Required Reading: Atlas Shrugged

Editor’s Note: First posted this on tWF back in early 2005, this article predated my eventual reading of Ayn Rand’s complete novels and a few of her other writings. While I’m not a strict Objectivist, I still appreciate her ideas. And though the Kensico Cemetary statue in the photo below does not accompany Rand’s grave, I like it so much I think I’ll keep it anyway (if photographer Lee Sandstead doesn’t mind).

I first met John Galt on a bumper sticker last December. A little Volkswagen silently asked, “Who is John Galt?” and for some reason I felt like someone had asked this before. Like it was some eternal question that had been in my subconscious mind for many years, finally springing to the surface thanks to a cute little German car. In any case, a quick Google search revealed the literary source of this question — Ayn Rand’s 1100-page masterpiece, Atlas Shrugged. Next time I was at Barnes & Noble, I picked up the paperback for $9.

This novel took me about two months of continuous reading, and I’m a fast reader. Not recommended for those easily intimidated by many pages of small type, this book is a dystopian epic of philosophy, business, and romance. Rand’s unique style stretches seemingly simple moments into lengthy paragraphs; every action, no matter how small, is loaded with meaning. At the philosophical climax of the novel, an uninterrupted monologue continues for almost 60 pages (about 3 hours were it spoken aloud). Atlas Shrugged paints a dark future of economic depression, government corruption, and unbridled technology.

Despite all this, I really enjoyed this book. Rand’s philosophy of Objectivism is a refreshing contrast to the dominant philosophies of American culture. The first of these is the religious right’s view that a person is subject to a higher power (God). The second is the extreme left’s view that a person is subject to the “good of the people.” If neither of these positions suits you, you may find that Objectivism provides the appropriate esteem for the individual and his or her goals. Many will find Rand’s scathing evaluation of both collectivism (manifested in socialism and some forms of liberalism) and mysticism (manifested in religion) highly insulting if they subscribe to those philosophies. As someone who feels strongly about individual liberty, however, I agree with many of Ayn Rand’s tenets.

The working title for Atlas Shrugged was “The Strike,” and this gives a clue about the plot of the novel. Industrialists and businesspersons, unlikely protagonists, begin to disappear from society, and “the motor of the world” slowly stops. Dagny Taggart, the heroine, searches for this “destroyer” who is stopping the world, hoping to bring him to justice. Surprises occur when she discovers who the mysterious John Galt is, and that he is not the enemy she expected. The antagonist is the corrupt, pro-regulatory government, whose resemblance to a communist dictatorship was undoubtedly intentional. (”Directive 10-289,” a government action restricting trade and eliminating patent rights, is passed on 1 May. In fact, Rand’s hatred for such regimes probably stems from her experience growing up during the Bolshevik revolution in Russia.) The novel is billed as a murder mystery where the victim is the human spirit — a bit over the top, maybe, but there’s enough suspense to keep Atlas Shrugged moving to its unexpected conclusion.

No matter your philosophy, I highly recommend this book, said to be “the most influential and controversial work of the 20th century.” Set apart a few hours a week, and maybe by the end of the summer, you’ll have it finished.