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.