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More oxford books @ www.OxfordeBook.comFore more urdu books visit www.4Urdu.comFROM RUSSIA TO ROOSEVELT 25Hickman, but what Hickman suggested to me.” Still, Rand had troubleinterpreting the case as anything other than an exercise in mob psychology.She wrote, “This case is not moral indignation at a terrible crime. Itis the mob’s murderous desire to revenge its hurt vanity against the manwho dared to be alone.” What the tabloids saw as psychopathic, Randadmired: “It is the amazing picture of a man with no regard whatever forall that society holds sacred, and with a consciousness all his own. A manwho really stands alone, in action and in soul.” 33Rand appeared to be drawing from both her own psychology andher recent readings of Nietzsche as she mused about the case andplanned her story. She modeled Renahan along explicitly Nietzscheanlines, noting that “he has the true, innate psychology of a Superman.”To Rand a Superman was one who cared nothing for the thoughts, feelings,or opinions of others. Her description of Renahan as Supermanechoed her own self-description as a child: “He is born with a wonderful,free, light consciousness—resulting from the absolute lack ofsocial instinct or herd feeling. He does not understand, because he hasno organ for understanding, the necessity, meaning or importance ofother people.” 34Rand’s understanding of the Superman as a strong individual whoplaces himself above society was a popular, if crude, interpretation ofNietzsche’s Übermensch. 35 What stands out is her emphasis on Renahan’sicy emotional alienation. Rand clearly admired her imaginary hero’ssolipsism, yet she had chosen a profession that measured success bypopularity. The tension between her values and her goals produced anugly frustration. “Show that humanity is petty. That it’s small. That it’sdumb, with the heavy, hopeless stupidity of a man born feeble-minded,”she wrote. 36 This anger and frustration, born from her professionalstruggles, was itself the greatest obstacle to Rand’s writing career.Rand’s bitterness was undoubtedly nurtured by her interest inNietzsche. Judging from her journals, unemployment precipitated a newround of reading his work. Her notes filled with the phrases “Nietzscheand I think” and “as Nietzsche said.” Her style also edged in his directionas she experimented with pithy aphorisms and observations. More significantly,Nietzsche’s elitism fortified her own. Like many of his readers,Rand seems never to have doubted that she was one of the creators, theartists, the potential Overmen of whom Nietzsche spoke. 37