Sunday, September 8, 2013

Zane Van de Put's Atlas Shrugged Reaction #4


The major plot twist so far in the story is when Dagney and Rearden get together. It was completely unexpected and it shocked me. I was interested to keep reading to see whether or not it was a one-time thing. Clearly through the reading, they are not a one-time thing. Rearden goes to Dagney’s house almost every week to make love. They also go on vacation together. However, it is confusing to tell if they actually like each other. There are some instances that make it seem like Rearden really likes Dagney. For instance, when Mayor Bascom tells Rearden that Dagney is a “charming lady but not your wife”(pg. 277). When Rearden hears this he turns white and gets very angry. A reader can tell that he feels guilty about the affair but he really likes Dagney. This shows that he likes Dagney because his first instinct was to fight Bascom and protect Dagney after he heard this comment. There are other instances that make me feel that they do not actually love each other. Two examples are that they never talk about how much they like each other and all they think about is sex. Dagney and Rearden think of each other as objects that they can use whenever they want. I hope Rearden divorces Lillian and he has a stable relationship with Dagney.
            James Taggart has become the character I dislike the most. He does nothing to help the Taggart Transcontinental Company. He hides behind Dagney and lets her do all the work. Even worse, he then takes credit for what Dagney does. After the great success with the John Galt line, James takes all the credit for his sister’s work. I am shocked that a man like that can run a company. He is one of the many “looters” of the world.  

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