Roark vs. Rearden
Posted by CircuitGuy 11 years, 4 months ago to Books
Roark and Rearden faced similar opposition from the establishments of their worlds. Rearden and his friends seemed to react with dread while Roark reacted with indifference.
All the producers in Atlas Shrugged, including Hank Rearden and Dagney Tagart seemed to be amazing successful in their industries but completely inept at dealing with politics. Unfair political opposition and restrictions on their business was like kryptonite to them. It made me wonder how they ever overcame all the other roadblocks and setbacks that come with building a large organization.
Roark seemed the opposite-- completely stoic. Things were happening that were threatening to ruin him, and remained impassive, maintaining the attitude that he was never after others' approval anyway.
Did Rand do this intentionally? What was she getting at? Why do the producers react with doom in Atlas Shrugged but indifference in The Fountainhead?
All the producers in Atlas Shrugged, including Hank Rearden and Dagney Tagart seemed to be amazing successful in their industries but completely inept at dealing with politics. Unfair political opposition and restrictions on their business was like kryptonite to them. It made me wonder how they ever overcame all the other roadblocks and setbacks that come with building a large organization.
Roark seemed the opposite-- completely stoic. Things were happening that were threatening to ruin him, and remained impassive, maintaining the attitude that he was never after others' approval anyway.
Did Rand do this intentionally? What was she getting at? Why do the producers react with doom in Atlas Shrugged but indifference in The Fountainhead?
That being the case, The Fountainhead was theoretically fiction intended to demonstrate how a single man with a solid, integrated, noncontradictory philosophy could survive/thrive in a post-Renaissance/post-Constitutional America.
Atlas Shrugged, on the other hand was theoretically fiction intended to demonstrate that a post-Renaissance/post-Constitutional America is doomed to collapse while only men with a solid, integrated, noncontradictory philosophy will survive/thrive. I think she intended to convey that the collapse would be incredibly fast. Perhaps the political pull wasn't necessary at the time Hank & Dagny were growing in their industries.
Don't really know, but I'd wager that it had everything to do with the difficult task of communicating Objectivism through fiction, and little to do with the characters' attitudes towards political institutions.
This is the only logical in-universe explanation.
I was still struck as I read. These people were like supermen-- good at technology, good at business, good with people, good looking, philosophically incisive, but put their product on a gov't allocation plan, and they were stymied. Mfr-controlled allocation (i.e. not enough to go around; can't raise price long-term; mfr picks whom to sell to) is common in my industry. This was the gov't imposing it, which is certainly different, but I would think a top high-tech executive with the people skills to have built a high-tech mfg org would not be such a deer in the headlights when faced with gov't meddling
I like the book, but it was clear she was communicating Objectivism, not going for believability. .
Not that I think the story would have been better that way, I think the story needed to be very black and white, very stiff and rigid, to portray the characters correctly.
I also agree with Mike that there was a long time in Rand's life between the writing of the two and I'm sure her skill and philosophy understanding grew over time.
"... amazing successful in their industries but completely inept at dealing with politics."
We would cal them Nerds. I have written here under Movies about "Bones." The character of Dr. Temperance Brennan exemplifies the rational-empirical genius who fails at human relations. At some level, perhaps even ultimately, that is our own goal here. The world would be a better place if everyone applied reason and facts to every situation, instead of letting "human values" and "personal relationships" cloud their judgments of right and wrong.
"Nerd Nation 4.5" on my blog here:
http://necessaryfacts.blogspot.com/2012/...
The villains, esp in The Fountainhead, were chilling. Those people really exist. The characters are only slight exaggerations.
I know what you mean about the Rearden and Dagney Taggart being nerds, but they just seemed to cool for that. They're supposed to be beautiful, on top of things, projecting competence. Rearden seems almost foolish in ignoring the political perils of his industry. I suppose he's a rare example of someone good business and technology. Politics is his Achilles heel.