Atlas Shrugged Analysis

Motors and specialization in Atlas Shrugged are today’s topics.
I’ve never really stop to question why Rand chose to make the Taggart Company a railroad company. It could have been a bread company, a phone company, or even a chair company. The reason why she chose the Taggart transcontinental and its trains is to use it to symbolize societal progression, that idea of moving forwards with the motor/engines leading and driving the charge. These motors refer to those who have passion for a specific field and have made breakthrough advances in their respective fields; Hank Rearden with his metal plants and Ellis Wyatt with his oil fields for example. This made me think of chapter 4, when the Taggart Transcontinental’s main contractor resigned
with an empty, “who is John Galt?” and afterwards when Dagny became infuriated after seeing an old engine that is no longer in use. I now see that the old engine probably referred to the contractor and the fact that it/he was no longer working slows down societal progression; most likely because due the contractor’s resignation, the track will not be laid as efficiently as they can be and thus the trains will not run as efficiently, hampering the economy. And so, as another “engine” fails, the trains that are Taggart Transcontinental and the United State economy slow down even more.
Segway –
These are just my two cents but it irks me how Dagny can be angry at the sight of an aged engine. I understand that it serves to the purpose and symbolism of and in the story, but it seems like Rand is stretching her credibility here. This does not only go for Dagny, it also goes for essentially every other character. The sight of a store irritates Eddie, Hank gets irritated when his wife says she loves him, and others are also prone to being angered by the most miniscule things that would not usually matter. These little pieces of commentaries seem forced and unnatural. It seems as if Rand is trying to make up for her inability to show traits through other methods of description and instead tells it through these small awkward descriptions of behavior.
What truly motivates all these amazing characters; characters like Francisco D’aconia for example.
He was raised as the heir of the copper empire of D’aconia Copper, he work ethic is efficient and his personality is suave. What more could he possibly want? In the flashback of Dagny’s childhood, Jim, Francis and her were childhood friends. Jim once asked Francisco, “what the most important thing on earth?” and Francisco points to the emblem of the Taggart Transcontinental. This reminded me of when Rand made it a point that Hank Rearden feels the need to brand his name on every piece of metal that his plants produced. I think perhaps the characters are not actually working for monetary gains, in order words they are not greedy. Though Francis, Dagny, and Hank are all described as having the most lavished and expensive material possessions from Hank’s minimalist furniture that reflects upon his personality to Dagny’s geometrically designed penthouse apartment, they seem to be the type of people who can do without. They seem like the type of stern people that can appreciate their lives without all the luxuries that they are accustomed to. Which is why I think that the idea of having their accomplishments and contributions as the major engines in society be recognized and celebrated is their true ambition. It is the thought that perhaps one day, they could be as pivotal figures as their ancestors Nat Taggart and Sebastian D’aconia is motivation that fuels their
drive.