I have been reading We the Living by Ayn Rand, and I’ve probably already told most of you how much I love it. Here’s
a little background: It’s set in 1925 in Soviet Russia. The main character Kira
is an 18 year-old member of the bourgeois who strongly objects to the Soviet State.
"It is a story about dictatorship, any dictatorship, anywhere, at any time, whether it be Soviet Russia, Nazi Germany, or- which this novel might to its share to prevent- a socialist America."- Ayn Rand
Early in the novel, Kira
thinks back to a book about a Viking that she read as a child. For the Viking, there was “no
boundary for the point of his sword” (Rand 37). The Viking “lived but for the
joy and the wonder and the glory of the god that was himself” (37).
Essentially, the Viking wasn’t the most moral guy around and obviously suffered
from a bit of a God-complex. However, he lived for himself and according to the
way he wanted to live. In a way, the Viking does reflect some principles of
Romanticism. Having a boundary for his sword probably would have been better
for a greater number of people than it had been without a boundary, but the
Viking wasn’t focused on acting for the greater good. I realize that we don’t usually
associate Romanticism with violent men running freely simply to fulfill their
own individual desires- also to think of the Viking’s situation that
way would also be taking Rand’s analogy far too literally. The Norton Anthology
specifically states that Romanticism implies “a narrowing outlook from the
stability of community to the ‘fulfillment’ of the individual.” I’d say the
Viking’s outlook was pretty much zeroed in on his own individual desires.
“’To a life,’ said the Viking, ‘which is reason unto itself’” (Rand 37).
“’To a life,’ said the Viking, ‘which is reason unto itself’” (Rand 37).
By the way, it is very likely that I absolutely
misinterpreted Rand’s intended use of the Viking and his story (or made a
connection to Romanticism that she never intended to be made), which, in my opinion, is one of the great things about literature.
1 comment:
I really need to read "We The Living." It sounds like such a fascinating novel. I'm surprised I've never really heard of her before.
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