Dagny: A Powerful Woman in the World of Business

While reading these hundred or so pages of “Atlas Shrugged,” I literally felt the chaos going on between the railroad companies in the country. From Taggart Transcontinental’s money losses, to the new “Anti-dog-eat-dog Rule” and all the controversy about it, I got from the novel that these dedicated business owners were suffering great consequences because of the downfall of America’s economy. But what stood out to me the most throughout these pages was Dagny’s strong, fearless attitude in response to these tumultuous events.

From the first time she appeared in the story, Dagny gave off the impression that she was a powerful woman who disregarded gender discrimination in the world of business and education. She studied engineering; something rare for women to do in that time, and from a young age decided she wanted to run her family business. I find it compelling that she is furious about the Anti-dog-eat-dog rule, despite the fact that she is the underdog in the situation. Clearly a just, good-moral character, Dagny wants Colorado customer’s fair and square rather than having them handed to her by Dan Conway.  The woman takes control of every situation she is placed in with courage and confidence, making other railroad company owners understand that her gender does not make her inferior to them.

At the same time, Dagny’s unconditional commitment to Taggart’s is something that might be pulling her away from having any sort of relationship besides the ones she has with her coworkers. When Dagny was younger, her mother worried that her devotion to her studies and work might affect her socially. Interestingly enough, Dagny is still attached to her work in the same way that she was as a young girl, and this particularly stood out to me when she encounters Francisco D’Anconia and their childhood stories are explained.