Atlas Shrugged: Relation Hank and Francisco have towards my grandfather

Wendell Pfeffer

Reaction: Atlas Shrugged

Atlas Shrugged:

            I’m not going to lie, this book did intimidate me in the beginning because of its size but I have actually grown to like it. When reading Atlas Shrugged I cannot but help notice the relation some of the characters have towards my grandfather. My grandfather has blue eyes, blonde hair and was born in the United States in a lower class family, his father ended up dying when he was five and was forced to move to Mexico with his mother. My grandfather and his mother moved to one of the poorest places in the Mexico, Morelia. Back then Morelia was most famously known for the rebellious group of teens and adults hoping to overthrow the government. My grandfather learned to adapt among the Mexican society despite his characteristics and unfamiliarity with the Mexican language. He never accepted himself as poor, beginning when he was just thirteen he worked day and night selling shoes and newspapers. He developed his talent and raised a company formally known as “Jugos Del Valle” to its ultimate glory. You can say that my grandfathers work habit relates to that of Hank Reardens, Hank Rearden is the epitome of the word “productive.” Hank Reardan has the gift of working with integrity and hard work and never comes to realize when it is time to stop. His own mother even begins to question his work habit: “You don’t care for anything but business.” My grandfather devoted his life towards his work much like Hank; in order to be successful you must always think business wise. Similar too Francisco, even though he was given much of his fortune from his family, he was successful in transforming his business from average to famous. Money too Francisco does not become an issue later on in the story, he ends up wasting millions of dollars on purpose trying to help the “will of the people,” he “provided a livelihood for thousands of men who could not have achieved in a lifetime.” Like Francisco said, he has enough money to last for “three generations,” what is the purpose of making more money if your not going to live to even spend it? Francisco has to give and expect to receive nothing in return in order for him too feel satisfied about himself, many people have to learn to do the same.

            Right now I’m on page 142 and I find this book to be really interesting, it values the morals of life through business and love. I can’t wait to see what unfolds in the next few chapters. 

Dagny character and dedication to the John Galt Line

                Throughout the past pages, Dagny’s character has become more defined. Her personality hasn’t changed, it has become stronger. Not once has she second guessed herself or doubted any of her abilities. The only time she seemed fragile was when Taggart Transcontinental lost money due to the San Sebastian Line and when she was in love with Francisco D’anconia. However, even though Dagny was worried, she knew she could get through it and solve the problem.  Not to mention, she seems to be falling for Hank Rearden and that has caused her to become more focused, more determined.

                Dagny likes to be challenged; she enjoys being forced to work her hardest. Not only does she do this to prove other people wrong, but she does it for herself as well. Being ridiculed for believing in Rearden metal and being in debt with Taggart Transcontinental could’ve been the best thing that’s happened to her.  It forced her to become even more dependent and start her own line. The last thing she wanted to do was ask Francisco for money, but that demonstrates how strong willed she is. She sucked in all her pride and submitted to accepting his money. Plus, the name “John Galt” which is supposed to bring bad luck and mean hopelessness inspired Dagny. She decided to name her line the John Galt line in order to show everyone, not only other businessmen and company owners, but people in general that with effort anything is possible. She wanted to overcome the stereotype that comes with that name as she overcame the stereotype that women can’t run a business. In my opinion, Dagny is a person that you can look up to. She has qualities that any person, man or woman would admire. She is honest, direct, and stops at nothing to get what she wants and what she deserves.

                Hank Rearden on the other hand, is the only man, maybe the only person except Eddie Willers that believes in Dagny. He was willing to take a risk and invest in a company that had no real promise of being successful. Although, he knew Dagny would make a profit or die trying, she was a businessman at heart.  The John Galt line would improve his reputation before it is completely destroyed by Scudder and everyone else. Also, Hank and Dagny’s relationship seems to be evolving and shows signs of becoming stronger as the book progresses. That would be something interesting to read about  considering his lunatic mother, wife and brother.

