Dagny Taggart's Character (Priya Dhairyawan)

            The past few chapters have revealed a tremendous amount regarding Dagny Taggart’s character. The first couple of chapters made it clear that she is an intelligent woman who does what is best for the company regardless of what anyone tells her; but, now the reader has a deeper understanding of her character apart from the company. For one, she appears to be an extremely strong-willed person. The narrator reveals that Dagny decided that she would run the family company at the age of twelve and began working there at sixteen. She shocked everyone with her skill, especially in a world where women did not hold high positions in the working world. Dagny demonstrated her talent even when everyone doubted her. I think she presents herself as an extremely positive role model, due to her defiance of society’s expectations and her determination to succeed in the toughest of situations.

In addition, Dagny’s previous love interest, Francisco, brings out more qualities about her character. After Francisco left Dagny ten years prior, she went through a tough struggle; however, I believe this heartache left a positive influence on her. Not only did Dagny become a stronger individual in terms of dealing with pain, but she seems to have become more independent as well. Dagny discovered that she cannot depend completely on one individual; she can only rely on herself. I believe that this revelation heavily influenced her behavior. Now, as can be seen through her decisions regarding the railroads in Mexico, Dagny only trusts herself and the ideas that she has. Her character is something to be admired by all.