Who is Hank Reardon?

As I dive futher and further into this story, I find myself among a sea of complex characters. The majority of these characters I believe I understand; Dagny Taggart is a cutthroat business women willing to do anything to make sure her railroad stays alive, Jim Taggart is a mere puppet in Dagny’s world, and Francisco D’Anconia is a selfish animal.. The one character who continues to perplex me is Hank Reardon. Perhaps it is that his childhood has not been illuminated like those of Dagny, Jim, and Francisco, but Hank is portrayed as very illusive. I cannot yet make up my mind whether I think Reardon is a character plagued with a harsh background waiting to share his story or merely a simpleton with nothing but a childhood filled with normalcy. The one aspect of Reardon’s life that I am sure of regards his absolutely atrocious family. Every time the Reardon family is together, I get sick to my stomach with anger toward them. The “family” of Hank Reardon, if you can even call them that, are nothing but leaches holding on to the steel conglomerate that their husband, brother, or son has built. Knowing that they have everything that they have because of Hank, it amazes me the fashion that they treat him in. Constantly criticizing him for lack of any other care other than business and poor ethics among many things, the family does not seem to fully appreciate the situation that they are in. Every time a scene with the family appears, I surge of hope arises in me that Hank my once and for all tell his family off and send them into destitution. Having gotten this far in the book, I am beginning to feel that I will never see this fantasy come to reality. The most that I have gotten to see is Hank Reardon refused to give Phillip a job in his steel mill when his mother demanded it. The only time that Reardon seems to be able to say no is when it is regarding to his business. I think this may be the case, because the business was the only thing that he legitimately cared about. I am curious to see if the role he plays within his family changes as he becomes closer and closer to Dagny Taggart. I predict that she will have a profound affect on him instilling more of a sense of authority in his private life.