-Jose Novas

Francisco D'Anconia: First Impression

Francisco D’Anconia struck me as a confident, handsome, brilliant, and extremely interesting man from his first appearance. I loved the way Ayn Rand conveyed his character to the readers; she clearly communicated the sexy, mysterious atmosphere that Frisco’s presence gave off, and I found his and Dagny’s story to be endearing.

What made Frisco such an interesting character were his mysterious, unexplainable acts.  Why would he invest in a project that he knew would end up in his inconvenience? Why does he have absolutely no problem with the enormous lump some of money that he lost? As I read through the lines of this section of the book, I couldn’t help but ask myself all these questions, and all I wanted to do was keep reading so I could find out the true reason for his reckless (or maybe not so reckless) acts.

Francisco’s speech about the failed project, addressing the fact that his actions were purely made out of moral-correctness shut everyone in the room up, and most importantly embarrassed James (my favorite part!). He left Hank and Lillian’s guests speechless, yet speculative, and in a way caused them to admire him far more than they had before he gave the discourse. This scene was a perfect example of Francisco’s ability to outsmart everyone, and clearly demonstrated his wit and intelligence. Nevertheless, I am curious to find out what it is that Dagny is not “courageous enough” to hear, and I am sure that the money he lost in his investment is part of larger scheme that Frisco cleverly planned. 

Perspective

While I’m reading this story I am trying to use some cultural relativism. In our culture many would see an obvious bad and an obvious good side to this story. Those who are in favor of the free-market economy and against the Anti-Dog-Eat-Dog rule in the story, will predominantly (in our culture) be considered those most logical and fair. But I try not to forget that fair in the other sense could be that the Nation Alliance of Railroads is trying to create equal opportunities for all. Personally, I agree with what Dagny stands for and her way I thinking. I think Jim and his companions are corrupt and they use the idea of social welfare as justification for their unjust actions to easily diminish new competition. However, I still believe that’s not the only way to look at it. One could argue that by not having to worry about competition from other railroads, a company could focus on making their own railroads the best for the public. They can view Dagny, Don Conway, Ellis Wyatt, Hank Rearden as cold, heatless business people who purely let money drive their decisions, and now the Anti-Dog-Eat-Dog rule is forcing them to think about the welfare of others. When my mom saw me reading this book she said that Ayn Rand was a big part of the libertarian movement, which is no surprise to why readers may favor a certain side. But after anthropology class this week I decided to recognize different perspectives and think that if I lived in a different culture (maybe one using a command economy) I would have a different outlook on this book, or feel reliability from different characters. 

Protagonists vs Antagonists

From what I’ve read so far, the thing that has struck me the most is Dagny and Rearden’s dedication to Rearden Metal, and their determination to make Rearden Metal a success. Even when facing the adversity of the State Science Institute, they work hard to overcome it. As the government declares that Rearden Metal is unsafe and unreliable, Dagny, unlike Jim who crumbles beneath the pressure, takes on the challenge and strives to find a way to deal with the situation. Rearden also fights for himself in an attempt to rescue his life’s work by designing a bridge to be made out of Rearden Metal. I respect these characters all the more because they are going against society, and fighting against all odds, through hard work and determination, they are winning. They are so ambitious that they are willing to risk it all for a single purpose. On the other hand, Jim along with Boyle and other weak characters, resort to shady business, when confronted with adversity. This is the major difference between Rand’s protagonists and antagonists. Rand’s protagonists are strong, capable and virtuous characters, while on the contrary, the antagonists are gloomy, helpless, and in some cases unethical characters. 

