> On Mar 3, 7:08 am, "George Dance" wrote:
>

>> On Mar 1, 6:25 pm, Malrassic Park hotmail.com> wrote:

>
> Here is text file I am still working on, I believe it is a better
> sounding interpretation than this "Gas." Do you have a link to the Gas
> article.
>

> The events that surrounded Rand's life, notably the rise of Communism
> in Russia, heavily influenced her work. Her distaste for Communism and
> collectivism in all forms is apparent throughout Atlas Shrugged.
> Although her earlier novels were criticized for their deeply anti-
> Communist stance, Atlas Shrugged was published at the height of the
> Cold War, and its message was welcomed by an America that feared and
> despised Communism. At the end of World War II, even when the
> totalitarian threat of the Nazis had been eliminated, much of Europe,
> followed by China, Korea, and Cuba, fell under Communism. Communism, a
> collectivist system that forces individuals to sacrifice their own
> interests for the good of the state, threatened the personal and
> intellectual freedoms Rand considered essential. Although the United
> States opposed Communism in the Cold War era, many of the collectivist
> beliefs of Marxism had support among American academics and those who
> favored an expanded welfare state and greater regulation of private
> industry. Rand wrote Atlas Shrugged in opposition to these views.
>

> As a student of American capitalism, Rand believed that unfettered
> economic freedom was the factor most responsible for the major
> achievements of American inventors and businessmen during the
> nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.
>
> Atlas Shrugged attempts to demonstrate
> what might happen to the world if such
> economic freedom were lost, if emerging
> collectivist trends were to continue
> to their logical conclusions.
>
> The novel shows in detail the resulting collapse of efficient
> production and the rise of corruption among businessmen and
> politicians who look to live off the production of others without
> producing anything themselves. In Atlas Shrugged, the system falls
> apart to the point that the remaining producers choose to simply
> withdraw rather than perpetuate the corruption. This withdrawal is the
> strike at the center of the novel's action. In this strike, the
> thinkers withdraw their minds to protest the oppression of thought and
> the forced moral code of self-sacrifice that obligates them to work
> only to serve the needs of others. Without the minds of these
> thinkers, society is doomed to utter collapse.
>
> http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/atlasshrugged/context.html
>
> Atlas was considered a leader, and was so in the battle between the
> Titans and the Olympians. The Titans were defeated in this war and
> were placed in Tartarus as punishment. However, Atlas wasn't granted
> this punishment and was instead forced to carry the entire weight of
> the sky on his shoulders. Atlas was relieved of his duty once by
> Hercule's, but was later tricked into resuming his burden.
>
> Now the heavens might be made mostly of cloud, but you'd be surprised
> how heavy they are. (In fact it's a miracle they managed to stay up so
> long before ATLAS showed up.)
>
> ATLAS nipped off to get the apples but wasn't inclined to resume his
> burden. "Here, hold this a minute while I scratch my back," said
> HERACLES. And ATLAS, not the brightest apple in the barrel, did so
> while HERACLES made a sharp exit.
>
> The awful burden was made slightly easier for ATLAS to bear when
> PERSEUS came along and turned him to stone with the head of MEDUSA.
> He's now known as Mount Atlas.
>
> Since the middle of the sixteenth century, any collection of
> cartographic maps has come to be called an atlas. Gerardus Mercator
> was the first to use the word in this way, and he actually depicted
> the astronomer king.
>
> Atlas continues to be a commonly used icon in western culture (and
> advertising), as a symbol of strength or stoic endurance. He is often
> shown kneeling on one knee while supporting an enormous round globe on
> his back and shoulders. The globe originally represented the celestial
> sphere of ancient astronomy...
>
> http://www.gods-heros-myth.com/godpages/atlas.htmlhttp://www.pantheon.org/articles/a/atlas...(mythology)
>
> Themes
>
> Themes are the fundamental and often universal ideas explored in a
> literary work.
