Importance of Ego

The Importance of Ego In the novella Anthem by Ayn Rand, the last two chapters play an important part in bringing together the text as a whole. The narrator transitions from third to first person narration after his escape from the dismal “utopian” society. Prometheus, the aforementioned narrator, recounts the history of man and his struggle to overcome oppression by greater forces and authoritarian figures. The author chooses to repeat symbols and words of individuality and the benefits of singular work. Ayn Rand uses her novella Anthem to promote the importance of individuality in all aspects of life. In her early life, the author, Ayn Rand, was exposed to brutal oppression and collectivist thinking. Ayn Rand, born “in St. Petersburg, Russia in 1905” soon before the communist revolution occurred in 1917. Growing up she detested the institution she lived under, so she immigrated to America in 1926. Ayn Rand was educated in the USSR which gave her an upper hand that other American novelists didn’t have. She had first-hand experience with communism which drove her to oppose it entirely. According to Rand, “no outside power has the right to demand” anything from an individual or the work they can produce. In her lifetime, Rand wrote Atlas Shrugged, We the Living, the Fountainhead, and Anthem¸ among other less popular works by the end of her writing career. These fictional books advocate individualism and bravery in a despotic society. Ayn Rand died in New York City, NY in 1982, leaving behind her a legacy which fueled more complex and innovative thinking in future generations of readers and philosophers. The style of Ayn Rand’s writing impacted the world of literature from the beginning. She “[defied] cultural and political trends” and “established a unique place” among fellow authors. According to Dayana, “[Ayn Rand’s] mind was utterly first handed” which proved to be very successful. Although at first she was misunderstood and deemed “immature” in a