Most novels, especially the
romantic variety, teach their readers to understand that the root of love is
found in the heart. The authors propose that love is an object that is not
rooted in reason but in feeling. Feelings, they suggest, come from causeless
emotions brought about by some type of primal instinct. Love from these authors’ perspectives,
and I dare say most people’s perspectives, is based upon on something unearned
and unconditional. Their most common justification of love’s unconditional
state is that of a mother love for her child, unwavering and unchangeable.
Love, through their understanding, can be taken and given. Love is not a goal
but a starting point.
As I began to read Atlas
Shrugged, there was a common theme amongst
the families of those who were successful. Dagny Taggart was tied to James
Taggart by blood, but there was no love or compassion for him. She only felt a
small sense of guilt for not feeling love or compassion for him. This was the
only feeling that Dagny would attach to James. I found this to be strange and
inconceivable. How could she not love her own brother? It seemed unnatural and
wrong. The same went for Hank Rearden. He had absolutely no love or respect for
any member of his family. He had none for his mother, his brother, or even his
wife. He had no sense of affection for them, only a twinge of obligation to
support them because he shared their blood. At first I did not understand Ayn
Rand’s motive. Why would she make too heroic figures dislike their families?
This seemed to be an inhuman quality. I thought that it was because neither of
them seemed capable of love. Then through Dagny extreme love for Hank,
Francisco, and finally John, I knew that this was a misconception. I reanalyzed Ayn Rand’s understanding
of love. I realized that her understanding of love is that it is not
unconditional but subject to change. Love is based upon reason and every
feeling comes from the brain, not the heart. What had Dagny or Rearden’s family
done to deserve love? Rearden’s family had taken from him and then cursed him
for his good will and values. James had benefited from Dagny’s genius, but he
hated her for that same quality that served his needs. Their families had given
them nothing but taken everything.
Dagny loved John because he had earned her love. He was a great man with
intelligence, innovativeness, motivation, and a thirst for life. She had seen
that he had the power to change the world. Her love for him was based on a deep
respect for the best parts of him. Her love for him did not come from her
selflessness, but for her most selfish parts. Love without a premise or a reason was meaningless. Those
kinds of people that can feel love in this manner, without mind or reason, are
vicious and evil. To Ayn Rand if love is not earned, it’s not love at all.
I enjoyed reading this post because it made me think about a few past conversations and discussions. I went through a similar train of thought when it came to these kinds of situations in the book. In "The Stranger," as the readers we thought that the protagonist was inhuman and plain wrong for his detachment to his mother and any other human in his life. We do the same as we read "Atlas Shrugged." Why is it that we find it so disturbing for someone not to love those who are connected to them through blood? Ayn Rand shows us that love cannot be solely driven by blood, and that there are many different factors that cause one to love, or not to love, the people in their lives. Dagny and Hank's relatives did nothing to deserve their love, so they had no emotional attachment to them. (Rightfully so). I now look at these kinds of situations from different perspectives and I try not to be so quick to judge a character when he or she does something that seems "morally incorrect."
ReplyDeleteI agree with Emily when she states that most teach their readers to understand that the root of love is found in the heart. As a matter affect, that is what everyone is taught since they were little kids. We were all conditioned to see love as a magical feeling that we feel inside ourselves, that we can't help but feel, that we can't control. Yet, in my opinion Rand makes it seem as if love were the opposite. For example, Dagny has always fallen in love with people of great power, success and intellect. It is their title that makes them attractive, that drives her passion for them. Although, It seems as if John Galt is going to be the last guy Dagny falls in love with, she fell in love with him because of what he has created and the image he owns. I'm willing to bet that in this book, if Dagny met John Galt on the street, by another name and under a different profession, she wouldn't have looked twice at him. In addition, Jim is someone who i could never picture getting married due to his way of being, but Cherryl "falls in love with him". Nevertheless, it is revealed later on that her love was based of her admiration of his success. When she realized who Jim really was and what he stood for, she didn't want to be with him anymore. Hank fell in love with Dagny, a successful businesswoman and left his wife, who did nothing. It might be the because of the social class the book is set in, but Rand makes it seem as if love is something based on success, not a feeling.
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