Analysis of Atlas Shrugged Novel - Assignment Example

 Atlas Shruggred Atlas Shrugged is a novel by Ayn Rand. It was her fourth and last novel written in 1957. Compared to all her other works, this is the best and most appreciated masterpiece in fiction. This book contains elements of science, fiction, mystery, and romance. The book presents a United States where most influential and important industrialists forget their fortunes and country to be part of the new radical rules, which cause the collapse of many of the vital industries. The title in itself is a clear description of this situation. Atlas is a Titan who holds the universe on his shoulders. As the world’s weight weighed down on him, he shrugs. This can be likened to a situation where intellectuals in the world went on strike. They would not supply their world with their inventions, art, business, leadership, scientific research, or just new ideas. The author depicts the main theme of the novel as the role of man’s mind in existence exploring a number of historical themes expressing the advocacy of reason, individualism, capitalism and the failures of governmental coercion (Bernstein, 2000). The author, Rand, conducted research on the American railroad industry. She tried to explain the running of railroads during an economic depression (Rand, 2009). The story can be termed as timeless with the pattern of industrial organization of the late 1800s close to the depression era. The social customs and the level of technological advancements, on the other hand, seem to be of the 1950s. There is also no mention of the Soviet Union, World War II or even the Cold War. The countries are described as organized along a mixed economy rather than the pure capitalism of the 19th Century. Organization communication is defined as a system of pathways through which messages are passed on among people who comprise an organization. It provides a basis for understanding almost every human process occurring in an organization and assists one to meet the organizational expectations not forgetting that one may become a communication professional in an organization or as an academic scholar in the field of organizational communication. This concept is considered as the best in organizations, but it does run a risk of promoting capitalism and bureaucracy (Bernstein, 2000). The book Atlas Shrugged brings a twist in everything that one thought they knew about economics and morality. This includes the concepts mentioned above of capitalism and bureaucracy. Organizational communication promotes the idea of letting everyone in on the decisions one is about to make in the organization and getting the approval of everyone. The book clearly shows a different form of organizational communication, which should be adopted in today’s world. A perfect example is depicted by the character Dagny Taggart who shows that the mark of a great businessman is one who sneers at the idea of public safety. She sets a mark of a heroic and decisive capitalist when she pulls rank and orders the crew of the train, which gets stuck at a spotlight that may or may not be broken to drive through the red light. The crew was fretting that they should wait until they are sure that it was safe. She also makes the decision to rebuild a critical line of the railroad using a new alloy, which had never been used in a major industrial project. She brushes all concerns aside and follows her gut stating that, “when I see things, I see them” (Rand, 2009). Once the rail line is built, her plan is for its maiden voyage involving driving the train at dangerously high speed through towns and populated areas. She, therefore, has to bribe the mayors and the safety regulators or threaten them for them to allow this. This can be adopted in today’s world mostly if the leaders are sure that the policies they want to integrate will bring more good than harm and yet they are finding it difficult to convince the others in the organization (Rand, 2009). The book also teaches that organizational communication could be a tool used by the villains to get their way in the form of democracy. The heroes, on the other hand, opt to use force and violence. The villains of Atlas Shrugged accomplish their evil plans through voting. An example is in part one when a law called the Equalization of Opportunity Bill forces large companies to break themselves up is passed by a majority of Congress. This democracy forces the wealthy capitalist heroes to spin off some of their businesses, which is the worst thing in the world and could only have been conceived by evil socialists who hate success. The author tries to show the force and violence used by the heroes as noble and heroic. An example is when the government passes new regulations on rail shipping that will harm the business of the oil baron Ellis Wyatt. Wyatt retaliates by blowing up his oilfields in spite. As far as the author sees this situation, no vengeance is too harsh for people who commit the terrible crime of interfering with the right of the rich to make more money (Rand, 2009). Critics accuse Rand of making the current world selfish, greedy and uncaring (Bernstein, 2000). For them, the discipline of organizational communication depicted in the book should be changed completely. They state that her philosophy is nearly perfect in its immorality justifying and extolling human greed and egotism. The book furthers the theme of individualism showing that without the independent mind, our society would collapse into primitive savagery. It is a defense of the freedom of man’s mind. The organizational communication presented in the book is perfect and could not be done any different since changing it could mean the collapse of prosperity just like in the book when great minds are shackled by government policies, and their innovations either rejected or expropriated by the state. When the thinkers of a society lack the freedom necessary to create new products, to start their own companies, to compete openly, and to earn wealth, then the collapse is inevitable (Bernstein, 2000). Novels, plays, and films are good teaching tools for communicating ideas to students and the public in general. They can be used to engage their minds providing interesting material that does not look like hard work since people enjoy fiction. Rand’s Atlas Shrugged masterpiece depicts the business in a realistic, favorable and heroic image by showing the likelihood of life in a free society, ethical nature of capitalism and the good businessperson. It can be used to teach courage and creativity. This is because it presents the business hero as a persistent, original, and independent thinker who pursues his idea until it bears fruit. The