|
Ayn Rand, 1905-1982: Americans Still Debate Her Books and Ideas |
|
|
|
VOICE
ONE:
I'm
Steve Ember.
VOICE
TWO:
And I'm
Barbara Klein with People in America in VOA Special English. Today we
tell about the life and writings of Ayn Rand.
(MUSIC)
VOICE
ONE:
|
|
|
Ayn Rand |
Although
she died more than twenty-five years ago, many Americans still argue about Ayn Rand. More than twenty million copies of her books have
been sold around the world. Many people say her books are poorly written. But
people still buy hundreds of thousands of copies of them each year. People also
continue to talk about her ideas and her interesting
life.
VOICE
TWO:
In
nineteen-oh-five, Alisa Rosenbaum was born in the Russian city of Saint
Petersburg. As a young child, Alisa loved books. She began to write her own
stories when she was only seven years old.
When
the Russian Revolution began in nineteen seventeen, the Rosenbaum family fled
to the Russian state of Crimea. This experience was important in Alisa’s
life. It started her hatred of collectivism. Collectivism is the system
of ownership and control of the means of production by the people collectively,
usually under the supervision of a government.
After
the revolution, Alisa returned to Saint Petersburg, now called Petrograd, to
attend college. She took classes in politics, history, law, and writing. In
nineteen twenty-six, she traveled to the United States to visit family members.
VOICE
ONE:
Soon
after she arrived in the United States, Alisa decided she would never
leave. She also decided to change her name to "Ayn
Rand." She said "Rand" was taken from the Russian alphabet
spelling of "Rosenbaum." She said she chose "Ayn"
after the name of a writer from Finland.
Newly
named, Rand moved to Hollywood, California to work in the movie business. She
met and married actor Frank O’Connor in nineteen twenty-nine. Throughout the
nineteen thirties, O'Connor acted and Rand wrote. She published two books
during these years, but did not earn much critical or popular recognition.
VOICE
TWO:
Then,
in nineteen forty-three, Rand’s famous book "The Fountainhead" was
published. It took her seven years to write the novel. Twelve publishers
rejected the book. However, a man named Archibald Ogden loved the story and
convinced the Bobbs-Merrill company to publish
it. "The Fountainhead" became a huge success around the world.
It has sold more than six million copies. It continues to sell about one
hundred thousand copies each year.
"The
Fountainhead" tells the story of a young building designer named Howard
Roark. Roark wants to build interesting, modern-looking buildings. However,
most people only want to see traditional designs. Roark loves
designing and building more than anything in the world. But he
refuses to compromise and make buildings he hates. Several people work against
Roark and his goals. But in the end, Roark succeeds.
"The
Fountainhead" is an unusual novel for many reasons. It is more than seven
hundred pages long, far longer than most books people read for entertainment.
It also includes discussions of philosophy, which are not usually found in
popular books. In addition, the book criticizes collectivism and religion in a
way that many people have found insulting.
Most
critics did not like "The Fountainhead." But readers loved it. In
nineteen forty-nine it was made into a popular movie. Rand wrote the
screenplay. Gary Cooper and Patricia Neal starred in the movie.
(MUSIC)
VOICE
ONE:
After
the movie was released, Ayn Rand and Frank O’Connor
moved to New York City. They started having weekly meetings for friends in
their apartment. Soon, the gatherings became more serious. The members
discussed philosophical ideas and began writing about them. The group
decided to call itself “the Collective.” The name was meant to be a joke,
because all of the members hated collectivism. Alan Greenspan, who would later
become chairman of the Federal Reserve, was part of this group.
The
Collective worked together to form the details of Rand’s philosophy, which they
called Objectivism. Objectivism is about the importance of the individual and
reasonable thought. Rand believed that people must choose their values
and actions through reason. She believed that the individual has a right to
exist for his or her own self. The Collective also helped Rand edit her book
"Atlas Shrugged," which was published in nineteen fifty-seven.
VOICE
TWO:
"Atlas
Shrugged" is set in the near future. The American economy and society are
starting to collapse under the influence of big government. The United States
is a nation of failing businesses, closed factories and angry citizens.
A small
group of thinkers, artists, scientists and industrial leaders disappears from
society. They flee to a hidden valley in Colorado. Here they establish a new
community based on capitalism without government control.
The
heroine of the book is Dagny Taggart who owns a large
railroad company. She struggles to keep her business alive and save the country
while society is collapsing around her. "Atlas Shrugged" is more than
one thousand pages, one of the longest novels ever written.
Ayn Rand said that "Atlas Shrugged" fully defined her
philosophy of Objectivism. She wrote at the end of the book: "My
philosophy... 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."
VOICE
ONE:
Rand
thought "Atlas Shrugged" was the most important book ever written.
The critics did not agree. Most gave the book bad reviews. In the National
Review, a conservative political magazine, Whittaker Chambers wrote a long,
angry article about "Atlas Shrugged." He said it was a stupid book
with dangerous ideas.
As with
"The Fountainhead," the public disagreed with the critics.
"Atlas Shrugged" went on to sell millions of copies around the
world. Ayn Rand and her ideas quickly became
well known, especially among students and other young people. Later, she wrote
books about economics, politics, love and other subjects.
(MUSIC)
VOICE
TWO:
One
young person became interested in Ayn Rand’s ideas
long before "Atlas Shrugged" was published. His name was Nathaniel Branden. After reading "The Fountainhead," he
wrote a letter to Rand. He wrote that he wanted to discuss the relationship
between psychology and Rand’s ideas.
Branden and his wife Barbara soon became friends
with Rand and joined the Collective. Rand and Branden
began to have a sexual relationship even though they were married to other
people.
They
called themselves the experts on all of the ideas of Objectivism. They wrote
many papers and made speeches all over the United States. However, some people
criticized the Objectivists and their followers.
They
said people honored Rand and Branden as if they were
religious leaders without ever questioning their beliefs. Rand rejected this
criticism. She wrote that "a blind follower is ...what my philosophy
condemns and what I reject. Objectivism is not a mystic cult."
Things
changed in nineteen sixty-eight when Rand discovered Branden
having a sexual relationship with a younger student. Rand became very angry and
forced Branden to leave the Objectivists and never
speak to her again.
(MUSIC)
VOICE
ONE:
After
the end of her relationship with Branden, Ayn Rand’s life slowed down. She lived quietly in New York
City until she died in nineteen eighty-two. At her funeral, one of her
followers left a gift. It was a two-meter tall flower arrangement in the
shape of a dollar sign. This gift was meant to represent Rand’s ideas about
capitalism as the most moral economic system.
Ayn Rand's books continue to be extremely popular. "Atlas
Shrugged" has been named in several opinion studies as one of the best and
most influential books of the twentieth century. Reports from Hollywood,
California say that several actors, writers and producers are working on a
movie version of "Atlas Shrugged."
However,
many people are still opposed to Ayn Rand’s books and
ideas. More than one hundred years after her birth, Ayn
Rand’s books, thoughts, and actions continue to be important to many
people. She is still one of the most loved, and hated, American thinkers.
(MUSIC)
VOICE
TWO:
This
program was written by Sarah Randle and produced by Lawan
Davis. I’m Barbara Klein.
VOICE
ONE:
And I’m
Steve Ember. You can find the text of our programs and download audio at
voaspecialenglish.com. Join us again next week for PEOPLE IN AMERICA in VOA
Special English.