.
Burns, Jennifer. Goddess of the Market. Ayn Rand and the American Right. New York: Oxford
University Press, 2009.
Duignan, Brian. “Ayn Rand.” Encyclopedia Britannica, 2 Mar. 2021, https://www.britannica.com/
biography/Ayn-Rand.
Merriam-Webster Dictionary (online edition). April 2021.
Smithsonian National Postal Museum (https://postalmuseum.si.edu/people/ayn-rand). April 2021.

CROSSWORD KEY: Across: 5. Howard Roark. 7: Russia. 8. Objectivism. Down: 1. typewriter. 2. We the Living. 3. values. 4. pharmacy. 6. movies.
FREE TO CHOOSE KEY: 1–b. 2-c. 3-a. 4-c. 5-b. 6-c.

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