Ayn Rand
| Famous as | Author, Screenwriter, Playwright, Developer of a philosophical system named by her as Objectivism |
| Born on | 02 February 1905 |
| Born in | Saint Petersburg, Russian Empire |
| Died on | 06 March 1982 |
| Nationality | United States |
Ayn Rand Childhood and Youth
Ayn Rand was born as Alisa Zinov'yevna Rosenbaum (Russian: Алиса
Зиновьевна Розенбаум) on 2 February 1905 to a capitalist family in Saint
Petersburg, erstwhile Russia. Rand was born to Zinovy Zakharovich
Rosenbaum and Anna Borisovna Rosenbaum and was the eldest among three
sisters. Her family members were greatly non-observant Jews. During the
Russian Revolution of 1917 Rand was a twelve year old kid who witnessed
political situations going against their family. With the sudden rise of
Bolshevik party under Vladimir Lenin Rand’s father’s pharmacy was
confiscated and Rand family was forced to seek refuge in Crimea. Rand
completed her high school education in Crimea. She turned sixteen before
returning to Saint Petersburg, where her family faced desperate
conditions and at times nearly starving.
As the Russian Revolution came to an end Universities were opened
up for women and Rand enrolled herself at Petrograd State University
pursuing studies at the department of social pedagogy and majoring in
history. She studied on Aristotle and Plato at the University which
influenced her greatly in building her ideas and thoughts on politics,
state and philosophies. She also read a lot of Friedrich Nietzsche. Rand
was able to read French, German and Russian and as a voracious reader
and academic found great interest in Fyodor Dostoevsky, Victor Hugo,
Edmond Rostand, and Friedrich Schiller who became her all time
favourites.
Rand was thrown out of the university along with many of her fellow
bourgeois students just before she was to complete her graduation.
However, with a group of foreign scientists visiting the campus
complained against this step and Rand along with all other purged
students were allowed to complete their work and graduate. Rand could
complete the graduation in October 1924. Rand studied for a year at the
State Technicum for Screen Arts in Leningrad. This was the time that
Rand decided to adopt her professional surname for writing as Rand which
was a probably Cyrillic contraction of her birth
surname and she took her first name as Ayn which is possibly taken from
either a Finnish name or from the Hebrew word עין (ayin, meaning
"eye").
Early Career
It was in the fall of 1925 that Rand was granted a visa
to visit her American relatives. She loved the skyline of Manhattan
upon her arrival in New York Harbor. Her admiration for America grew
strong and she decided to stay back and become a screenwriter in the
United States for which she stayed with her relatives for a few months
in Chicago. Ayn was allowed to watch several films for free by one of
her relatives. Ayn chose to seek out her career in Hollywood,
California. The steep expenses in Hollywood let Rand take up odd jobs to
seek out her daily living. While struggling in Hollywood Rand met famed
director Cecil B. DeMille who cast Rand as an extra artist in one of
his films, ‘The King of Kings’, a silent film in 1927. Cecil B. DeMille
also asked Ayn to work as a junior screenwriter. During this time Ayn
met an aspiring young actor, Frank O'Connor with whom she got married to
on 15 April 1929. In 1931 Rand turned an American citizen. Rand tried
hard to bring her parents to America but they were refused to emigrate.
Early Writings
Rand entered the path of literary success and fame with the sale of
her screenplay ‘Red Pawn’ to Universal Studios in 1932 which never got
produced. But Rand continued with her quest and a courtroom drama “Night of January 16th”
which was written by her first got produced in Hollywood in 1934 and it
was then successfully staged on Broadway in 1935. Rand’s drama became
popular with the script entitling the selection of the jury members from
the audience and one of the two different endings of the drama
depending on the jury's "verdict", would then be performed. Rand was
critical about her drama and never took part in the production.
In 1936 Rand’s first semi-autobiographical novel, “We the Living” was published.
In 1941 “Night of January 16th” was made into a movie by
Paramount Pictures. In 1938 Rand’s novella named “Anthem” was published
in England and it got published in the US seven years later. Rand was
busy with her writing and her career
which made her unaware of the fact that her novel, “We the Living” was
produced into two Italian films, “Noi vivi” and “Addio, Kira” in 1942
for which neither was she contacted for letting her know nor was she
asked for permission. These films were later reedited in 1960 after
being found out and a newer version was approved by Ayn Rand before
being re-released as “We the Living” in 1986.
