Ayn Rand & Anthem What was her genesis?

What in our lives shapes our opinions & views of our (the) world?

She was born Feb. 2, 1905 In St. Petersburg, Russia The dawn of massive political and social upheaval in Russia.

At the age of 12, Ayn experienced the Russian Revolution. This was not a single battle The Russian Revolution is actually a collectivist term for a series of revolutions that took place in 1917

Kerensky Revolution (February 1917) Ayn supported this revolution as it represented: A break from Russian Monarchy Abdication of Tsar Nicholas II AKA Bloody Nicholas Responsible for: Khodynka Tragedy, Anti-Semetic Pogroms, Bloody Sunday, and Executing Political Opponents End of the Romanov Dynasty End of Russian Empire

Between the Kerensky Revolution and the Bolshevik Revolution (October 1917), there were over 4,000 peasant uprisings against landowners

Bolshevik/October Revolution Ayn did not support the Bolshevik Revolution as it represented Communist ideals This led to a very totalitarian , Communist Russia.

This repression and total control from a Totalitarian Communist government meant: You cannot disagree It is wrong to have independent thoughts Do not ask questions as it sets you apart from others. Self-assertion is forbidden All decisions are made by the Council in the name of the whole Individuals have no rights The state holds total authority over the society and seeks to control all aspects of public and private life wherever possible

The Russian Revolution was followed by a civil war in Russia. Shortly after, the October Revolution and Civil War her father’s pharmacy was confiscated and her family faced starvation often. They became displaced like much of Russia’s populace.

In her last year of high school, Ayn Rand was introduced to American history She immediately took America as her model of what a nation of free men could be

She then entered the University of Petrograd to study philosophy and history At the end of her time there, she experienced the breakdown of free inquiry and the takeover of the university by communists She found Western films as an escape from the increasing repression of the Communist government

In 1925, she obtained permission to leave the USSR to visit relatives in the U.S. Although she told Soviet authorities that her visit would be short, she was determined never to return to Russia. She spent 6 months with relatives in Chicago, obtained extensions to her visa, and then left for Hollywood to pursue a career as a screenwriter.

Alisa Rosenbaum “Ayn Rand” Born: February 2, 1905 Saint Petersburg, Russia Died: March 6, 1982 New York City Major Works: We The Living (1936) Anthem (1938) The Fountainhead (1943) Atlas Shrugged (1957) Alisa Rosenbaum “Ayn Rand”

Is success measured by the individual or the collective group? Overarching Question Is success measured by the individual or the collective group?

Essential Questions 1. Identity: How do you know who you are? How do you form your identity? How does it change? 2. Martyrdom: The value of suffering ,-what makes a hero? What is its purpose? 3. Power: What does it mean to have it? How do you gain power? How do you keep it? When do you relinquish power? What is your knowledge of power?

Is success measured by the individual or the collective group?

Identity

Visuals of Martyrs

Power