▁ 1 6 th ▁pred ates ▁these ▁more ▁philosoph ical ▁works . ▁ ▁Several ▁later ▁comment ators ▁have ▁interpreted ▁the ▁play ▁as ▁a ▁reflection ▁of ▁Rand ' s ▁early ▁interest ▁in ▁the ▁ideas ▁of ▁German ▁phil os opher ▁Friedrich ▁N iet z sche . ▁Liter ature ▁professor ▁Sh osh ana ▁Mil gram ▁saw ▁elements ▁of ▁N iet z sche ' s ▁mor ality ▁in ▁the ▁descri ptions ▁of ▁B j orn ▁Fa ulk ner , ▁who ▁" ne ver ▁thought ▁of ▁things ▁as ▁right ▁or ▁wrong ". ▁O thers ▁found ▁significance ▁in ▁Rand ' s ▁adm iration ▁of ▁the ▁play ' s ▁criminal ▁characters . ▁Histor ian ▁Jenn ifer ▁Burn s ▁said ▁Rand ▁" found ▁criminal ity ▁an ▁ir res ist ible ▁met ap hor ▁for ▁individual ism " ▁because ▁of ▁the ▁influence ▁on ▁her ▁of ▁" N iet z sche ' s ▁trans valu ation ▁of ▁values ▁[ that ] ▁changed ▁crim inals ▁into ▁hero es ". ▁Rand ▁maintained ▁criminal ity ▁was ▁not ▁the ▁important ▁attribute ▁of ▁the ▁characters ; ▁she ▁said ▁a ▁criminal ▁could ▁serve ▁as ▁" an ▁el o quent ▁symbol " ▁of ▁independence ▁and ▁re bell ion ▁against ▁conform ity , ▁but ▁stated , ▁" I ▁do ▁not ▁think , ▁nor ▁did ▁I ▁think ▁when ▁I ▁wrote ▁this ▁play , ▁that ▁a ▁sw ind ler ▁is ▁a ▁hero ic ▁character ▁or ▁that ▁a ▁respect able ▁bank er ▁is ▁a ▁villa in ". ▁Rand ▁bi ograph er ▁Ron ald ▁M err ill ▁dismiss ed ▁this ▁explanation ▁as ▁a ▁cover -