As part one of Atlas Shrugged draws to a close, Dagny Taggart is on a desperate search to find the inventor of the motor. She speaks to the widow of William Hastings, the former chief engineer of the Twentieth Century Motor company. Through this exchange, she learns that the inventor of the motor was one of William Hasting's assistants. Although the widow does not know the whereabouts of the assistant, she does know a mutual friend. This mutual friend is a cook at a diner, who is later revealed to be a great philosopher. Like the great musician and contractor, this philosopher also abandoned his profession. When questioned by Dagny, he tells her that he is a cook in order to earn his living. Throughout her journey, the advice Dagny is given becomes more ambiguous and nonsensical. It later seems as if the people she speaks to are hiding a crucial part of the story. No one wants to give her any straight answers and yet they seem to humor her. At various points, they tell her to abandon her search, but are not necessarily surprised when she insists on moving forward.
Also notable was the disappearance of Ellis Wyatt at the end of this chapter. As the title of the chapter suggests, "Wyatt's Torch," Wyatt chooses to light his wells on fire, in response to the new "socialist" legislation. He would rather destroy his own company than have parasites leech off the benefits and prosperity that he has created. It does not seem fair to him to support people who are not as capable, or industrious as him. As the chapter comes to a close, Rand makes a strong argument for capitalism, especially in comparison to what she believes are the socialist policies of the American government. In her view, any business regulations are immoral, stupid, and unnecessary. These restrictions only stifle the human spirit, as manifested in Dagny and Rearden.
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