“Objectivism: My philosophy, in essence, 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.” – Ayn RandBest known for her novels “Atlas Shrugged” and “The Fountainhead,” Ayn Rand is to free enterprise what Billy Graham is to Christianity.What incites an individual’s passion, driving them to spend a lifetime preaching one message? “We the Living,” Rand’s first novel, explains what motivated her to develop the philosophy of objectivism and become a crusader for capitalism.Born in Russia in 1905, Alissa Zinovienana Rosenbaum escaped to America in 1926 and changed her name to Ayn Rand when she became a screenwriter. She admits “We the Living” is the “nearest to an autobiography as I will ever write.”The book is written in the style of a modern-day romance novel. A young woman, Kara Argounova, struggles to find her way in the world while torn between her love for two very different men, Leo Kovalensky and Andrei Taganov.But similarities to a romance novel end there. Rand’s characters tell the grim reality of living in the Soviet Union. In a bleak environment of food and housing shortages, where any thought of individual achievement is crushed by an oppressive government, there is no room for a happy ending.The novel opens as Kira’s bourgeois family makes their way back to Petrograd. They spent four years in the Crimea waiting in vain for the Red Army to be defeated. Before the revolution, the journey took three days by train, but the soviet rail system no longer follows a time schedule. Hordes of people wait for days in dilapidated stations until a train appears, and then they are stuffed into worn-out cars. Engines break down, cars derail and only a few fortunate passengers have enough dried bread and sunflower seeds to last the two weeks it takes to reach Petrograd.Kira’s mother, Galina, guards her family’s silverware and a few other luxury items during the trip and prattles about the glories of Petrograd. She is remembering a city and lifestyle that no longer exists. The textile factory once owned by the Argounova family has been nationalized, and their home is now occupied by a member of the communist party.Living under the delusion the Soviet Union will quickly dissolve, Kira’s father and uncle attempt to dissuade their children from becoming communists. However, ration cards, jobs and an education are only available to party members so Victor, Kira’s cousin, embraces the communist doctrine and tries to convince her to do the same.She learns to mouth the correct slogans in order to survive and gain admission to a technical school. But when Victor asks Kira if she is becoming an engineer to build for the red state, she replies, “I’m going to build because I want to build,” proving she hasn’t lost her individuality in spite of unrelenting indoctrination.The majority of the population suffers through long winters with little fuel for heat or cooking. Millet, stale bread, sunflower seeds, cabbage and turnips are the main diet for all but privateers or high communist officials. Individual home ownership is a thing of the past. Families are allotted one or two rooms in a house, sharing bath facilities with other families.Even under these circumstances people manage to find love and dream of a better future. Kira meets Leo Kovalensky, a young handsome man whose father was an admiral in the Red Navy. But his father’s part in the war didn’t save him from a firing squad for hiding a friend from soviet officials. Leo understands how corrupt the government has become in spite of its noble beginnings. Hating communism and it’s destruction of Russian society, Leo convinces Kira to flee the country. However, the two are caught while trying to escape.Leo manages to avoid being sent to Siberia, but his political actions bar him from ever holding a legitimate job in the Soviet Union. The story takes an unexpected twist when Kira turns to Andrei Taganov, a devoted communist, as a way to get food and medical care for Leo when he becomes ill.Most of the characters in the book, including Leo and Andrei, go through a metamorphism before the story ends, causing book club members to wonder how living under such deplorable circumstances would affect our lives. Would moral values change? Would we bend our core beliefs in order to survive?Club members agreed we are fortunate to live in a country with ample food and consumer goods. But we also discussed how the rights of individuals are being eroded in this nation, pointing to the growing welfare system and the new eminent domain ruling by the Supreme Court.Reading “We the Living” reminds people why it is important to protect our rights. Rand’s first novel has a harsh ending, but Kira’s fate leaves no doubt; it is better to die under the sunlight of liberty than to live in a totalitarian state.Note: On Thursday Dec. 29 at 6:30 p.m., we will be discussing “The City of Fallen Angels,” by John Berendt. Stop by Espresso Stratfords and join in the conversation.
