Summary
Atlas Shrugged, published in 1957, is Ayn Rand's final novel and magnum opus. Spanning more than a thousand pages, this epic philosophical work tells the story of a dystopian United States where creative industrialists and businesspeople go on strike against increasing government control. Exploring themes of individualism, capitalism, and reason, it is Rand's most extensive statement of her Objectivist philosophy. Despite initially receiving mixed reviews, Atlas Shrugged has had an enduring impact, selling millions of copies and influencing libertarian and conservative thought.
Plot
In a dystopian United States, the economy is collapsing as the government imposes increasingly burdensome regulations on business. Dagny Taggart, vice president of a major railroad company, struggles to keep her business afloat amid shortages and irrational policies. She allies with industrialist Hank Rearden, who has invented an innovative metal, to build a new rail line. However, government officials and “looters” continually undermine their efforts.
Meanwhile, the most talented and productive members of society are mysteriously disappearing. As Dagny discovers, they are going on strike, led by the enigmatic John Galt, in protest against a system that punishes achievement and rewards incompetence. Galt is convincing the “men of the mind” to withdraw their talents and retreat to a hidden valley, allowing society to collapse without them.
As the country descends further into chaos and dictatorship, Dagny must choose whether to join the strikers or continue fighting a losing battle to save her railroad. Eventually, after Galt is captured and tortured by the government, Dagny and the other strikers stage a rescue. With the total collapse of society imminent, Galt announces that it is time for the strikers to return and rebuild civilization based on reason and individual rights.
Themes
• The importance of reason and individualism
• The moral value of productive achievement
• The dangers of collectivism and government control
• The role of the mind in human existence
• The nature of heroism and integrity
• The power of free markets and capitalism
• The conflict between creators and “looters"
Setting
Ayn Rand's Atlas Shrugged is set in a dystopian version of the United States at an unspecified time, likely meant to evoke the mid-20th century. The country is in the midst of an economic depression and appears to be on the verge of collapse, with widespread shortages, business failures, and declining productivity. The government has become increasingly authoritarian, led by a National Legislature and Head of State rather than Congress and an elected president.While the novel features many familiar technologies of the early-to-mid 20th century, more advanced innovations, including computers, are largely absent. Beyond the United States, most other countries are referred to as “People's States,” implying their allegiance to socialism or communism. Within the US, key locations include New York City, where Taggart Transcontinental Railroad is headquartered, and Colorado, where oil tycoon Ellis Wyatt has made major discoveries.A central location in the latter part of the novel is Galt's Gulch, a hidden valley in the Colorado mountains where the novel's “strikers” have established their own isolated community. This utopian refuge, based on Rand's vision of an ideal capitalist society, was inspired by the real town of Ouray, Colorado, which Rand had visited. The contrast between the crumbling outside world and this thriving secret enclave is a key element of the novel's setting and themes.
