Ayn Rand Commentary
The Apollo 11 trip to the moon, launched man into a level of greatness in which they have never achieved before. Through Ayn Rand's commentary, which was published in her Objectivist magazine, readers are able to experience the launch of Apollo 11 through a new perspective and understand why and how this event showed man's greatness. I believe Ayn Rand effectively conveys her purpose through the style, logic and imagery she uses.
Ayn Rand was born in Russia in 1929, and was a hard working and passionate women. At the age of 8, Rand taught herself how to read and write. While she was growing up, Rand was forced to move due to the Russian Revolution and Bolshevik Revolution, both of which she witnessed first hand. On another
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note, when she learned about American history, "Rand immediately took America as her model of what a nation of free men could be" (Biography of Ayn Rand). She also developed the idea of Objectivism, which is "a philosophy for living on earth" (Biography of Ayn Rand). Ayn Rand wrote this article in her magazine in response to the occasion at hand, which is the launch of Apollo 11.
The way in which the author describes how the rocket ascended into space, the subject of the piece, creates vivid images in the reader's mind. This is effective because Ayn Rand is able to make the reader feel as if they are witnessing this spectacular event along side her. The purpose of this article was to convey to the reader that man achieved greatness through this launch. She also wants the reader to understand that "...this cataclysm was planned, unleashed, and controlled by man..." (The July 16, 1969, Launch: A Symbol of Man's Greatness). The author focuses on man's relationship to nature because it shows her audience that man has power, further proving man's level of greatness. Therefore, this shows how through knowledge, hard work, and determination mankind is able to succeed in overpowering nature. Overall, the author effectively conveys to her audience that this launch proved man's power and greatness because of the logic she …show more content…
uses. Rand's audience is the people reading her Objectivist magazine, most of which would be Objectivists themselves. Since this writing was published in her own magazine, her ethos was already established because if people are willing to buy this magazine, they already trust the author. However, in the beginning of her article, she quotes a NASA tour guide, which shows that she is knowledgeable on the topic she is writing about. Although the author doesn't provide much factual evidence, she appeals to logos by logically conveying the purpose to the audience. She does this by first explaining, in great detail, what she witnessed during the launch of the rocket. Then, Rand explains why she thinks this proves man's greatness, which was carefully thought through with logic backing up her reasoning. For example, she believes that this launch showed man's greatness because the launch was controlled by man. Rand appeals to pathos by appealing to the reader's senses and describing in detail how she viewed the launch.
This effectively appeals to the reader's emotions because the author not only creates an image in the reader's mind, but also allows them to feel apart of the event by using the five senses. For instance, Rand describes the color of the rocket and the fire it pushed out when launching by using effective adjectives, which allows the reader to picture the event. While she is describing the event, she also states how she felt and what the atmosphere was like, so the reader is able to understand what it would have felt like to stand in the crowd and gaze up at the
rocket. As a whole, Ayn Rand effectively transmits the purpose of writing this commentary on the launch of the first rocket that landed on the moon. In my opinion, the logic and style the author uses throughout the piece convinces me that humans did achieve greatness through this launch. The imagery also adds to the effectiveness because the reader sees the event through Ayn Rand's eyes, which therefore allows them to see the greatness of man.
