Sunday, September 29, 2013

I will live for the sake of other men and women, and most definitely ask them to do the same. (Zane Mandell)

This week’s reading was truly eye opening in that we have finally yet John Galt. I will leave discussing him specifically for a future reading but today I would like to discuss a motto. This motto has already been discussed in previous posts and surely will be discussed in others. The motto I am referring to of course is the one that says never to live for anyone and never to have anyone live for you. Doesn’t this sound so romantic and prophetic? It is something that I have found in great contrast to everything that Rand has written. I believe that she did this on purpose to capture the reader and truly seal the deal and convince the reader that what she is saying is true.
In fact this motto that is spoken by the people of the valley is the tenant of Capitalism. I think it needs to be reworded in this case for a better understand. This motto is essentially: “Every man for himself.” Now that is not as romantic or prophetic as Rand has put it, but they are truly the same. This is consistent with everything that Rand has done up until this point in the lengthy novel. This hidden, secret valley seems to be this breath of fresh air from the novel. This place seems to be perfect, the ideal that Rand strives for with her ideology. But think about it logically, should every human have to survive on his or her own? Is this the best form of society as Rand suggests? The idea itself is the complete opposite of society. Having everyone act independently is lawlessness, it is anarchy. Not so romantic and prophetic when you look at this in a different light.

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