novel also dramatizes the positive qualities of the businessperson by showing the victory of individualism over collectivism with the heroes being noble, appealing, and larger than life with the business careers being honorable just like medicine or law (Rand, 2009). Research should be done on the concept of objectivism as used by the author. Objectivism holds that reason is man’s sole means of gaining knowledge. Objectivism is also very individualistic, promoting the rights of an individual. Trying to understand the advantages of this objectivism over collectivism, which holds that the society is far more important than the individual, is key. One should understand fully the impact of objectivism on the economy and prosperity in general. In her own words, “capitalism is the only system where people are free to function and where progress is accompanied, not by forced privations, but by a constant rise in the general level of prosperity, of consumption, and of enjoyment of life”(Rand, 2009). What would happen if the world shrugged just as Atlas did as he carried the world on his shoulders? This question is posed by the author, which is quite intriguing and needs an answer; what would happen if the scientists, medical researchers, inventors, industrialists, writers, artists, and the rest withheld their minds and their achievements from the world? Would the world be able to remain stable without them or would it fall to their knees? Research on the importance of the thinkers and businesspersons in today’s society should be done. Investigations on any other ways that the world would survive without them should also be done. Ayn Rand’s Atlas Shrugged is an excellent base for teaching issues in business, business ethics, economics, and political and economic philosophy. It can be used to help business students understand better the philosophical, moral and economic concepts underlying business and capitalism. It assists in moving from abstract business examples making philosophy be more accessible and important. It could help teach the importance of values such as being problem solvers, producers and thinkers in upcoming and already established businesspersons, who will not allow politicians to control them. Teaching reason, value and wealth creation using this book can help students realize that they are all it takes to achieve genuine business success and how to create value. The values include rationality, independence, integrity, justice, honesty, productiveness, and pride. The students can analyze the characters in the book to see if they have or lack these values and the consequences of either. If only professors incorporated this book in their classes, then the future prospects for a free society would be greatly enhanced (Bernstein, 2000). If at all the author would be writing this book in this day and age, she would most likely be including software designers, builders of telecommunications networks and those who work in the pure and applied sciences disciplines. The book Atlas Shrugged shows remarkably similar social, political and economic circumstances as those of today. It describes the process of the rise of corrupt businesspersons who pursue profit by engaging in dishonest dealings with politicians. These businesspersons avoid rationality and productivity by using their political groups to loot and destroy the producers. These villains destroy what has been produced thus hindering human progress and prosperity. The government is seen to discourage innovation and risk taking and obstructs the wealth creation process. The government continues to act as the biggest enemy of the businessperson with its interventions into the private markets producing costs and unintended consequences more harmful than the targeted problem itself (Bernstein, 2000). The book is about an economy that is falling apart and the government’s futile attempts to stop the bleeding. The smart, resourceful and independent people are quitting their jobs and businesses and the government is unable to control the press. This situation is quite similar with our current situation where we see our politicians trying to introduce policies geared towards helping the economy but which do not work. In the United States of America, Richard M. Nixon tried the ‘Ninety-day Wage and Price Freeze’, current President, Obama has also tried some similar attempts to no avail. It is important, however, to note that the intelligent people in the book were quitting because someone was telling them to, which is not the situation currently. The political leaders of the current day are the villains with them not following the constitution and trying to control what information the press released to the public (Bernstein, 2000). The heroes in the story are those individuals who try always to change the mindset of the looters telling them to “give up and get out of the way” just like the character Dagny Taggart. The commentators in our current situation who tell the government to get out of the way of the productive people, struggling to help the government see reason are the heroes today. The businesspersons who strive to progress despite their hardheaded governments are also heroes. The society does not need anyone telling them that the socialistic policies do not work when it can clearly see and refuse to act (Rand, 2009). Rand’s impact has been widespread and deep. She has had major political figures who contributed to the shaping of the American society. Ayn Rand’s philosophy offers a different view of the world. This view is viable to today’s world since it advocates for the virtues of rational self- interest. Culturally, objectivism advocates for scientific advancements, industrial progress, objective education, romantic art, and above all, reverence for the faculty that makes those values possible. Politically, it advocates for pure and fair capitalism. The organizational communication advanced by Rand is necessary for living on this earth (Rand, 2009). Man has a free will, and this fact is what gives rise to his need of morality: a code of values to guide his choices and actions as he leads the others in the organizations he exists. In conclusion, to fully appreciate the novel Atlas Shrugged, we must respond to the works as a whole, relevant to our current day, economically, socially and politically. Far from functioning as propaganda vehicles for Rand’s ideas, the book emerges as a sophisticated narrative in which those same ideas are given structural expression, challenging the reader to observe them in their totality. References Bernstein, A. (2000). Atlas shrugged: notes. Foster City, CA: IDG Books Worldwide. Rand, A. (2009). Atlas shrugged. New York: Random House. Read More