>
> The Importance of the Mind
>
> The "strike of the mind" led by John Galt demonstrates this central
> theme of the novel. When the best creative minds are systematically
> removed from the world, their importance is laid bare. Without the
> great thinkers, society spirals quickly downward. The economy
> collapses, and irrational looters seize power. Rand's belief in the
> central importance of the mind opposes the prevailing wisdom that
> labor is responsible for prosperity. As the events of the novel show,
> the mind enables creation and innovation and powers the engine of the
> world. Labor alone cannot achieve productivity and prosperity without
> the guidance of the mind.
>
> The Evils of Collectivism
>
> Rand sets out to demonstrate through the novel's action what happens
> when governments follow socialist ideas. She argues that when men are
> compelled, through collectivism's forced moral code, to place the
> needs of their neighbors above their own rational self-interest, the
> result is chaos and evil. Incentive is destroyed, and corruption
> becomes inevitable. The story of the Twentieth Century Motor Company
> illustrates this brilliantly. After the plant adopted a method in
> which workers were paid according to perceived needs and ordered to
> work based on perceived ability, the workers became depraved and
> immoral, each seeking to show himself or herself as most needy and
> least skilled. The plant failed, and the community was destroyed by
> mistrust and greed. For Rand, any economic or political plan based on
> sacrifice of the individual for the group leads to chaos and
> destruction.
>
> The Need to Integrate Mind and Body
>
> Rand rejects the mind-body dichotomy that is central to many
> philosophies and religions. She opposes the idea that the thoughts and
> achievements of the mind are pure and noble, but the desires of the
> body are base and immoral, and she presents Dagny as a character who
> also rejects the idea. Dagny is proud of her sexuality and sees her
> physical desires flowing logically from the evaluations and
> rationality of her mind. At first, Rearden accepts the mind-body
> split. His transformation occurs when he comes to integrate the two
> facets of himself into a rational whole.
>
> Dr. Stadler represents another aspect of this mind-body dichotomy. He
> sees the pure science of the mind as removed from practical affairs
> and wonders why the mind that made the motor would bother with
> practical applications. For him, the mind is cut off not just from the
> body but from practical life. Again, Dagny represents the integrated
> whole when she concludes that the motor's inventor worked within the
> reality of practical life because he liked living on earth.
>
> Motifs
>
> Motifs are recurring structures, contrasts, or literary devices that
> can help to develop and inform the text's major themes.
>
> Rhetorical Questions
>
> The literary device of rhetorical questioning frequently draws
> attention to key thematic elements. The most obvious example is the
> unanswerable "Who is John Galt?" The question takes on many layers of
> meaning: as a slang reference to hopelessness and futility, as a
> source for speculation about the mythical figure who may have found
> Atlantis, and finally as a public response to Galt's radio broadcast.
> Stadler's "What can you do when you have to deal with people?" is
> another recurring rhetorical question that takes on different meaning
> based on context. For example, Stadler's disillusioned question is
> turned against him when Floyd Ferris uses it to coerce him into
> speaking at the demonstration of Project X.
>
> Motive Power
>
> Motors are everywhere in the novel. The revolutionary motor built by
> John Galt embodies the power to harness energy and move things with
> it. Metaphorically, the motive power of the world is in the rational
> mind, and when the mind is withdrawn, the "motor of the world" begins
> to stop. In a real sense, motive power is essential to Dagny, who
> continually searches for decent locomotives to pull her trains.
>
> Bridges
>
> Bridges serve to represent the great things that can be accomplished
> by the application of the mind. Rearden's design for the bridge on the
> John Galt Line, the first to be made from Rearden Metal, shows a
> creative solution to a problem that he takes joy in solving.
> Similarly, the great Taggart Bridge, which links the East and West in
> a single transcontinental line, represents the product of Dagny's
> grandfather Nathaniel's tireless effort and ingenuity. The destruction
> of the bridge in the Project X disaster demonstrates that the products
> of the creative mind are no longer appreciated or understood, and the
> end is near.