Dagny's Character Development

As I read through the book, I was rather surprised by how Rand continued to characterize Dagny. When I first started the book, She almost seemed inhuman to me. She was this proud, stoic character that was unmovable by those around her; stubborn and unwavering in her decisions and commitments. However, as I read through chapter three in particular, we as readers receive a huge amount of detail about her past and more personal feelings. Even as a young child, she was unmoving in what she wanted to do, which was be in control of the Taggart Transcontinental, We also discover her connection with Francisco. They were childhood friends and eventually lovers. When I read about her childhood, she came across to me as knowledgeable yet extremely naïve. She was unusually intelligent for someone her age, yet she seemed to follow around Francisco as though he was some type of god. When he told her not to be surprised by what he may do in the future, and when she saw all of the unusual things that he had done , I think that made her lose her trust and belief that she held in him. I think she separated that new Francisco from the one she knew in her past, and buried the old one in her memories for her not to worry about. Then she threw herself into her work. This whole chapter with Francisco gives the reader more of an insight on Dagny’s character, and makes her come across as more human.

Rachel Franklin

wendell pfeffer reaction: Ayn Rand the Fountainhead

Wendell Pfeffer

8/25/13

Reaction: Ayn Rand the Fountainhead

            The story develops in the year of 1922 when Howard Roark a distant, aloof, disagreeable and incapable of relating to others is expelled from the Stanton Institute of Technology. This is mainly in part because he does not conform with his teachers at his school. Meanwhile Peter Keating, a star student and the president of the student body graduates with honors and receives a four-year scholarship to study at the Ecole des Beaux arts in Paris and is offered to work at the prestigious architectural firm of Francou and Heyer. Peters mother, is a controlling and absorbent widow that tells Peter what his best options are and she tells him to work at the firm. Peter moves to New York and begins to work at the firm he is assigned to work for and instantly befriends Francon, the owner of the firm. Peter believes that the only way to succeed is by eliminating his enemies; he does this through manipulation and lies. With Stengel he knows that the only way to get rid of him is by arranging a lunch with Mrs. Dunlop. Stengel agrees to go, but before he accepts he asks Peter “what’s in it for you?” Immediately realizing and answering “oh, I see.” From the beginning of the story Peters main goal is to please others, by addressing Francon in a correct manner, trying to become friends with everyone at the office and pretending to be interested in Heyers porcelain collection.  He needs the approval and admiration of other people and he has the incapability of doing what he really desires. On the other hand Howard Roark is totally unconcerned about his expulsion from the Stanton Institute. He does not rely on anyone, since he was a small child he was set in his own ways, clear of what his goals were. He is not concerned what others think of him and remains true to his own beliefs. Howard finds refuge with Henry Cameron, an architect whose career was destroyed by his own unwillingness to compromise much like Roark is.  So far this is where I left off; the book itself is quite interesting and cannot wait to see what unfolds in the next few chapters. I am currently on page 73.

Francisco's influence on Dagny

From the beginning it was evident that Dagny had her priorities set from an early age, and as the book progresses, we can tell that it has been thanks to Francisco d 'Anconia that she developed this kind of thinking. Eddie and Dagny, along with the rest of the planet, have admired Francisco since he was young because of how well he did everything and how determined he was to do anything and everything. Everyone thought that he would grow up to be the best heir that the d' Anconia legacy had ever since, and up until this incident of the Mexican mines, they were correct. Dagny and Francisco admit that all they care about is money, and Francisco explains that its to buy his admission into heaven, as if money is the factor that purifies the soul of sin, when, in truth, its the other way around because greed is a sin. We also see the early suggested romantic relationship between younger Dagny and Francisco fully explained and developed. There is also various evidence that Jim dislikes Francisco and vice-versa, but I see it a good fit to conclude that those feelings arose from competition of who would be the more successful son of the two giant companies, and who would Dagny look up to and respect the most, which obviously Francisco took from Jim from the very beginning.
-Luis D.