It’s important for the reader to imagine the full picture of the object. For example, describing the locations, the colors, shape, and any other characteristics will help the reader will imagine the scene in their head or the scenery. Goldberg uses William Carlos Williams poem “Daisy” as an example to show how he is being specific. In the poem he describes how a daisy looks, the season a daisy grows in, and other details about a daisy. Williams put your imagination and your six senses to work with the poem “Daisy”. For example, Williams uses the description “round yellow center” to describe how the center of the daisy looks. He tries to capture every detail of a daisy in his writing, but he didn’t only describe a daisy; he also describes the location of the
“ The horizon was the color of milk. Cold and fresh. Poured out among the bodies” (Zusak 175). The device is used in the evidence of the quote by using descriptives words that create a mental image. The text gives the reader that opportunity to use their senses when reading the story. “Somehow, between the sadness and loss, Max Vandenburg, who was now a teenager with hard hands, blackened eyes, and a sore tooth, was also a little disappointed” (Zusak 188). This quote demonstrates how the author uses descriptive words to create a mental image which gives the text more of an appeal to the reader's sense such as vision. “She could see his face now, in the tired light. His mouth was open and his skin was the color of eggshells. Whisker coated his jaw and chin, and his ears were hard and flat. He had a small but misshapen nose” (Zusak 201). The quotes allows the reader to visualize what the characters facial features looked like through the use of descriptive words. Imagery helps bring the story to life and to make the text more exciting. The reader's senses can be used to determine the observations that the author is making about its characters. The literary device changes the text by letting the reader interact with the text by using their observation skills. The author is using imagery by creating images that engages the reader to know exactly what's going on in the story which allows them to
One being the fact that this book is a collection of her essay and speeches. But the main one is how this book discusses her own Philosophy. She first explains the importance of philosophy and how it used in the real world unknowingly today, but she then says the philosophy most people follow today, Altruism, as irrational. “Altruism is the rationalization for the mass slaughter in Soviet Russia – for the legalized looting in the welfare state – for the power-lust of politicians seeking to serve the common good” (Rand 27) Altruism is basically the thought of having selfless actions and to serve others. This completely contradicts Ayn Rand’s philosophy of living, Objectivism. This is where the book becomes different form other books and even the entire world. Many people and religions are taught to help others. This follows Altruism in the fact that we are serving others and being selfless. Objectivism has many different layers to it but one of the most important parts to it is the concept that man should be self-serving. That we should be selfish and live for ourselves only under the condition that it doesn’t harm others. This is extremely different from everything we are taught since we were
Launch: A Symbol of Man’s Greatness, an article published by Ayn Rand, aims to convince the audience that the takeoff of the Apollo 11 is a representation of man’s highest level of capability. By using diction that describes primal feelings and long sentences, Rand fully achieves this purpose. Diction describing primal human feelings--such as “anxiety” and “involuntary” is used before Rand finishes describing the takeoff of the rocket, but is not seen through the rest of the text (Rand). What is normally seen as uncontrollable human tendencies disappear once the rocket leaves, showing how powerful the structure, made possible by man’s ability, is. When those watching the takeoff no longer experience anxiety or fear as a result of the rocket’s successful takeoff, they control nature because this extension of humankind can channel natural tendencies. Being able to control something thought as uncontrollable and unpredictable exemplifies how man can overcome adversity and possess the capability to achieve great actions. Another device that Rand uses to achieve her purpose is long sentences. In several areas of the text, Rand writes using sentences that can span almost six lines in length. For example, the text describes the importance of the launch by stating “The meaning of the sight lay in the fact that when those dark red wings of fire flared open, one knew that one was not looking at a normal occurrence, but a cataclysm which, if unleashed by nature,
Piper’s use of imagery in this way gives the opportunity for the reader to experience “first hand” the power of words, and inspires the reader to be free from the fear of writing.
The technique of imagery is the strongest technique Bradbury uses in his text, “ The sounds of Thunder”. Here we can see images in our head what is happening, and we can also smell it. We can smell what he is talking about because we all have probably smelled something nasty before and when we read the text, it reminded us of that scent. It is very important for authors to add imagery because it helps the reader imagine what is happening, therefore, he or she put themselves in the characters shoes and that gives them a better sense of the
Readers can connect and identify with the story quickly through the verisimilitude that Joan MacLeod creates throughout the story. The descriptions that she uses to create images in the minds of the readers are probably very close to what most people had while growing up. It creates emotions in readers because the story relates so often to what is heard and seen in media everyday all over ...
How do authors such as Stephen King and Charlotte Perkins Gilman get readers to feel the way they do, if we don’t include imagery? They use Psychology. It’s notable through King’s Graveyard Shift and Gilman’s The Yellow Wallpaper, which will be analyzed for you.
