Introduction Analysis- focus on Eddie Willers

            From the very beginning of the novel, Eddie Willers is personified as a man of moral correctness and sensibility. Regarding his reaction to the bum who approached him on the street, it is clear that Willers is very troubled by the downfall of the businesses surrounding him. The author clearly conveys to the readers that Eddie WIllers is bothered by the phrase “Who is John Galt?” and that he wants to somehow retract all of the hopelessness being evoked by that frequently asked question. The demise of the American economy is strongly affecting Eddie Willers, the company he works at (Taggart Transcontinental), and the two heads of the company, James and Dagny Taggart.  These economical struggles seem to be intruding on Eddie Willers thoughts and troubling his mood.

            This “John Galt” phrase struck me as very interesting. From what I got after reading these pages, I comprehended that this rhetorical question is a symbol of a hopeless economy bound to end in tragedy; a question that is mutually understood by the citizens of the country and is used to express a situation with no solution. Both the bum and Owen Kellogg use it to express their belief that the economy is failing them. Clearly, the nation is in fast decline and the majority of the people living in it are helpless. Formerly thriving shops are closing down, and many people are going unemployed. The futile, desperate tone suggested in these pages gave me the sense that the nation is undergoing a bad era and the prosperity of the country is tremendously suffering. The introduction of “Atlas Shrugged” struck me with a gloomy tone that makes me curious as to how these characters, especially Eddie Willers, will react to the turmoil going on in the nation.