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Ayn Rand and Atlas Shrugged
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I recently read, for the first time, Ayn Rand's "Atlas Shrugged". I didn't read it as a suggestion from someone I knew, I read it as I come to read most things. Occasionally, while perusing the net, I come across a writer of a blog, essay, etc. whom I really enjoy. Something about the writing just rings true to me, and makes me feel at peace with myself. The site I came across was Whoisjohngalt.com.
Now at the time I had no idea the question that was the above URL had anything to do with the book, but he had a list of recommended reading, and Atlas was at the top. I hadn't read a new novel in a short while, so I ordered it that day. I will forever be grateful.
There seems to be quite a bit of emotion regarding Atlas, ranging from love to hate. It may even be something of a literary cilantro, in that there doesn't seem to be a middle ground. I can understand that after reading it, and feel honestly that I can understand a lot more as well.
What strikes me as odd, but shouldn't I suppose, is the ability of people to spin Atlas in such a way that it becomes representative of exactly what it opposes. This is the beauty of the book, because those who argue against it use the same modes of attack as the villains in it. Characters such as Hank Rearden are vilified constantly by those who should love him most as uncaring, unfeeling, and selfish. In truth, as with Atlas itself, he is capable of the deepest depths of feeling, of being selfless as to the point of bearing nearly any burden, and cares for his employees more than any other in his industry by any measurable standard.
How then can heroic characters such as this be twisted to fit the demented purpose of greed and selfishness? What motivates what can only be an intentional misinterpretation of these characters? Rand tried to explain the motivation herself, and maybe she was onto something. I can't, like many characters in the book, accept her reasoning on that front yet. I would believe fear before malice.
Still, for anyone who happens to come by and read this, I'd like to hear your thoughts on the matter. If you haven't read it, I recommend doing so. You may disagree vehemently or you may feel as though you've found a soul mate in one of the characters, but one thing I can assure you of is you will feel something.
4 comments
And welcome to reality. We need you.
I have never read such an inspiring, uncompromising defense of free-market capitalism -- and exposition of the destruction that class envy and government intervention will do to the human spirit and its yearning to compete, achieve and produce.
This is a story of the human spirit reborn after being crushed by a goverment attempting to produce societal fairness and "economic justice".
This is a defense of the individual's right to achieve, produce, and realize the extent of human talent unconstrained by the demoralizing, sickening burden of government regulation.
You will discover the subtle bias of altrusitic redistributionist government underlying our HS/college history books.
I am ashamed to have ever taken the term "robber baron" as anything other than a creation of societal leeches giving cover to the envious players in economic history -- people who possesed not the talent to compete with our giants of industry, but the political calculus to smear their achievments through class envy and social guilt.
This book also, most unexpectedly for me, has caused me to completely re-think my view of anti-trust laws.
Brent: Thanks for the thoughtful response. You're right on anti-trust, but honestly something about that never sat right with me to begin with.
I wonder how the potential upcoming 2011 movie version of this will be received by the public? My big concern is how they could possibly tell such a mammoth story in such a short span of time? I'm afraid the interpretation will be nothing but a sham, or worse, a cheap shot at the book. Really, how could Hollywood support Atlas?
I remember seeing a survey somewhere asking readers which book had the biggest impact on their lives -- and Atlas Shrugged was #2...with the Bible being 1st. After reading this book, I can see why.
Yeah, ha ha -- cant imagine Left Wing Hollywood wanting to touch Atlas Shrugged with a 10-foot pole!
Though Hollywood probably could stomach this defense of capitalism, insofar as its underlying philosophy is not so much conservative as it is libertarian...and Rand was an Athiest, very outspoken critic of religion.
The movie has been in development hell for literally 20 years. So it's less politics I think than just a long series of stops and starts.
Yet politics has got to be part of it--I don't think a version of this could possibly come out that was true to the book -- it would be a huge kick in the teeth to the Obama Administration and I highly doubt Hollywood is going to facilitate that!
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