Alliances

As I get nearer and nearer to that card in the middle of the book, the tension keeps rising. So much has happened in this second part of Atlas Shrugged, James Taggart gets married, Lillian finds out that Rearden has a mistress, businessmen are disappearing, and Rearden is tried in court. My favorite scene I have read so far was in this weeks reading. When Cherryl approaches Dagny at the wedding and she tells her that she is now the woman of the family and Dagny turns around and says that she is the man. This just made me love Dagny even more! I immediately texted my friend who read the book earlier this year and we talked about our love for Dagny and she is just the best character in the novel. I also learned in this reading that Lillian Rearden is a force to be reckoned with. She is a strong, selfish woman. Although she finds out that Hank has been cheating on her, she says that she will not divorce him because she wants to maintain her social status. She is one character that really bothers me, but she has great monologues which makes me appreciate her.

            The title of the novel is finally said in the reading when Francisco tells Hank that he would tell Atlas to shrug. I do not fully understand what he means by this, but I got really excited when he said it.

            Rearden also realizes in this second part that the only man he truly appreciates is Francisco. He takes everything he says into consideration and he always wants Francisco to be wherever he is. During his trial he was upset that Francisco had not shown up. I am really enjoying this friendship that they have now creating, but there is one part that made me uneasy. Rearden keeps asking Dagny who the first man she was with was and she keeps saying that she will not tell him. Francisco later on, while he is talking to Hank, tells him that there is one woman that he has ever loved and ever will love. He tells him that he hopes that he has not lost her, but he clearly has to Hank. This may cause and kind of love triangle in the future of the novel. This is going to cause more drama if they reveal to each other the truth.