Waiting for Superman

Rand moralizes that it’s only the tangible that are worth discussing, and this idea of tangibility can only be derived from those that are named, and yet I have a hard time categorizing exactly where Atlas Shrugged falls in the realm of literature. Atlas Shrugged lies in the gray zone between a novel and an essay. It’s clear that Rand’s purpose for writing Atlas Shrugged was to convince the reader of her ideas, but unlike an essay she uses fictional examples that she, as the writer, has been able to manipulate in order to support her argument. In reality many of the traits that she demonstrates through her characters from the novel, both those like James Taggart and John Galt, would only work in exceptions. Her claims are not laws; and as in scientific law versus scientific theory, they do not pertain to everyone or even most people. But it’s true that extremity is sometimes required in order to stress traits that would not reveal themselves else wise. We would not have noticed them if they hadn’t been exaggerated. Although my inability to categorize Atlas Shrugged left me feeling frustrated if there is any genre that Atlas Shrugged falls into it’s that of fantastical reality.

If you were to replace the leotards and tights with pant suits and replace superpowers with the strength of the mind we end up with a novel that represents that of a Superhero comic. Rand assumes in the creation of her characters such as Dagny, Hank, and Francisco that there are humans who poses extrodinary abilities, and that they understand the truth better then anyone else. Many of Rand’s characters, like that of a superhero, follow a simple formula. Rand’s protagonists all poses a natural ability to think and problem solve; their superpower, that makes them greater then the common people. Along with their natural ability, they’re naturally gorgeous, and this is done for a specific reason. Rand mentions through out the book the physical appearance of the protagonists, whether its Dagny standing in the terminal by the train tracks in her silver evening dress, or Hank stepping out of his car dressed only in the highest quality and most expensive suit. Their clothing are their capes, they are their marks that are meant to separate them from the rest and to show externally that they are exceptional internally.  But like the superheroes and following Rand’s formula, the protagonists all poses one fault that always causes them to falter, it’s this one fault that prevents them from being perfect. Especially for Dagny whose undying love for her railroad prevented her for the majority of the book from escaping to Atlantis. Like those of the villains from a comic, in Atlas Shrugged you know an antagonist when you see one. It’s not coincidence that Wesley Mouch’s name sounds so similar to “weasel mooch”.  Rand gives us characters such as the sadistic Dr. Ferris who builds torture chambers that span floors, and then gives us men such as John Galt whose self control and strength prevent him from even screaming while being tortured. Rand resists from making the comparison herself, but what the reader is being given is a situation of good vs. bad. 

And if there is anything that I oppose in Rand’s beliefs is that there is a separation between good and evil. I don’t believe there is such a thing as a good and bad, and I don’t believe in superheroes. There is never going to be one person with the ability to save the world, Superman is not going to sweep down from the sky and save our burning city. This seems like a logical thought, that of course Superman does not exist, neither does the Easter bunny, yet we see this idea play out constantly in society. Every election we always we shout “this is the one who will solve all of our problems". Our system of government has lead us to believe that things could actually change by replacing one man with another, that because he has the title of leader, he would be able to control the outcome of an entire country. If history has taught us anything it’s been that this is a lie, and yet no matter how many times we keep proving ourselves wrong we are caught in this vicious cycle. We look at the current situation in congress and we criticize them for being so divided, failing to remember that we’re the ones who voted them in. They’re only an exaggerated microcosm of the whole. We vote them in because we believed that they would make everything better, and an extreme idea leads to extreme people. Believing that there will always be someone to save us in our hour of peril sounds like a great fairy tale, but we can’t spend the rest of our lives waiting for Superman.