Final Thoughts (Priya Dhairyawan)

After completing the novel, I am happy that it is done, which is not to say that I did not enjoy the story, but rather that I am glad to have been provided with answers for so many issues within the scope of the story. One of the major issues that was bothering me from the beginning of the book was the repetition of the phrase “Who is John Galt?”. The phrase was repeated by so many individuals that I could not help but wonder why it was so important. The unfolding of John Galt’s character helped ease my annoyance with the question. His impact on the economy became further revealed as the story progressed, so my understanding of the importance of “Who is John Galt?” began to improve. One other thing that I had wondered about from the beginning of the story was who Dagny would end up with. Initially, I had expected her and Hank to get married, despite his marriage to Lillian. However, I thought they were truly in love. They were both devoted to their work and both craved success. Plus, they seemed to be in love. Even now, I still wish their situation would have remained the same so that they would have stayed together. Looking back at Dagny’s character at the start of the novel, I never would have expected her to be with someone like John Galt. Even though he is probably in love with Dagny, I still find it difficult to overlook the fact that he was watching her for so long without her knowledge. I would have rather seen her with Francisco, if not Hank, than with John Galt; John Galt was one of my least favorite characters.

                Looking back at the situations that take place in the story, I cannot help but notice how much Dagny in particular has changed. She started off as my favorite character; she was independent, driven, hard-working, and careless about the opinions of others. As the novel reached its conclusion, her personality transformed completely. Now she seems submissive, when she was extremely strong-willed at the start of the story. One thing that I admired about her was her defiance of what was expected. Dagny fought her way to the top of her family’s company when she was constantly told that women had no place in executive positions. I respected her greatly at this point, not only because she was working towards a top position, but because she was standing up for what she believed in. After all that has happened in the story, I cannot help but think that she does not feel this way anymore. She seems to be controlled by John Galt now, whether or not it was part of his intentions. Dagny has completely transformed who she is as a person after meeting Galt, and all for the worse. I find it difficult to consider her a respectable woman now, when I had so much admiration for her in the beginning.

                One other thing that had bothered me for a while was that I had no idea what was happening to all of the workers who were quitting and disappearing. This was also annoying for me because it was happening far too often to be considered normal. I was so confused as to why only the best workers were quitting. But now, after reaching the conclusion, it has become clearer. John Galt’s influence on the economy should be perceived as a positive power, but I see it in a more negative manner. If all of the best workers had remained at their jobs, rather than go running to John Galt, would the economy truly be doomed? It is evident that many individuals, and the best ones at that, quit their work because of the dooming economy, but if they had all stayed and had a bit more faith, wouldn’t the economy slowly improve? I cannot help but blame John Galt for this. It may be my bias against him, but he was the one who was influencing others to leave their work and come to him for help. I think this strategy would leave a positive effect only for those who left, while the individuals who were hopeful and stayed at work were left to suffer.

                Despite some of my issues with the story, I actually did enjoy it. Ayn Rand was able to develop a compelling story that kept my attention for the most part. Of course there were parts that seemed to drag, but that was bound to happen in a book is so long. I think Rand’s methods at developing characters were something that I found particularly intriguing. Her ability to completely transform characters from the beginning of the story to the end was impressive. Overall, I am glad that I was able to witness the story that is Atlas Shrugged.