Jerry Bonnell Reaction 9

By the conclusion of Atlas Shrugged, it is evident that James Taggart has undergone significant character development – from being depicted as a fairly useless, but politically powerful figure to becoming a self-aware man who collapses once he realizes what he has done. His sole purpose throughout the duration of the novel is to leech off the great minds of the nation, including that of Dagny, Rearden, and Francisco. His survival in this world greatly depends on the minds of others, though he refuses to acknowledge their importance to his life, as well as to the economy as a whole. Instead, he wields power over those weaker than him, such as his young naive wife Cherryl Brooks. Like Eddie Willers, Brooks admires productivity and innovation but does not have the intellect necessary to achieve greatness. They share the same morals as the strikers’ and can only survive in a world where they are free to support great minds, rather than being forced to endure terror and torment. Having taken this into consideration, Cherryl Brooks’ suicide, spurred by her understanding of Taggart’s true nature, is inevitable. 

In accordance with his beliefs, John Galt pursues Dagny despite being aware of Francisco and Rearden’s passionate love for her. He puts his self-interest above his friendship and regard for his friends. Yet, why should Francisco and Rearden ignore their self-interest and place Galt’s feelings above their own? What makes Galt such a special character? I have come to the conclusion that these characters are little more than puppets manifesting Rand’s philosophy. Their actions are far from realistic and it is nearly impossible to understand their motivations at certain key aspects of the novel. For instance, why would Francisco allow his closest friend to have the woman of his dreams after he has spent eight years waiting to be with her? This is an unrealistic price to pay in order to maintain the friendship of someone who does not seem to take his feelings into consideration as Galt single-mindedly pursues Dagny. 

All inconsistencies aside, it is clear that Rand intends to paint self-interest as the highest moral value. John Galt is tortured for advocating self-interest. Ironically, the looters run into a technical difficulty as they are attempting to torture Galt; the torture device breaks down and they are unable to fix it. Exasperated by their ineptitude, Galt instructs them on how to fix it, sparking an epiphany in James Taggart. He realizes that he has been solely working to destroy the great minds of society and collapses with this realization. This marks his transformation from a misguided useless social climber into a man aware of the consequences of his actions. Rand utilizes James as a vehicle for expressing her view that men who use altruism as a basis for their moral code ultimately end up destroying themselves.

Ultimately, this books ends with the triumph of the strikers against the looters. The world must be made anew. Tellingly, the final image of the novel is particularly evocative – Galt traces the sign of the dollar, implying that this new world will be built upon the power of production and the value of money.