Needing to feel wanted

Atlas Shrugged – Day 021 – pp. 204-213

Things turnin’ a little sexy. While Dagny’s talking about Rearden Metal and bridges and union labor Hank’s having about two pages of fantasy lust in his mind . . .

“. . . Do you know what I’m thinking now, in this moment? . . . Your gray suit and your open collar . . . you look so young, so austere, so sure of yourself . . What would you be like if I knocked your head back, if I threw you down in that formalĀ suit of yours, if I raised your skirt –“

Ooooooo Hank! Signs of life.

Moving on, a rail disaster strikes jeopardizing a delivery of Rearden products. The foreman on the line is — much like the rest of Rand’s world — inept. Hank, as always, takes it upon himself to solve the problem.

In the middle of his saving the world, his secretary calls to say his mother has come to see him.

“It’s about Philip”
“Yes?”
“Philip is unhappy.”
“Well?”
“He feels it’s not right that he should have to depend on your charity and live on handouts and never be able to count on a single dollar of his own.”
“Well!” he said with a startled smile. “I’ve been waiting for him to realize that.”
“It isn’t right, for a sensitive man to be in such a position.”
“It certainly isn’t”
“I’m glad you agree with me. So what you have to do is give him a job.”
“A . . . what?”
“You must give him a job here at the mills — but a nice clean job of course, with a desk and an office and a decent salary, where he wouldn’t have to be among your day laborers and your smelly furnaces.”

This should be interesting . . .

“But he knows nothing about the steel business.”
“What has that got to do with it? He needs a job.”
“But he couldn’t do the work.”
“He needs to gain self-confidence and to feelĀ important.”
“Beu he wouldn’t be any good whatever.”
“He needs to feel that he’s wanted.”
“Here? What could I want him for?”

This is making that request for $10-large in cash look pretty cheap.

The argument that ensues pits what’s good for business vs. charity. For Hank there is a clear line that is not to be crossed.

Hank 1 — Mother Rearden 0

Now we’re meeting with Mr Ward. A harvester manufacturer from Minnesota. Hard working. A producer. Mr Ward is essentially begging Hank for any allowance of steel he can get to build and deliver his product.

He has enough cash to operate at a loss for a couple years. He just doesn’t want to close his factory. He offers any payment.

Now, faced with a real business man, Hank puts pencil to paper and comes up with 500 tons of steel for delivery to Mr Ward in 10 days.

Juxtaposed scenes to show that he’s really not the heartless lout mama makes him out to be?

When in bursts Gwen Ives (his super-efficient secretary) with news that the Equalization of Opportunity bill has just passed. The one Mr Mouch in Washington guaranteed Hank would never see the light of day.

“. . .they’re calling it a victory for anti-greed.”

And have they heard from Mouch? Not in ten days?

Foul play? Depends from which angle you’re looking at it. . .