Political role and Success as a Writer in the 1940s
Rand became involved in political activism in the 1940s. She joined
her husband as full time volunteer for the 1940 Presidential campaign
of Republican Wendell Willkie. During this time Rand started gaining her
platform as a great public speaker. She came across various
intellectuals who like her believed in free-market capitalism. Her
involvement as a political activist helped Rand get acquainted with
several eminent personalities like journalist Henry Hazlitt, economist
Ludwig von Mises, libertarian writer Isabel Paterson. In 1943, Rand
tasted major success with her romantic and philosophical novel “The
Fountainhead”. The book positioned Rand as a popular writer. It took her
seven years to finish writing “The Fountainhead”. It became
internationally acclaimed and Rand decided to sell the rights for a film
version to Warner Brothers, and she returned to Hollywood to write the
screenplay of “The Fountainhead” in 1943.
After returning to Hollywood Rand finished writing the screenplay
for Fountainhead when she was hired by producer Hal Wallis as a
screenwriter and script-doctor. Her work with Wallis included the
screenplays for the Oscar-nominated “Love Letters” and “You Came Along”.
Rand started working on several other projects which includes a planned
non-fiction treatment of her philosophy to be called “The Moral Basis
of Individualism” which was not completed but a concise version was
published as an essay titled "The Only Path to Tomorrow", in the January
1944 edition of Reader's Digest magazine.
While pursuing her writing career in Hollywood, Rand actively
involved herself in free-market and anti-Communist activism. She joined
“Motion Picture Alliance for the Preservation of American Ideals”, a
Hollywood anti-Communist group and wrote articles for the group. She
became a member of the anti-Communist American Writers Association. In
1947 during the Second Red Scare, Rand testified as a "friendly witness"
before the United States House Un-American Activities Committee where
she described the disparity between her personal experiences in the
Soviet Union and the portrayal of it in the 1944 film Song of Russia.
Rand argued that the film grossly misrepresented conditions in the
Soviet Union and portrayed life as being much better and happier than it
actually was in the Soviet Union. She was asked about her feelings on
the effectiveness of the investigations after the hearings when Rand
described the process as grossly “futile”.
In 1949 “The Fountainhead” was released in its film format after
going through several delays. It was said that the film used Rand's
screenplay without any major alterations but Rand found the film to be
disappointing as she “disliked the movie from beginning to end” because
of its bad editing, acting and several other elements that she disliked.
Philosophies and More Writing
With the massive success of “The Fountainhead” Rand had found
admirers who sent her letters. Her readers found the book immensely
influencing and awe inspiring. In 1951 Rand after moving from Los
Angeles to New York City she gathered a group of these admirers around
her who were a mixed bag of philosophers from various professions.
Initially the group was an informal gathering of friends who met with
Rand on weekends at her apartment to discuss philosophy. In the process
Rand started allowing these people to read the drafts of her new novel,
“Atlas Shrugged” as the manuscript pages were already written. In 1954
Rand came into a very close relationship with the much younger Nathaniel
Branden which later turned into a romantic alliance and both had their
approvals from their spouses.
In 1957 “Atlas Shrugged” got published and Rand described the theme
of her novel as “the role of the mind in man's existence—and, as a
corollary, the demonstration of a new moral philosophy: the morality of
rational self-interest”. The book was greatly written about the inner
doctrines of Rand’s philosophy of Objectivism. Gradually “Atlas
Shrugged” turned into a global bestseller with its elements of mystery
and science fiction. Ayn Rand became a notable writer whose work
received appreciations from most parts of the globe. She decided to end
her writing career and become a full time popular philosopher. Rand went
into a state of severe depression, after receiving international fame
and massive readers’ responses which was possibly due to, her use of
prescription amphetamines.
In 1958 Nathaniel Branden established Nathaniel Branden Lectures
which later became Nathaniel Branden Institute (NBI) to promote Rand's
philosophy. Rand lectured on a wide range of topics, including
literature, music, sexuality, even facial hair. She rejected students’
opinions at NBI. Rand embraced philosophical realism and atheism and she
utterly rejected everything related to mysticism or supernaturalism and
all forms of religion. She wrote extensively on her philosophy
“Objectivism” which she described as “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”. In 1979 Rand published her “Introduction to Objectivist
Epistemology” which included all her theories and concepts.