Personality Changes in Dagny Taggart

While reading the first couple of pages of Atlas Shrugged, the only impression I got from Dagny Taggart was that Taggart Transcontinental was her everything. She loved this job and knew she wanted to be in the family business since she was sixteen years old. Throughout the book, Dagny and Jim constantly argue about what will be done about certain situations regarding the company, and Dagny always seems to know exactly what she has to say to her brother Jim to get things her way. Even in risky situations you always find Dagny saying that she will take complete responsibility for whatever happens, as long as she can handle the situation in her own ways. Even though Dagny has set this whole image of herself as a strict business professional, a little further in the book we are able to see that she thinks and worries of other things besides the Taggart Transcontinental. For example, when she is in her apartment and picks up the newspaper with Fransisco d'Anconia's picture on it, she is hesitant to read it because they have not talked in a long time and she does not know what to expect from this article. Once she reads the article and reads all about Fransisco's affair, she drops the newspaper on the ground, and continues to listen to richard Halley's fourth concerto. For the first time in the book we can see Dagny having feelings towards a man and something other than the family business and all that  relates to it.

Communism v. Capitalism

As I am reading Atlas Shrugged, I am beginning to see a pattern amongst the people in the book. They could be split into two categories: those who believe in fair, free, competition and those who want control of the market place through government intervention. Several policies in the book help to highlight these two categories of people.  The first policy is the Anti ‘Dog-Eat-Dog’ rule, which essentially states that new companies are forbidden to compete in areas where a long-standing company exists. The policy is said to be proposed in the interest of protecting the “public welfare”. The example of this rule’s limitations was the limiting and shutting down of the Phoenix-Durango, which sets up the eventual demise of prosperity in the Colorado area.  This is clearly not in the best interest of the public but rather in the best interest of Taggart Transcontinental.  The second policy is the “Equalization of Opportunities”, which states that no company can become a monopoly because society’s market is only able to function with the proper amount of competition. The consequence of this is that the market doesn’t determine a superior company but rather government requires competition to exist.  Thus the characters can be divided based on their support of these policies. People who supported these policies, such as Orren Boyle, James Taggart, Balph Eubank, and Dr. Pritchett, seemed to represent the fundamental principles of communism or command market. The government trying to control and plan the market place so that everyone can have an “equal” share is the basis of the Communist Manifesto.  Therefore if Orren Boyle represents communism than Dagny Taggart and Henry Rearden, who are against the policies, must represent capitalism. Capitalism is represented in their work ethic and mindset. They believe in working for their money and the passion and challenge that come with fair competition. Through these characters and their response to these policies, Ayn Rand is trying to represent the differences between capitalism and communism.              

A History Revealed...

From the first mention of Francisco between Dagby and her brother, Ayn Rand reveals a history between them.  Jim says condescendingly to Dagny that Francisco is “her friend after all” to which Dagny ends up replying something along the lines of “not anymore”. Her cold reaction to Jim’s remarks enable us to see that whatever type of relationship that Francisco and Dagny had, did not end well.

            Rand uses an extended flashback to reveal what happened between the two. However, the manner in which Raynd goes back in time makes it difficult to distinguish between the past and present.  Nevertheless, we as readers are able to see that after growing up together, Dagny and Francisco grew affectionate towards one another. Francisco seems to be the only one that understands Dagny’s want to work. Yet despite his affection for Dagny, at one point Francisco warns her to forget him. He soon develops into some sort of monster. His actions seem close to those the clinically insane would be taking. He has no remorse whatsoever for the people he is hurting and even causes the railroad industry to lose millions. In the beginning I thought Francisco was going through a delayed childhood rebellion phase. Rand forced my opinion to change when she revealed a later encounter between Dagny and Francisco later on. Francisco seems to have lost faith his faith in everyone; there fails to be a purpose in life to him. At Hank’s anniversary party, we are introduced to a philosophy professor who believes that there is no purpose in life. Seeing as that he taught at the same university Francisco attended I am left wondering if he influenced Francisco to take such bold and unimaginable actions. I fail to believe that their shared views are simply coincidence.

                                                                                                               

-Talia Akerman