Anti-Atlas Essays

Considered to be Ayn Rand’s “philosophical and artistic capstone,” Atlas Shrugged proves to be her most fictionally expressive piece on her philosophy known as objectivism. In his piece, Edward Younkins, aiming for a broader audience, delves into several levels of Rand’s “Bible of Objectivism” and its present importance. Being published around the same time as Atlas Shrugged’s semi-centennial anniversary, the recent restoration of appeal in the novel and flood of copies sold throughout the current

It is no secret that humans make mistake. It is often said that mistakes are what make us human. There is no argument when it is said that there are many mistakes that characters in ‘Atlas Shrugged’ make, but it seems that those mistakes are what molded the characters and allowed them to be used just how the author Ayn Rand wanted them to be. It was clear that she had a certain way that she planned the novel to go and that she planned to use mistakes to get it there. One character that she uses is

In the poems ‘The Garden of Love’ by William Blake and ‘To His Coy Mistress’ by Andrew Marvell, both poets present barriers to love differently through the use of various poetic techniques denoting language and structure. Blake criticises institutionalised religion, not only emphasising its unnaturalness but also utilising the concept to frame it as a barrier to pure, unadulterated love. Marvell however, presents a barrier to love as the more structured construct of time through the juxtapositioning

Ayn Rand and her novel Atlas Shrugged almost fully predict the American economic and social ideals that are happening in modern times. Rand foresees the gradual collapse of the American Economy that has happened in 2008 and is now predicted to happen once again in 2016. She too envisages the type of people that arise from the economic crisis such as the hard working free thinkers, and the sheep that follow in today’s society. Ayn Rand also portrays the ideal that no one can answer the most rhetorical

In the Fountainhead by Ayn Rand, Roark is a character that goes unchanged unlike others throughout the book. He focuses on himself and his work with no account for others or their opinions. He is hardly influenced by anyone; he thinks for himself and doesn’t let others dominate his life regardless of what they think of him and his work. Dominique on the other hand is quite the opposite, all she did was let others dominate her life. Her only independcy was not letting anyone change her mind or call

In Ayn Rand's renowned novel "The Fountainhead," Ellsworth Toohey is a complex character who presents himself as selfless, advocating for altruism and self-sacrifice. However, as the story unfolds, it becomes apparent that Toohey's actions do not align with his professed beliefs, and he engages in self-sabotage. This essay will explore Toohey's actions of self-sabotage and analyze whether the author agrees with his assessment of motivation. Toohey is portrayed as a cunning and manipulative character

Ayn Rand, born in Russia during the wave of mass hysteria surrounding the Russian Revolution, became familiar with the political and social unrest caused by the country’s government. As a result of the violence associated with the revolution, Rand developed her ideologies surrounding self-importance and objectivism. In order to actively communicate her philosophies with other Russian citizens as well as the rest of the world, Rand became a writer, with The Fountainhead being her first major novel

Propaganda and misdirection has become a worldwide political strategy. Harold Lasswell's propaganda theories seemed to carry the weight of real world proof, the world had been submerged by a devastating world war, The War to End All Wars in fact, yet global turmoil continued to rage. These conflicts were infused with worldly and apparently successful propaganda. Yet there was an opposition. One outstanding critic of propaganda theory was philosopher John Dewey. These two scholars have different views

The contrast between Howard Roark´s and Peter Keating´s core beliefs emphasizes The Fountainhead´s message about Individualism, or the belief that focusing solely on one's happiness can lead that person to their most fulfilling life, and how often by pursuing individualistic liberation people often come face to face with judgment, ridicule, and oppression by society, as a result. Howards and Peters differanting choices, often to the same problem, strengthens the belief that living a life not your

Objectivism and Atlas Shrugged: We Could Learn a Thing or Two Imploding Argentinian copper mines owned by your father and his father before him; torching oil wells that took decades to bore into the countryside; eradicating your entire life’s work to keep it from those who would purloin it for their own nefarious purposes. This is the price to enter the promised land in Ayn Rand’s magnum opus, Atlas Shrugged, wherein the government’s strict regulations and the inexplicable disappearance of all preeminent

