Every great story has an inspiration. Most authors find the stories they write to be rooted in personal experiences, which allows them to dig deep and bond with their own opinions and style. Many authors use their writing to express their feelings and give the reader a glimpse of their worldview. Ayn Rand was no exception, revealing her strong opinions to her readers. Ayn Rand's Russian childhood, American influence, and strong opinions strongly inspired her to write the short story Anthem. One of the biggest contributing factors to the creation of Anthem was Rand's childhood. Ayn Rand was born on February 2, 1905 in St. Petersburg, Russia. At the time he was there, Russia practiced communism with a collectivist culture. (“A Brief Biography of Ayn Rand” 1) Communism is a system used by the Russian economy in which property is collectively owned and other products such as those used in transportation are owned by the government. From a very young age, Ayn Rand strongly opposed the collectivist culture, by which she was constantly surrounded. This culture is displayed to a large extent in Rand's short story, Anthem. The story takes place in a city where every aspect of the entire citizen's life is controlled by the government. Each individual had no choice in his decisions or actions. Collectivism in the city is closely related to the Russian society in which Rand lived. Rand also felt this manipulation of lives when communism struck her family. Russian Communism not only had a great effect on Rand's views, but also on her and her family's lives. The entire family was placed in desperate conditions. (Gordon 1) After the Bolshevik Party came to power, Rand's father's pharmacy was confiscated... middle of paper... from the characters in their works. Often, an author can use their writing to show the reader their perspective on life. This applies not only to authors, but also to all people in their daily lives. Many times in life, past experiences play an important role in future decisions. People can choose certain paths to follow in their future based on the opinions they have formed throughout their lives. The experiences people have can often help build their perspectives on life. All of these factors help determine people's personalities and who they are. Ayn Rand is a great example of how she took everything she did and put it into her writing. Ayn Rand opened the minds of her readers to see her individualistic perspective on the world. He took his Russian childhood, American influence and strong opinions to formulate his artwork, Anthem.