Thank you, John Galt

This week, in reading more of Atlas Shrugged than any other week, I found that there was finally progress in evading the monotony that I have been complaining about in nearly every entry. Perhaps this is because the idea of being a couple of weeks from finishing the novel excites me, but I think we are finally seeing some exciting and entertaining scenes. In my opinion, the catalyst responsible for the improvement of Ayn Rand’s work is the character of John Galt. That’s right, we have finally met John Galt, and it was about time. 

The introduction of John Galt allows the audience to formulate a new perspective that better reflects the setting of the novel. Galt is a character whose personality exhibits one that has been clearly affected by an economic depression. Interestingly enough, although John Galt is one of the more educated people in the novel, he is the leader of a strike in the workforce and does not take advantage of his talents and abilities. On the other hand, we have Dagny who is passionate about creating success for her business. Furthermore, the relationship that builds between Dagny and Galt is what I found the most amusing in the reading. Regardless of their contradicting views, the two characters have an ongoing affair during which Dagny still refuses to join Galt’s efforts. In one way or another, I believe that Rand is trying to reference both casual sex and, more importantly, the stubbornness between both sides in the novel.