“WHO IS JOHN GALT ?”
Yesterday I finished reading Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand. The book is a voluminous 1200 page consisting more of her philosophies rather than story. It was my second book of ayn rand after the fountain head. The epitome of both the books are almost similar. However its not a lie that people call this book as her masterpiece. It deserve this title. It has a very fine conglomeration of her philosophy with the fictional story. It has a very good suspense, plot and heroism that is enough to fill a juvenile heart with lots of enthusiasm to work, sanguinity to face ordeal situation and wit to defend themselves.
The book start with the very famous slang “who is john galt?” which is used in almost every chapter. Everyone used that sentence when they found the present situation, uncontrollable but none of them could discern what really that sentence meant to be. John galt seemed to be either the creator of every problem or the saviour. But the million dollar question was “who is john galt?”.No one was sure whether he really existed or was some imaginary man. The jist of the novel is what would happen if great minds who only believed in their minds and deligence get vanished from the earth. Is egoist attitude a problem or a solution of everything .Is money the root of all evil?
In this book author has shown what made a real music composer to disappear on the night of his most awaited show. What made a most extraordinary mind turned out to be a depraved, worthless playboy, What made an intelligent, deligent son of a bishop turned out to be a most dangerous looter. What made an owner of the biggest oil field of US burned his oil well and disappeared .The answer of all these questions is “who is john galt ?”.
Ayn Rand in both of her novels shown that there is no shortcuts to success except for work. Work is the only thing which is to be worshipped. There is nothing for a man in this world than work. No relationship can replace his profession. No love is more sacred than the love for the work. This attitude makes the common man to think that the person is selfish. That what Ayn rand wanted o tell. Be a selfish .Do the things very faithfully for yourself and you would do a great work for the mankind unintentionally. Thus Selfishness is not a vice ,it’s a vitue. In the novel she also condemned the communism and told the people that work of government is only to protect the people and not to interfere in their progress.
