Celebrating the Majesty of the Individual
There is no time like the present to familiarize ourselves with three classic novels. If you haven’t read them, then you need to while you can still obtain copies. If you have already read them, then reading them again might be in order.
The novels are “The Fountainhead” by Ayn Rand, “Fahrenheit 451” by Ray Bradbury, and “1984” by George Orwell. Two of these novels depict horrific societies and the other one deals with the propriety of one’s creativity and labor. The common theme underlying these novels is that each celebrates the Majesty, the Uniqueness, and the Inherent Value of the individual.
Throughout history there have been many books written from the point of view of individuals living in oppressive societies. Their stories are about the struggle, the sacrifice and the risk of life and treasure to be free. There have been fewer, yet equally important novels written from the point of view of individuals already living in freedom. These, like those authors mentioned above, provide us with visions of life without that freedom, and the benchmarks and warning signs to judge when it is in jeopardy.
There is another document that celebrates the Majesty of the Individual. It is the U.S. Constitution. The Constitution doesn’t just celebrate the individual; it guarantees that there will be an individual as long as it’s followed.
The struggle to stay free, is much easier than the struggle to get free.
-OWT