Atlas Shrugged – Day 002 – pp. 13-22
Well we haven’t met one of the most famous opening lines in literature yet.
I mean with Ishmael you knew who you were talking to right off the bat… But let’s press on.
A-HA!
“She sat at the window of the train, her head thrown back, one leg stretched across the empty seat before her.” … “Her leg, sculpted by the tight sheen of the stocking, its long line running straight, over an arched instep, to the tip of a foot in a high-heeled pump, had a feminine elegance that seemed out of place in the dusty train car and oddly incongruous with the rest of her.”
A woman! (How’d I guess…) Femme fatale? I’m guessing the Taggart sister and judging from our bad-guy Jim’s reaction, she must be somewhat of a heroine in the book.
Anyway, she’s on a train listening to the strains of a Halley concerto that a brakeman is whistling. She stops him to ask which concerto he’s whistling. He says the fifth. But, according to her, he’s only written four. (hmmmmm)
Anyway the train she’s riding – the Taggart Comet – stops unexpectedly. She jumps up and makes her way to the engine where she confronts the engineer and fireman.
What’s the matter?
Red light
What is it?
Don’t know — personally I think it’s broken…
So what are you going to do about that?
Wait for it to change…
In a further exchange we see that the train crew won’t go against a red light even though they suspect it’s broken in large part to avoid having any blame for an incident placed on them.
How long do you propose to wait?
The engineer shrugged, “Who is John Galt?” (what? he knows John Galt too?)
“He means,” said the fireman “don’t ask questions nobody can answer.” (A HA! John Galt is in fact rhetorical…)
She identifies herself as Dagny Taggart, orders them forward, accepts whatever blame comes from her action. Clearly a woman of action and a good-guy.
As they moved on she decides she must promote Owen Kellogg who ran the main terminal to Superintendent of the Ohio Division — to prevent further things like this…
As she detrains at the station, she finds herself whistling the music from Halley’s fifth concerto (what is up with this?????)
Off to a showdown with brother Jim.
So it’s her, Jim and Eddie Willers (Special Assistant to the VP in Charge of Operation – a ha!)
So it’s back to the Rio Norte line. Apparently new rail’s coming in two months.
Ah! Orren Boyle is delivering…? No, she ordered it from Rearden Steel.
But the board hasn’t authorized it – I haven’t authorized it.
(handing him the phone) Then call him and cancel it
I haven’t said that.
Then it stands?
I haven’t’ said that either.
Pussy! Dagny 1 James 0
What about the contract with Orren Boyle?
Canceled it.
He hasn’t called me to confirm.
He won’t
Bam! Dagny 2 James 0
According to Dagny, they’re ordering from Rearden because he’s the one man who can deliver. Plus he’s apparently a brilliant scientist/inventor having just perfected a new alloy better, stronger, lighter than steel to be called Rearden Metal. James is worried about poor Orren.
She’s buying it because it will fix the Rio-Norte line so they can compete with the Phoenix-Durango line shipping Ellis Wyatt’s oil.
Jim: I’m sick of hearing about Ellis Wyatt. I don’t see any need for immediate action. Just what do you consider so alarming in the present situation…
Dagny: The consequences of your policies … That thirteen month experiment with Associated Steel… your Mexican catastrophe for another — the Mexican government is going to nationalize your line any day now
Game Set Match – Dagny!
Much is revealed in their four page exchange but it’s pretty well summed up where I’m ending today…
“I don’t see why you’re so eager to give a chance to Ellis Wyatt but you think it’s wrong to take part in developing an underprivileged country that never had a chance.”
“Ellis Wyatt is not asking anybody do give him a chance. And I’m not in business to give chances. I’m running a railroad.”
“That’s an extremely narrow view, it seems to me. I don’t see whay we should want to help one man instead of a whole nation.
“I’m not interested in helping anybody. I want to make money.”
“That’s an impractical attitude. Selfish greed for profit is a thing of the past. It has been generally conceded that the interests of society as a whole must always be placed first in any business undertaking which…”
A rambling aside…
I think some years back (maybe my college days) I’d have found Dagny to be somewhat unlikable. After all, why couldn’t everyone have a chance to succeed? After 27 years working, now I know…
And I’d say the sooner that a young person comes to that conclusion, the better off they’ll be. But could you imagine an entire world of Dagny Taggarts instead of her being the minority? I think a lazy majority is necessary — maybe not…