The ability to make the reader immersed in the story and the main character is the best thing to have when writing a piece. It helps the reader decide whether to keep reading or not. This ability is known as imagery. Imagery is writing with metaphors and the five sense, which creates a scene for the reader. Imagery is basically the way the author shows the reader what the main character or narrator is seeing. Janet Burroway, author of “Imaginative Writing”, which is a book about writing and the components of it, states that Image is, “An image is a word or series of words that evokes one or more of the five senses.” (Burroway, 15) Imagery is very important and good authors know how to use it to add more meaning and power to their literature.
Both authors use sensory imagery to create vivid images in the reader's mind with ease. In Harrison “In the trenches,” he uses descriptive similes and personifications to show the reader the disturbing reality of war effectively. After being viscously bombed, Harrison beautifully describes the “S.O.S” flare that is sent up shortly after being attacked, saying that “the sky is lit by hundreds of fancy fireworks like a night carnival.” This descriptive simile creates a visual image of a sky so bright that it resembles a carnival at night. As incoming bombs were dropping Harrison describes them by using the simile “the air screams and howls like an insane woman,” from this line any reader can imagine what it would sound like if artillery was dropping and exploding near you. Similarly, in twains “two ways of seeing a river,” he uses similes to create vivid images of the “majestic river.” Right from the beginning twain states that “I [have] mastered the language of this water and…every trifling feature…as familiarly as I [know] the letters of the alphabet.” This simile compares his vast knowledge of all the features of the river to his familiarity to the alphabets. The reader can visualize the importance and beauty of the river. Also, both authors similarly utilize sensory
The book Emma Goldman: American Individualist tells the true story of an anarchist’s struggles through, life, love, and standing up for what you believe in. Emma Goldman was born on June 27, 1869 in the city of Kovno located within the Russian Empire (currently known as Kaunas in Lithuania) into a Jewish family. Most men during this time wanted their wives to bear sons; Goldman’s father, Abraham Goldman, was no different. Goldman’s mother was very content with Goldman’s sisters, Helena and Lena, and didn’t want to have any more children. When Goldman was born she was rejected by her father. This rejection affected Goldman throughout her life.
“I swear – by my life and my love of it – that I will never live for the sake of another man, nor ask another man to live for mine” (Rand 979). The last lines of John Galt’s speech in Atlas Shrugged declare the fundamental principle of Ayn Rand’s philosophy of Objectivism. Her ideology plays an integral role in her literary pieces, functioning as the motor driving the actions, goals, and beliefs of the protagonists. From the first strains of Objectivism established during her childhood in Russia, Ayn Rand would develop and cultivate her ideas further in each novel, culminating in her magnum opus, Atlas Shrugged. We the Living, The Fountainhead, and Anthem share the theme of Atlas Shrugged, and The Fountainhead and Anthem would join the masterpiece as staples of the Objectivist and Libertarian ideologies (Smith 384). Nothing could pose a greater contrast when presented in juxtaposition with Rand’s doctrine than the Communism of her childhood. Ayn Rand’s experiences living in the Union of Soviet Socialist Republic led her to create Objectivism; through her fictional works, she showcases her philosophy which is centered on the struggle of the individual versus the collective by emphasizing different aspects in each of her novels.
The infamous author Ayn Rand dedicated her life wholly to the study and furthering of her political dogma, Objectivism, the uniting theme throughout all of her published literary works. One of the most obtrusive examples is her novella Anthem, which is set in a futuristic yet inept dystopia that is entirely founded on principles of collectivism. Page by page Rand’s sentiments become glaringly obvious, subsequently causing the reader to question her motivation behind this story, their own agreement with her egocentric philosophy, how Christianity aligns with every aspect of it, and if, overall, it was adeptly written.
The writer uses imagery, because he wants to let the readers into his mind. By describing the scene for the readers, makes the readers fell like they were there. Therefore, it gives us a better ability to emphasize with him.
The use of multiple images to propel a narrative allows the audience to learn something through the characters that are there. Bloomer (1990)’s study on visual perception also draws upon Newton (1998)’s concern, as he explores the multiple perspectives and views of the event. By using a series of images, the characters mood and tone can be established throughout different elements of what we see. This may be the people, the place itself or the items within the place. By having a narrative of photographs, the audience has an even deeper understanding of the reality of that moment or event as they see more than just the ‘big picture’ as