>
> Symbols
>
> Symbols are objects, characters, figures, or colors used to represent
> abstract ideas or concepts.
>
> The Sign of the Dollar
>
> The dollar sign is the symbol of the strikers. Their cigarettes are
> stamped with it, and their town square displays a giant dollar sign.
> For them, the symbol is not merely shorthand for money, but a symbol
> of a way of life. The dollar sign represents the things it is
> exchanged for, namely, the productive abilities of man and the goods
> and services created by the mind at work. The very existence of money
> suggests that there are goods produced and people able to produce
> them, which is what makes money meaningful and valued. In his "money
> speech," Francisco says, "To trade by means of money is the code of
> the men of good will." The strikers value the dollar so much that they
> have their own mint in the valley and use only gold as the standard
> for exchange.
>

> The Bracelet
>
> The bracelet Rearden creates from the first batch of Rearden Metal
> symbolizes everything he has worked toward for ten years, and in a
> larger sense, the purest product of the unfettered, creative mind. It
> represents his pride in and love for his work, and he wants
> desperately to share these values with someone. Lillian, who hates and
> wants to destroy Rearden, misses the point entirely and wears the
> bracelet only to mock him. She wrongly interprets its meaning as a
> reference to her bondage, though it is clearly Rearden who is chained
> to her. Dagny, on the other hand, understands all that the bracelet
> stands for and shares the values it represents, as demonstrated by her
> insistence on trading her diamonds for it. In their reactions to the
> bracelet, we see a sharp contrast between the two women, and it
> becomes clear that Dagny is the one for Rearden.
>
> Wyatt's Torch
>
> Before Ellis Wyatt disappears to join the strike, he destroys his own
> oil fields by setting fire to them, and the fires continue to burn
> night and day. Wyatt's Torch, as the huge flame comes to be known,
> symbolizes his unwillingness to sanction and participate in the
> looters' system or to offer them any useful resources to drain. The
> flame is a powerful symbol of individualism and the refusal to
> surrender the mind. Wyatt's Torch is the very last thing the
> passengers see before dying in the Taggart Tunnel disaster and the
> only part of the outside world visible to the residents of the
> valley.
>
> Atlas
>
> Atlas, the hero of Greek mythology who carried the weight of the
> heavens on his shoulders, symbolizes the exploited industrialists,
> particularly Rearden, whose hard work and great strength support the
> parasites who live off their productive capabilities. When Francisco
> tells Rearden that he would advise Atlas to shrug and let go of his
> burden, he is referring to the strike and calling upon Rearden to lay
> down his burden and stop believing it is his duty to bear so much
> weight for the undeserving. Rearden's only reward for his efforts is
> the persecution of a corrupt government and the exhaustion of carrying
> others. Francisco knows it is unjust for Rearden, or anyone, to be
> cast in this role. By recruiting him for the strike, he tries to show
> Rearden a way out.
>
> http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/atlasshrugged/themes.html
>
> Plot Overview
>
> In an environment of worsening economic conditions, Dagny Taggart,
> vice president in charge of operations, works to repair Taggart
> Transcontinental's crumbling Rio Norte Line to service Colorado, the
> last booming industrial area in the country. Her efforts are hampered
> by the fact that many of the country's most talented entrepreneurs are
> retiring and disappearing. The railroad's crisis worsens when the
> Mexican government nationalizes Taggart's San Sebastian Line. The line
> had been built to service Francisco d'Anconia's copper mills, but the
> mills turn out to be worthless. Francisco had been a successful
> industrialist, and Dagny's lover, but has become a worthless playboy.
> To solve the railroad's financial problems, Dagny's brother Jim uses
> political influence to pass legislation that destroys Taggart's only
> competition in Colorado. Dagny must fix the Rio Norte Line immediately
> and plans to use Rearden Metal, a new alloy created by Hank Rearden.
