Born Alisa Zinov'yevna Rosenbaum to a Jewish family in Tsarist Russia, Ayn Rand was surrounded by pogroms aimed at the Jewish and anti- semitism increased after the assassination of Tzar Alexander II in 1881. There were two younger sisters in her family: Natalia, known as Natasha, and Elanora, known as Nora. Her mother was Anna Borisovna née Kaplan and they had a mutual dislike of each other as Rand thought she was a social climbing, unprincipled conformist and Borisovna thought her daughter did not conform enough (Heller 7). She was only proud of her daughter when she could show off her intellect (5). Borisovna demonstrated the first act of altruism Rand experienced in the form of a deal. She told her and Natasha that they could each keep
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She enjoyed math and logic classes in highschool and by age thirteen she decided that she was an atheist. There, she also learned US history and how the country as individualistic, with strong men, freedom, important principles, and a government she approved of (5). When asked to write an essay on why she loved school, Rand wrote a scathing one on why she hated school and would later add it to one of her novels. She argued at the slightest provocation and that made it difficult to find friends (5). There was a girl who she considered an acceptable friend in her high school because she was both smart and popular. In order to vet her, Rand asked where what the most important thing in her life was: she said her mother. She did not like this answer, and thus deemed that every individual has a flaw (2). After graduating high school at sixteen, Rand attended the University of Petrograd where she majored in history and philosophy, but not writing because certain writers bored her (5). While learning philosophy she discovered Aristotle and Plato, both which would serve as her greatest influences (2). At college she met her first love: a boy named Leo who she dated for a few months, but before him she thought emotions could be gotten over (5). Rand also studied screenwriting at the State Institute for Cinema
She enjoyed math and logic classes in highschool and by age thirteen she decided that she was an atheist. There, she also learned US history and how the country as individualistic, with strong men, freedom, important principles, and a government she approved of (5). When asked to write an essay on why she loved school, Rand wrote a scathing one on why she hated school and would later add it to one of her novels. She argued at the slightest provocation and that made it difficult to find friends (5). There was a girl who she considered an acceptable friend in her high school because she was both smart and popular. In order to vet her, Rand asked where what the most important thing in her life was: she said her mother. She did not like this answer, and thus deemed that every individual has a flaw (2). After graduating high school at sixteen, Rand attended the University of Petrograd where she majored in history and philosophy, but not writing because certain writers bored her (5). While learning philosophy she discovered Aristotle and Plato, both which would serve as her greatest influences (2). At college she met her first love: a boy named Leo who she dated for a few months, but before him she thought emotions could be gotten over (5). Rand also studied screenwriting at the State Institute for Cinema