Later Years
In the 1960s and 1970s Rand spread, developed and promoted her
Objectivist philosophy through her non-fiction works and by giving
lectures to students at Yale University, Princeton University, Columbia
University, Harvard University and MIT. In 1963 she received an honorary
doctorate from Lewis & Clark College. She gave speeches and several
other talks to varied audiences.
In 1964 Nathaniel Branden started having an affair with young
actress Patrecia Scott, whom he later married. Rand was unaware of this
affair and she learned about it in 1968 after which she terminated her
relationship with both Brandens, which resulted in the closure of NBI.
In 1974 Rand underwent surgery for lung cancer as she had been a
heavy smoker throughout her life. In the late 1970s her activities
within the Objectivist movement declined. Rand’s husband died on 9
November 1979. On 6 March 1982 Rand died of heart failure at her home in
New York City.
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Ayn Rand Timeline: | ||||
1905 – She was born on 2 February
1917 - During the Russian Revolution Rand was a
twelve year old kid who witnessed political situations going against
their family. With the sudden rise of Bolshevik party under Vladimir
Lenin Rand’s father’s pharmacy was confiscated and Rand family was
forced to seek refuge in Crimea
1924 - Rand could complete the graduation in
October from Petrograd State University where she pursued her studies at
the department of social pedagogy and majoring in history
1925 - It was in the fall that Rand was granted a visa to visit her American relatives
1927 - While struggling in Hollywood Rand met
famed director Cecil B. DeMille who cast Rand as an extra artist in one
of his films, ‘The King of Kings’, a silent film
1929 - Ayn met an aspiring young actor, Frank O'Connor with whom she got married on 15 April
1931 - Rand turned an American citizen
1932 - Rand entered the path of literary success and fame with the sale of her screenplay ‘Red Pawn’ to Universal Studios
1934 - A courtroom drama “Night of January 16th” which was written by her first got produced in Hollywood
1935 - “Night of January 16th” was successfully staged on Broadway
1936 - Rand’s first semi-autobiographical novel, “We the Living” was published
1938 - Rand’s novella named “Anthem” was published in England
1940s - Rand became involved in political activism
1940 - She joined her husband as full time volunteer for the Presidential campaign of Republican Wendell Willkie
1941 - “Night of January 16th” was made into a movie by Paramount Pictures
1942 - “We the Living” was produced into two Italian films, “Noi vivi” and “Addio, Kira”
1943 - Rand tasted major success with her romantic and philosophical novel “The Fountainhead”
1943 - She returned to Hollywood to write the screenplay of “The Fountainhead”
1944 - An essay titled "The Only Path to Tomorrow" was published in the January edition of Reader's Digest magazine
1947 - During the Second Red Scare, Rand testified
as a "friendly witness" before the United States House Un-American
Activities Committee where she described the disparity between her
personal experiences in the Soviet Union and the portrayal of it in the
1944 film Song of Russia
1949 - “The Fountainhead” was released in its film format after going through several delays
1951 - Rand after moving from Los Angeles to New
York City gathered a group of her admirers who were a mixed bag of
philosophers from various professions
1954 - Rand came into a very close relationship
with the much younger Nathaniel Branden which later turned into a
romantic alliance and both had their approvals from their spouses
1957 - “Atlas Shrugged” got published
1958 - Nathaniel Branden established Nathaniel
Branden Lectures which later became Nathaniel Branden Institute (NBI) to
promote Rand's philosophy, “Objectivism”
1963 - She received an honorary doctorate from Lewis & Clark College
1960s and 1970s - Rand spread,
developed and promoted her Objectivist philosophy through her
non-fiction works and by giving lectures to students at Yale University,
Princeton University, Columbia University, Harvard University and MIT
1964 - Nathaniel Branden started having an affair with young actress Patrecia Scott, whom he later married
1968 - Rand was unaware of this affair and she
learned about it after which she terminated her relationship with both
Brandens, which resulted in the closure of NBI
1970 - In the late 1970s her activities within the Objectivist movement declined
1974 - Rand underwent surgery for lung cancer as she had been a heavy smoker throughout her life
1970s - In the late 1970s her activities within the Objectivist movement declined
1979 - Rand published her “Introduction to Objectivist Epistemology” which included all her theories and concepts
1979 - Rand’s husband died on 9 November
1982 - On 6 March Rand died of heart failure at her home in New York City
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Thanks Mr. Rohit
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