Howard Roark is a man who puts his pride above all else. He believes that what others think is not as important as what one thinks of one’s self. It was crucial for him to continuously ruin his life, as well as others, to make a point about his beliefs. From refusing the Manhattan Bank Building contract to stealing Gail Wynand’s wife, Roark has always been a selfish man. In The Fountainhead Roark repeatedly makes the mistake of refusing and giving happiness in hopes of denouncing altruism and praising

With all of the crazy events that has occurred for the past three years, Atticus has suggested that I record everything that has happened in a memory box. I like the idea, and I immediately rush to my bedroom. In my bedroom, I write down a lengthy list of important items to place in my box of memories. As I am about to finish my list of items to place in my box, Atticus enters my room and advises me to limit the amount of items of my memories to a minimal number. I agree and choose the four most

Hank Rearden asked himself in the solitude accompanied with his achievements " who started him and kept him going?" --a question most people should indulge in- who was the ignition to the motors of our minds, the fuel that fed these motors, the blood that nourishes and provides life to our existence, who was John Galt? By implication, John Galt is a feeling that burns inside one's soul, and idol that drives a person into a intellectual embarkment. It is an idea one lives by, that may be all

Flipped “Flipped” is a movie adapted from a young adult novel entitled Flipped. The novel is written by Wendelin Van Draneen; the Sammy Keyes serial writer, which was published in 1st October, 2001. This movie is directed by Rob Reiner and has comedy drama romance genre, also has 1 hour and 30 minutes length. It is made in earlier 2010 with the 1960 setting. Flipped was released in theatres on 10th September, 2010 and got 1 win; Best Performance in a Feature Film – Supporting Young Actress (Stefanie

In the Novel “The Grapes of Wrath”, written by John Steinbeck in 1939 near the end of the great depression, the injustices of poverty and homelessness presented against Tom Joad and his family, force Tom to keep his dignity and self-respect. While continuing to fight for his family in the overcrowded California Hoovervilles, and looking for jobs to survive the unfortunate circumstances laid out for Tom because of the dust bowl and the great depression, his decorum never slumps. This gloomy life forecast

Ayn Rand’s ideology centralizes on the idea that total human individuality can only be obtained by means of reason, self-esteem, and total respect of our virtues. Atlas Shrugged ideal hero, John Galt, is the major example of objectivism and its complex layers. John Galt is the symbol of no guilt, no fear, no submission, no doubt. John Galt is the reality that lays behind any human; the use of reason and self-interest as the motor for the improvement of the world, and in consequence, the right to

ocean? How high is the sky? Who is John Galt?” (45) When Paul Larkin gives the above reply to Rearden’s sincere question, “What’s wrong with the world?” (45), he implies that there’s no point in trying to answer either question. Indeed, throughout Atlas Shrugged, when people ask, “Who is John Galt?” the last thing they expect is an answer. The cryptic phrase is a way of throwing up one’s hands and pleading ignorance about questions and problems one is either unable or unwilling to deal with. Dagny

Ayn Rand was born into a wealthy family in Russia. Life was impressive until the Soviets came into power and took away all her family's wealth. She went from living a happy, comfortable life to struggling and almost starving to death. Ayn Rand had the perspective of seeing both capitalism and communism first hand. Communism destroyed her comfortable way of life and inspired her to write the book Anthem. It was written to educate the reader on the evils of communism and what could become of a society

In the movie Atlas Shrugged, main characters Dagny and Hank each have businesses that are important to the economy. Dagny is the Vice President of Taggart Transcontinental, where she is in charge of operations there. Hank is the creator of Rearden Steel. Throughout the movie these two try to keep the economy flourishing, and their businesses going, while the government puts regulations and new laws into place to try and “help” the economy. Is the government really helping though? In this paper,

"I Became His Wife": Translating Jane Eyre in the Soviet Era In the midst of the Stalinist era, the most enduring Russian translation of Charlotte Brontë's Jane Eyre was published. In 1950, poet Vera Stanevich translated the novel, which brought greater interest in Charlotte Brontë's work. (Yamalova 40). A 1988 edition of Stanevich's translation shows how the predominant communist ideologies of the Soviet government influenced literary publishing–particularly with a foreign work. The introduction