Life, as it goes.

The second observation on Atlas Shrugged is about the characterisation in the story. There are 6 or 7 main characters and interestingly each character has his/ her conscience mirrored in another. Since the basic message of the story is that the world belongs to those who produce and sell for an adequate consideration and not for those who expect things undeserved and unearned, the characters are split into two main categories, one the industrialists and second the looters.

The industrialists are those who do not give nor desire anything unearned or undeserved and include Dagny Taggart, Henry Rearden, Francisco D'Anconia, Eddie Willers etc. The looters are those who live off as parasites of the industrialists and declare that need should govern everything irrespective of whether they earn/ deserve it or not and include James Taggart, Lillian Rearden, Weasly Mouch, Dr. Ferris etc.

Each of the industrialists' virtue is reflected with a corresponding evil in the looters. Dagny's determination as against James' indecisiveness. Henry's passion against Lillians' passivity, Francisco's beliefs as opposed to Mouch's brainwashing. Eddie's loyalty as opposed to Dr. Ferris' deception.

There are a couple of characters who sail in the middle. Not able to decide which side the virtue lies. I like the description of their confusion the most. Dr. Rober Stadler who is a brilliant scientist but is in the process of crossing over to the looter's side because of his quest for power and a government official nick named The Wet Nurse who goes through a metamorphosis and changes from the looter's side to that of the industrialists. There is also Cheyrl who believes in what the industrialists strive for but is unknowingly trapped on the side of the looters.

And then there is the man who stops the motor of the world, the one who denotes the Atlas, the one who deserves the last credit. John Galt. The man who has understood the looters game and is not ready to sacrifice himself at their altar. He indroduces the concept of "mind on strike" to the industrialists and creates an concealed ideal world for those industrialists who are like-minded.

I believe in Atlas Shrugged Ann Rynd has a winner in the ambit of characterisation because what I consider good characterisation in a book is when the reader has a problem in choosing his/ her favourite and thats what happens to me in Atlas Shrugged. I cannot choose one over the other because they are all so complete in themselves.

But there is something I would point out here. John Galt, the "hero" of the story appears in person in the last 1/3rd of the book. Till then we just see a reference of the name but don't see the presence of the man. In my opinion Galt scores a bit less than Rearden or D'Anconia, because one doesn't really know the guy too well. In a book of more than a 1000 pages, the characters with whom you stay the longest are obviously the most compelling. I don't know how the author could have changed this because this is a description of Dagny Taggart life in the third person and Galt's person enters in the last 1/3rd so this probably was the only way but still somewhere, somehow if Galt had a known story behind him like all the other disappeard prodigies had, it might have made a difference.

Another thing which I felt was uncharacteristic was Dagny's love for Galt. Maybe it is my liking for Rearden that makes me biased but somehow I felt that she falls for Galt a bit to fast. Rearden was a great guy and Dagny a strong woman, a woman of belief and will how could she switch so fast. I am not talking about sacrificing her real love for someone lesser, I am just saying the whole thing was not convincing enough, just seemed surreal.

Lastly, I cannot help comparing this with The Fountainhead. If we only talk of the "hero" I would vote of Roarke over Galt any day.