Admittedly, the first two chapters of Atlas Shrugged were interesting, but were not too compelling. On the other hand, after reading chapters three through six, I found myself captivated with what Ayn Rand had to offer. Not only did these chapters build tension between characters, but they also illustrated the beginning of a number of central conflicts in the novel. Moreover, the reading demonstrated the growing competition that results from an economic depression. For instance, when the third chapter begins, there are overlapping discussions regarding the possibility of Rearden’s Steel outcompeting Boyle’s steel and the feuds between Taggart’s Railroads and other railroad lines. In addition to the competition present in the novel, these chapters also introduce the idea that companies are also dependent on one another. For instance, some railroad lines rely on others to stay up in running such as the Rio Norte’s dependence on the Ellis Wyatt. My favorite part of the reading was the input of some drama in te novel. The audience learns that Francisco d’Anconia, the owner of the mines in Mexico from which the Taggart’s invests in, had an affair with Dagny Taggart. Dagny and Francisco’s past brings up an interesting element to the novel because there is a lot of tension between Francisco and the Taggart’s after Dagny and Jim relied on Francisco’s mines that were in fact worthless. My final point will be in regards to the party held by Lillian Rearden at the end of the reading. Here, rather than expressing joy throughout the party, there is constant talk about business, which reflects the true concerns during the time of an economic downfall. These scenes and many others so far in Atlas Shrugged have caught my attention because they offer an interesting perspective on the affects that an economic downturn has.
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