Individualism In Ayn Rand's The Fountainhead

A man is a single member of the human population, one individual, one particular person. A man is defined by his own independence; however, a man is conformed to the likeness of other men. A man will naturally adapt to his social influences, it is our human instincts to transfigure to the naturally selected people, who are considered to be a better fit for this environment. Since the dawn of the human race, it has been our personal and individual spirit that separates all men.

The term spirit is a positive connotation compared to the word ego. A man’s spirit is comprised of “his vision, his strength, and his courage” as it says in The Soul of an Individualist, an excerpt from Ayn Rand’s novel, The Fountainhead. “A man’s spirit, however, is his self. That entity which is his consciousness. To think, to feel, to judge, to act are functions of the ego.” Our ego derives from our truth, which is what each man has to discover for himself. This is where conflicts happen, wars begin and peace is almost impossible to find. Men are selfish creatures, they are greedy and take everything for their pleasure. Our mind is where individuality begins, but it is also where the idea of collectivism

Anyone who tries to look into it sees nothing but the dim outlines of an old and worried face.” as Jim Bishop says. We see many depictions of the future in dystopian literature, where life is objectified by the reflection of the repugnant world. Ayn Rand wrote a novella titled, Anthem, that introduces a civilization that is governed by what can be described as a collective dictatorship; in the society she created, there are no individuals, only what is defined by “the great WE.” The citizens are characterized by a number rather than a name; this prevents distinction, ensuring that threats of individuality are obstructed. Rand sends her audience into the oppressed mind of Equality 7-2521 and the war- that he alone goes- to free himself from