Towards Utopia: Ayn Rand’s and Chinua Achebe’s Political Perspective.

Science And Humanities

This research chapter comprises of the last novels of Rand and Achebe’s Atlas Shrugged (1957) and Anthills of the Savannahs (1987) respectively. Both Atlas Shrugged and Anthills of the Savannahs, besides the fact that they are political novels, can be called their philosophical treatise. These novelists have a lot of suggestions to offer for the betterment of the individual and the society in their socio-cultural dimensions . In this phase, the ‘Man-Child’ of The Fountainhead evolves into the ideal ‘Demi-God’ of Atlas Shrugged, worthy of worship. Achebe in Anthills of the Savannahs suggests that individuals, if they must exist should function as leaders and shepherd their flock to form a better society. Rand also seeks to portray the concept of an ideal society and hence finds the need to venture into Utopia-an ‘Atlantis’, an exquisite example of an ideal communal life, where the individual is still the priority and yet promotes and sustains society. This novel also displays a highly calculated literary style, so far invisible in the previous novels. In Anthills of the Savannahs Achebe, like Rand, offers solutions to the problems demonstrated in his previous novels Both Rand and Achebe believe that the moral integrity of an individual in relation to his society will bring about an ideal, healthy society. Achebe’s solutions for his society’s problems are many-a new concept of leadership, gender transfiguration, the importance of the place of women in society, the class struggle, the method to combat corruption in politics, and a kind of ‘spiritualism’ as a substitute for the materialistic pursuits of independent Nigeria, to mention a few.

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