Hernan Prieto Reaction #9

In this weeks reading, connections are what I mostly made throughout the reading. These connections are what allowed many of my questions to be answered, and I found it to be a sort of closure to the novel, now that I have just a few pages left to finish the novel.  

As I continued reading the novel, I was curious to find a connection between two characters that I had not before. I find peculiar how I did not see this until now; but nonetheless, I find it quite interesting. James Taggart and Lillian Rearden seem to have very similar attitudes, special towards their, obviously better family members. Hank being Lillian’s and Dagny being Jim’s, I noticed this connection first when I was reading around page 500 when both characters were having lunch and plotting the downfall of Rearden. But It was when I got to the part in which they both sleep together that it came to mind that they are some sort of equals and so are Dagny and Rearden maybe it was Rand’s intention all along to make this connection between the four characters, both couples are very similar. Although, Hank and Dagny are not together anymore, I found this connection to be interesting; their similarities are what attracted them to each other, defying the term “opposites attract”.

What I have found the most interesting thus far is the relationship that has been connected to John Galt. Throughout the novel, the question of who is John Galt has echoed through my mind, many rumors had been stated such as that he was the one who discovered Atlantis, and he was the Greek god Prometheus and a couple more. These all make sense towards the end of the novel. Galt in a way did in fact discover Atlantis (Hidden Valley), a safe haven for all the great minds and he was also Prometheus. Francisco described that Prometheus was the Greek go that gave to people, he described Galt to be the same but instead of giving he took from the people because he was somewhat disappointed with todays society.

As the novel comes to its end I find it that is was a good read, although sometimes a drag it was a positive influence on me. Giving me a push to have an opinion on a matter such as economic power and the different markets available such as socialist or open. This honestly is something I would have never thought about if I had not read the novel, reading the novel resulted in an insightful experience one that I am not likely to forget.