Surprise

                I find Hank Rearden to be the most interesting character in the book. Everyone thinks of him as being a man who solely lives for profit, yet when he is faced with the choice of profit v.s. morality, he surprises everyone. 

                The State Science Institute comes begging Rearden for "ten thousand tons of metal" (page 339) needed to create "Project X". Rearden has no knowledge of what the project is and believes "it is my moral responsibility to know for what purpose I permit it to be used." (Page 339) The institutes constant refusal to enlighten him only makes Rearden more and more upset and further more, he still wants revenge for them trying to sabotage him prior to the construction. "Listen... There might be some sort of justification for the savage societies in which a man had to expect that enemies could murder him at any moment and had to defend himself as best he could. But there can be no justification for a society in which a man is expected to manufacture the weapons for his own murders." (Page 339) Rather than carry out his actions with the sole goal of money in mind, he wants respect and revenge. Although he doesn't want to destroy the institute, he does say "take as much of the Metal as you wish and go. Don't try to send me payment - I won't accept it. Don't print out a check to me. It won't be cashed. If you want that Metal, you have the guns to seize it." (Page 340) This, I believe, is the highest form of insult. It shows that he finds them so pathetic, he doesn't even want their money even though it goes against everything everyone believes in him. 

                I think there is more to Rearden than the shallow man everyone portrays him to be. With this in mind, I foreshadow that he will do something to surprise everyone as time advances.