We The Living Essay

We the Living by Ayn Rand strictly revolves around collectivism. The novel shows how collectivism actually destroys individuality. The story is set in post-revolutionary Russia under communist rule. Kira Argounova, the protagonist, struggles to maintain her individuality in the face of the Soviet regime’s demands for conformity. Which ties into how Ayn Rand flips the entire preach of collectivism. By having Kira rebel against communist restrictions on personal freedom, allowing Kira to witness how the communist system crushes human individuality, and by letting her story demonstrate how the communist system seeks to crush nonconformists, this novel by Ayn Rand achieves the opposite of the collectivism preach and illustrates the lack of individuality

Kira's independent spirit and refusal to conform to the communist system land her in constant trouble. Through Kira's struggles, Rand shows how collectivism's emphasis on the group above the individual destroys human nature's need for personal freedom. Kira refuses to bow to the communist demands for complete conformity. She wants to think and live for herself, not for the collective good of the state. But this individuality is seen as a threat to the communist system, which needs total obedience from citizens. The communists try to break Kira's spirit through isolation, threats, and intimidation. However, Kira's independent nature cannot be crushed. She continues to assert her individuality through small acts of rebellion and defiance. By focusing on Kira's story, Rand highlights how collectivism is the opposite of what it claims to achieve. It promises equality and prosperity for all but delivers repression and loss of individual freedom. Kira's spirit yearns for the personal liberty that collectivism cannot offer. Her desire for independence, self-expression, and the pursuit of happiness exposes collectivism's empty promises. In the end, Kira's story demonstrates that true human flourishing requires a system that celebrates the individual and protects personal liberty above the demands of the collective. Rand uses Kira

By showing how the communist system seeks to crush any who deviate from conformity, Rand illustrates that collectivism leaves no room for human diversity and growth. In the end, Kira’s story demonstrates that a system which does not value the individual spirit can never achieve true freedom for humanity. As Kira’s story comes to a close, readers are left with a stark reminder of the importance of individual liberty and the human desire for self-expression. Without the freedom to choose one’s own path and live according to one’s own values and conscience, the full flowering of the human spirit cannot be realized. Kira’s rebellion thus serves as a beacon calling readers to remember the preciousness of individuality and the vital role nonconformists play in challenging repressive systems that stifle human progress. Her story reminds us that collectivism, for all its promises of unity and equality, can never provide the conditions for true human flourishing.This novel by Ayn Rand achieves the opposite of collectivism's preach and illustrates the lack of individuality under collectivism by having Kira rebel toward communist limitations on individual liberty, allowing Kira to observe how the communist system smothers individuality in people, and letting her story show how the communist system seeks to eliminate