> When confronted about the San Sebastian mines, Francisco tells Dagny
> he is deliberately destroying d'Anconia Copper. Later he appears at
> Rearden's anniversary party and, meeting him for the first time, urges
> Rearden to reject the freeloaders who live off of him.
>
> The State Science Institute issues a denunciation of Rearden metal,
> and Taggart's stock crashes. Dagny decides to start her own company to
> rebuild the line, and it is a huge success. Dagny and Rearden become
> lovers. Together they discover a motor in an abandoned factory that
> runs on static electricity, and they seek the inventor. The government
> passes new legislation that cripples industry in Colorado. Ellis
> Wyatt, an oil industrialist, suddenly disappears after setting fire to
> his wells. Dagny is forced to cut trains, and the situation worsens.
> Soon, more industrialists disappear. Dagny believes there is a
> destroyer at work, taking men away when they are most needed.
> Francisco visits Rearden and asks him why he remains in business under
> such repressive conditions. When a fire breaks out and they work
> together to put it out, Francisco understands Rearden's love for his
> mills.
>
> Rearden goes on trial for breaking one of the new laws, but refuses to
> participate in the proceedings, telling the judges they can coerce him
> by force but he won't help them to convict him. Unwilling to be seen
> as thugs, they let him go. Economic dictator Wesley Mouch needs
> Rearden's cooperation for a new set of socialist laws, and Jim needs
> economic favors that will keep his ailing railroad running after the
> collapse of Colorado. Jim appeals to Rearden's wife Lillian, who wants
> to destroy her husband. She tells him Rearden and Dagny are having an
> affair, and he uses this information in a trade. The new set of laws,
> Directive 10-289, is irrational and repressive. It includes a ruling
> that requires all patents to be signed over to the government. Rearden
> is blackmailed into signing over his metal to protect Dagny's
> reputation.
>
> Dagny quits over the new directive and retreats to a mountain lodge.
> When she learns of a massive accident at the Taggart Tunnel, she
> returns to her job. She receives a letter from the scientist she had
> hired to help rebuild the motor, and fears he will be the next target
> of the destroyer. In an attempt to stop him from disappearing, she
> follows him in an airplane and crashes in the mountains. When she
> wakes up, she finds herself in a remote valley where all the retired
> industrialists are living. They are on strike, calling it a strike of
> the mind. There, she meets John Galt, who turns out to be both the
> destroyer and the man who built the motor. She falls in love with him,
> but she cannot give up her railroad, and she leaves the valley. When
> she returns to work, she finds that the government has nationalized
> the railroad industry. Government leaders want her to make a speech
> reassuring the public about the new laws. She refuses until Lillian
> comes to blackmail her. On the air, she proudly announces her affair
> with Rearden and reveals that he has been blackmailed. She warns the
> country about its repressive government.
>
> With the economy on the verge of collapse, Francisco destroys the rest
> of his holdings and disappears. The politicians no longer even pretend
> to work for the public good. Their vast network of influence peddling
> creates worse chaos, as crops rot waiting for freight trains that are
> diverted for personal favors. In an attempt to gain control of
> Francisco's mills, the government stages a riot at Rearden Steel. But
> the steelworkers organize and fight back, led by Francisco, who has
> been working undercover at the mills. Francisco saves Rearden's life,
> then convinces him to join the strike.
>
> Just as the head of state prepares to give a speech on the economic
> situation, John Galt takes over the airwaves and delivers a lengthy
> address to the country, laying out the terms of the strike he has
> organized. In desperation, the government seeks Galt to make him their
> economic dictator. Dagny inadvertently leads them to him, and they
> take him prisoner. But Galt refuses to help them, even after he is
> tortured. Finally, Dagny and the strikers rescue him in an armed
> confrontation with guards. They return to the valley, where Dagny
> finally joins the strike. Soon, the country's collapse is complete and
> the strikers prepare to return.
>
> http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/atlasshrugged/summary.html
>